25 Aug Stress Tips!
Ahh, the sound of frolicking students, the sight of crying mothers and the smell of burgers on the grill for the afternoon bar-b-que in the quad…screech…then we come back to our reality. The sound of panicked students who thought they did their FAFSA, the sight of crying parents who cannot obtain their tax return transcript and the smell of sweat from families moving heavy objects into the top floor rooms of the residence halls.
This time of year always brings stress and the sense of overload to financial aid administrators regardless of how well we think we prepare. It is not always enough to know that we are all going through the same thing in every aid office on every campus. So I’ve done a little research for suggestions on what we can do to combat the “move in blues”. Here are 5 stress busting techniques that even the common folk can manage.
1) Take a Deep Breath – Take a 5 minute break and focus on your breathing. Slowly and deeply inhale and exhale. As you are doing this visualize each part of your body relaxing.
2) Be Present – This is the time to live in the now and not focus on what you have to get done next week or what you should have done yesterday.
3) Reach Out – Your social network is one of your best tools. This is not the time to cancel dinner plans with your best buddy. Volunteering for a CAFAA committee is also a good way to build a compassionate social network of individuals that feel your pain.
4) Laugh Out Loud – Laughter IS the best medicine. A good laugh actually lowers cortisol which is your body’s stress hormone and boosts your endorphins which will help your mood.
5) Get Moving – It is difficult to think about a good work-out rather than a glass of wine and the recliner but this is the time to MOVE. Even just a walk in the neighborhood after work will help release feel-good chemicals.
Keep your head up, move forward and make sure you get a good laugh today finaiders. This too shall pass. Plus the memories will be fuel for future giggles. Namaste everyone.
*stress techniques from Jeannette Moninger – WebMD
Jill Robertson
Director of Financial Aid
Colorado School of Mines
303-273-3207
jirobert@mines.edu
