A
GUIDE FOR STUDENTS AT MCMASTER
It’s
Monday. You are sitting in a library cubicle staring
at the textbook in front of you in panic. You have
a major project due this week and you’ve hit a major snag. Next
week midterm exams start and you’ve books that have never seen
the outside of the Titles bag it came in. Your left
leg has been twitching on its own for a few days now and is quite
possibly tapping out S.O.S. Welcome to life as a student. Welcome
to stress. Exaggeration aside, being a student means that
stress is sometimes unavoidable. And, understandingly,
we develop crutches to help us cope. But smoking should never
be used to relieve stress. Smoking may seem to relieve stress
but that wonderful feeling of relaxation only lasts for a few
moments. In reality, a few minutes after the last
drag of the cigarette, nicotine withdrawal begins and your body
thinks that it’s entering a stressful situation. Scientific
studies have even shown that quitting can significantly reduce
one’s stress.
Regardless
of your smoking or non-smoking habits, there are MANY great opportunities
at Mac to strip yourself of all the stress that may be making
you unwell and driving you to smoke.
Stress
busters from the Centre for Student Development
Website: http://csd.mcmaster.ca
Contact: [email protected]
Personal
Counsellors, Academic Counsellors and Peer Helpers
For
those who feel that they have stress related problems that are
too great for them to deal with alone should contact the CSD.
Initial appointments with counsellors and/or peer helpers can be
made in
the CSD office in the basement of MUSC at any time.
Future appointments are up to you and your counsellor.
These
people are there to help you with a problem that is causing you
stress. Or if you just need someone to listen to you, to
blow off steam, this is also the perfect place for you too. Drop
in for Relaxation Sessions. CSD also offers relaxation
sessions to help decrease stress. This is perfect
for a busy student! Drop in basis but can contact
the CSD for confirmation. Offered Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday
at 4:30 in GH 110. 50-minute sessions designed to decrease tension.
Stress Management Workshops-Designed for the student on Drop
in basis but only offered a few times a year.
Here
are the latest dates:
Thursday Oct 2nd 3:30 – 5:00 in MUSC 203
Tuesday Oct 28th 5:30 – 7:00 in MUSC 203
Monday Nov 17th 4:00 – 5:30 in MUSC 214
Stress
Solving Solutions from Student Health Services Website
http://www.mcmaster.ca/health/students/studenthealth.htm
Contact:
Donna Curran (905) 768 0242
Student
Health Services is also located in the basement of the
Student Centre.
There,
doctors and nurses are available to help you make better
choices to reduce stress. More excitingly, SHS now offers complimentary
health services, listed below, to all students and faculty members
to aid in the improving personal well being and decreasing stress.
Treatment costs are less for students than faculty. For
appointments for any of the services offered below (except acupuncture) contact
Donna Curran. Acupuncture Fine needles are inserted at
meridian points along energy pathways for the treatment and prevention
of a variety of health and wellness problems.
To
make an appointment call Dr. J. Harvey at extension 27700
The cost for students:
1 session = $50.00
6 sessions = $250.00
Hot
Stone Massage
This treatment is perfect for those who want deep relaxation!
Stress
and tension are totally dissolved away as the heated basalt
stones are strategically placed on acupressure points. The
SHS
website promotes the hot
stone therapy as an “experience [which] relieves pain, promotes harmony,
balance and peace.”
The cost for students:
30 minutes = $20.00
60 minutes = $37.50Meditation
Meditation is a great, non-invasive, exercise to naturally
and actively decrease your stress levels. This
method is perfect for those who want to learn techniques
that they can take away from the guided sessions and
apply any time it is needed.
The cost for students:
30 minutes = $20.00
60 minutes = $37.50Reflexology
The SHS website describes reflexology as the use of therapeutic
pressure on the hands and feet to areas to promote the body’s
natural healing ability.
This is based on the premise that pressure points in the hands and
feet correlate to various organs. Reflexology
achieves balance by working on areas of tenderness to enhance
the energy flow and blood circulation.
It is an excellent complementary medicine for deeper relaxation, stress
reduction, pain relief, energy and so much more.
The cost for students:
30 minutes = $20.00
60 minutes = $37.50Reiki
Reiki is a traditional Japanese therapy in which the practitioner
releases healing energy into the patient’s energy flow using light touch or no touch. There
are many benefits to this technique including stress reduction.
The cost for students:
30 minutes = $20.00
60 minutes = $37.50
Resources from the Health and Wellness Centre
Website: http://www.mcmaster.ca/health/hwc/wellnesshome.html
The
Health and Wellness centre has many resources available for those
who want to seek out options to decrease their stress including
books, videos, games, interactive computer programs and
pamphlets. For those who want to reduce their stress by quitting
smoking, McMaster’s Leave the Pack Behind (LTPB) is also based
in the Health and Wellness Centre. Leave the Pack
Behind is a government supported health program which provides
resources about smoking, provides incentives for reducing smoking
or quitting.
As
a student service, LTPB has counsellors to support and help create
plans to smokers trying to cut back/quit.
Exercise
and Relaxation Options from Mac Athletics and Recreation
Website: http://www-athrec.mcmaster.ca
Registration Office: IWC 219/A (905)
525 – 9140
ex. 24464
Exercise is the perfect stress reliever and as the Ivor Wynne
is right on campus relief is moments away. Furthermore
exercise can be tailored to your ability, to the things that
you enjoy
and, best yet, your schedule. And
exercise is also the perfect activity to do with a buddy. Smoking
cessation research has shown that a non-smoking buddy can have a great effect
on a smoker quitting and maintaining that new lifestyle.
The
Pulse
Offers
computerized equipment including treadmills, elliptical trainers,
stationary bikes, stair climbers, rowing machine and
cross-country ski machine These must
be booked ahead by 6:45 am – 8:00 am on weekdays and by 8:00 am – 10:00 am
on weekends
Call extension 27644 for reservations.
Circuit training and strength training equipment is always available.Aerobics
and Fitness Classes
The Pulse offers a huge variety of aerobic
and fitness classes for the beginner and the pro. For Fitness
Class Schedule:
http://www-athrec.mcmaster.ca/fitness/index.htmInstructional
Classes
For the Instructional Class Schedule: http://wwwathrec.mcmaster.ca/instructional/index.htm
For more information or to register contact the Recreation Office:
(905) 525-9140 ext 24464
Classes offered include: aquatics, cycling, dance, fencing, fitness
certification, golf, karate, outdoor certifications, scuba, self
defence, squash, tai-chi,
triathlon and yoga.
Just
Do It
The
first step to reducing stress in your life is to take responsibility
for your own health and wellness. Basically take an active role
in decreasing your stress. Reducing stress in your life may be
as simple as getting more organized and planning ahead.
If you can’t seem to do this alone check out the academic counsellors
from the CSD. Get support from those around you; ask
for help. And again, if you need more help than your
friends and family can provide contact the CSD for a personal
counsellor or a peer helper. A personal counsellor
may the answer if the stress is greatly affecting your life. Check
out the relaxation seminars and sessions offered above. Check
out the resources and pamphlets for options. And don’t smoke. Smoking
doesn’t help reduce stress it just adds to it.
Be healthy and stress-free.