10 Tips from MU Psychology Majors on Combating Stress

As students head toward the middle of the semester, they may be finding themselves more stressed than usual, especially while adapting to remote learning. Several Millersville University senior psychology students recently shared tips on how they limit their stress.

Jordan Peer, psychology major with a minor in sociology:

• “Set aside one hour before sleep doing something that relaxes you and is not school related. This could be reading, watching TV or another calming activity.”
• “With many classes being online and asynchronous, I find it helpful to write out my week’s schedule on Sunday night and check off each activity as I do it.”

Lauren Hart, psychology major with a minor in sociology:

• “Make time for fun with friends, as long as it’s safe! It’s important to take a break from school to let yourself decompress.”
• “Laughter is sometimes truly the best medicine, make sure you take time to find humor in your day.”

Julia Povlow, psychology major with a minor in music:

• “Set aside a specific time of day to designate as you time, for example 10 to 11 a.m. Turn your phone off and do whatever you enjoy doing!”
• “Do daily guided meditations, I just Google ‘10–minute guided meditation’ and chose one that resonates with me.”
• “You can also practice mindfulness, whether that be 10 minutes of yoga a day, 10 minutes of prayer, or 10 minutes of self-affirmations such as ‘I am strong, I am smart, I am loved.’”

Nathalie Champaign, psychology major:

• “Lighting a candle and taking a bath always relaxes me because of the smells and calming environment. It is important to set aside time for yourself!”
• “If you have a pet or know someone who does, spending time with them is also comforting. I have a Chinchilla and whenever I feel stressed, I will pet her and play with her for a while, which always makes me feel better.”
• “I find it hard to keep track of my assignments each week, so having a planner is a great way to make sure you aren’t missing anything! It gives me peace of mind.”

Millersville University has a variety of resources for students who may be feeling stressed or in need of mental health care. The counseling center offers individual therapy appointments, crisis intervention, adjunct resources, alcohol and drug counseling as well as peer support and codependency support groups. The center also has an Instagram page, @thevillecounselingcenter, where students can find other resources such as live yoga sessions. The page is currently posting pet photos in place of its popular Pet Therapy Tuesday due to COVID-19 regulations.

If you or someone you know is seeking counseling, please contact the counseling center at 717-871-7821. If you believe this is an emergency, contact 911 and notify the Millersville University Behavioral Intervention Team at 717-871-7070 to file a report about an incident or situation of concern.

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