Stress: We all experience it.
Stress comes from a variety of sources—work commitments, family obligations, personal expectations. It may be the culmination of several events or commitments occurring at the same time that heightens our stress level. Even events that bring great joy to our lives—the birth of a child, a wedding, a job promotion—can bring about a significant increase in the stress we experience.
For some of us, stress can be a motivator. It revs us up and helps us set priorities. For others it’s exhausting and can be incredibly overwhelming.
Stress can make things feel “out of our control.” Stress is often what keeps us awake at night, makes it difficult to concentrate and has been shown to impact both our memory and mental functioning. Long-term exposure to high levels of stress can negatively impact our health in dramatic ways.
In order to optimize wellness, we need to find ways to manage stress effectively in our daily lives. Fortunately, here at Lawrence we have a number of stress relieving options available:
- Exercise has long been touted as a great stress reliever. Whether you work up a sweat on your lunch hour at the Buchanan Kiewit Wellness Center or take a more leisurely walk around campus grounds, both form of exercise will help to relax you and reduce stress levels.
- The Mind Spa at the Buchanan Kiewit Wellness Center. Take time to make use of this great service, which offers guided meditation, light therapy and biofeedback.
- The Center for Spiritual and Religious Life is located in Sabin House and offers the opportunity for both quiet personal reflection and engaging conversation. Open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and then accessible by your ID until midnight, they welcome drop-in usage for rocking chair sitting, tea sipping, poetry or silence. Also, consider joining the weekly meditation session (Fridays 3:30–4 p.m.), or stopping in for “4th Friday Soup and Salad,” a monthly lunch and discussion for LU employees. A library of resources is available for your personal use as well.
- Consider using the Employee Assistance Program. This free benefit allows you to receive professional, confidential counseling to help manage stress or address other issues that may be impacting your health and wellness.
Lastly, feel free to contact me directly at laurie.ehlers@lawrence.edu to set up a personal appointment if you’d like to discuss stress or any health-related issue you may be experiencing.
—Laurie Ehlers, RN educator