Julie Egers, SAIT psychologist, began her three-part series of ‘Stress Less’ workshops on Oct. 11, with the first installment called ‘My Stress Less Plan.’
This workshop helps students recognize and deal with the stress that comes with being a college student.
Egers spoke to 11 students in the Stan Grad Centre about identifying stressors and how to take the right steps to manage stress, as well as the importance of being proactive versus being reactive.
“We stress about stressing, and we panic about panicking. If you plan for stress to happen, it tends to be easier to manage,” Egers said.
In the first workshop of the series Egers spoke about the importance of self-care, developing manageable goals and the concept of ‘good enough.’
Egers also talked about how comparing yourself to others can be toxic and unproductive.
“The concept of ‘good enough’ is important because that lowers your stress enough to remind you of what you know. We are long distance runners not sprinters,” she said.
Egers also focuses on tips and exercises that students can try to relieve stress and relax, such as the ‘senses’ exercise.
Students were told to describe five things they could see, four things they could feel, three things they could hear, two things they could smell and one thing they could taste.
This helps cause awareness of surroundings and promotes relaxation.
“I found this technique useful and I will try it out during my exams next week,” Ashlyn MacDonald, a Business Administration student at SAIT, said about the workshop.
SAIT offers many resources for students who are feeling stressed or anxious about their studies.
Eger works in the ‘Student Development and Counselling’ department at SAIT, which is on the second floor of Heritage Hall.
“We offer individual support to ensure success in students,” Egers explained.
Egers has worked at SAIT full-time for over five years.
She studied at the University of New Brunswick, the University of Calgary and Mount Royal University.
She also runs the ’28 days of Happiness’ campaign that helps students stay positive through the month of February, the worst month for seasonal affective disorder.
We are long-distance runners not sprinters. -Julie Egers
“February tends to be a dark time for students so these daily positive emails are very uplifting for students,” Egers said.
Students are encouraged to attend the next two ‘stress less’ workshops even if they did not attend the first one. Free pizza will be available at the workshops.
In the next two workshops Egers will be speaking about relaxation and improving your sleep. These will be held on Oct. 18 and Oct. 25 in the Stan Grad Centre.
