‘De-Stress Fest’ offers sanctuary

    It’s that time of  year again, when final projects are due, papers need to be turned in and finals week is just around the corner. However, Murray State University faculty members, staff and students have come up with ways for students to avoid the stress of finals and manage their time better.
     Jane Etheridge, director of the Women’s Center has tips for students when it comes to handling the finals week stress.
    “It’s important to take a lot of breaks, prioritize your time, determine what’s most important and create an overall plan,” Etheridge said. “Also, remember to eat healthy and try to stay away from junk food as well as getting regular exercise.”
    Etheridge is also a strong believer in the “mini-vacation” method of meditation.
    “If you’re really having trouble focusing, take a minute to take a ‘mini vacation’ or think about a soothing place to really relax and get away and relieve stress, even if it’s for five minutes,” Etheridge said.
    For the second year in a row, campus organizations held the De-Stress Fest Thursday, including organizations such as the Student Government Association, Residential College Association, International Student Organization and the Black Student Council.
    Kara Mantooth, senior from Owensboro, Ky. and SGA President for the second year in a row, helped with this event.
    “We created the De-Stress Fest last semester and it was held in the Curris Center right before finals as a way for students to take a break from studying and de-stress,” Mantooth said. “The event was held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday where a number of stress relievers were available to students ranging from puppies to stress balls and also Food Services contributed to this event.”
    During this time of the semester, it is very easy for students to become overwhelmed with the responsibilities and deadlines that are coming up with finals, Mantooth said.
    As a senior, Mantooth feels she has a lot of experience in this area and has some advice  to offer freshmen who are experiencing college finals week for the first time.
    “I would just tell freshman to try and remember to not get too overwhelmed, because it’s not like there’s a possibility of not finishing and in the end when your finals are over with, you don’t have to worry anymore and you can relax,” Mantooth said.
    Finals week is only days away and it is important to remember to stay calm, avoid the stress of finals and learn to manage time, Etheridge said.
    Etheridge had one last tip to offer to students during finals week.
    “Don’t study in your bed and study in a place where you won’t be tempted to get on Facebook,” Etheridge said.
    Jessica Perez can be reached at jessica.perez@murraystate. edu.