LCC counselors offer stress relief tips

By Mallory Stiles
Editor in Chief

LCC counselors hosted a stress management event Wednesday, Nov. 29 in Gannon Building room 2214. The event was titled, “Surviving Exams and Holiday Stress.”

LCC has four counselors and, even though they each have nearly 2,500 students to care for, they still work their hardest to give their students as much help as possible. Counselor Pam Davis said that is what the event was all about.

“We recognize that going home for the holidays can be stressful and finals week is stressful, so we’re just giving tips to kind of de-stress and focus on self-care,” Davis said. “We want to teach students a few new ways to relax, and create an awareness that mental health counseling is a free service available to all students.”

Davis added that she has seen more than a few positive effects of therapy in her students, and she would like to see that pattern continue.

“A lot of students tell me when they meet with me that coming to talk to a counselor helps them with concentration, prioritizing and focus, so we just want to get the word out that we’re here,” she said.

The event was complete with cupcakes, coloring and a few other stress-management activities to help students unwind.

Student Caitlyn Wells wandered in on a whim. She said she was relieving stress by wasting a little time. Wells was aware of the cupcakes, but instead chose a cup of hot chocolate.

Jim Owens, another LCC counselor, said being creative is a great way to get one’s mind off of things. He talked about the different dangers of being perpetually stressed.

“This is an example of things people can do to be creative, and just get in to their right side of their brain instead of the left side, which is a lot of analytical coursework type stuff,” he said. “That’s where students spend a lot of time.

“Stress is autonomic arousal. Stress chemicals, cortisol being one of them, are actually really bad for your nervous system. They are only meant to be in your system for a few moments, minutes maybe, but they are not meant to be just floating around in your nervous system day after day.”

Owens recommended a book to any who need extra help keeping calm titled, “Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers,” by Robert Sapolsky. He said the book has a pretty simple bottom line that he thinks sums up humanity’s view on stress pretty well.

“Zebras are prey to many, but they aren’t worrying it all day long,” he said.

For more information on what any four of LCC’s counselors can do for you, click here.