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Rhythm, running and rest help students avoid stress

By Joe Preiner

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Jordan Harper walks into her class, ready to turn in the paper she spent the previous night writing. She sits in her seat and reaches into her bag to pull it out, only to realize she’s forgotten it at home. It’s due today.

Enter stress.

Harper, Chicago senior, is one of the 6.5 billion people in the world who sometimes find themselves in stressful situations. Harper will take five finals in the upcoming week, and that provides her with all she can handle.

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Stress-be-gone: ways to maintain your sanity during finals week

Drink water — brain cells need water to function effectively

Consciously exhale — deep breathing is essential

Exercise — movement helps stimulate the body and brain

Avoid caffeine and sugar — they cause fatigue and “nervous Nellies”

Relax your jaw — people tend to clench their jaw when stressed

Sleep — helps in thinking clearly and storing energy

Snack smart — healthy food helps

Stretch — muscles tighten with stress

Plan ahead — budgeting time is invaluable

source: Janet Hamburg and Alicia Clair

Janet Hamburg, professor of music, said students could manage stress in many ways during finals. She said exercising and staying active were two of the most important factors in diminishing stress levels while studying and finishing classes. Hamburg said a simple walk helped in more ways than students realized. Along with pushing blood through the body, the alternate swinging of arms and legs during walking stimulates both hemispheres of the brain, allowing for increased productivity.

Alicia Clair, professor of music education and music therapy, said exercise, when done properly, helped students relax. She said running lengthy distances one day and then not running for a month would not be beneficial. Clair said that stress was everywhere, and that it could be both positive or negative.

“If you don’t have stress, your life is very boring,” Clair said. “Stress comes from getting an A on a final. Stress comes from getting that first kiss on that first date.”

She said students often neglected their normal workout routines during finals week because they were pressed for time. Clair said this break in activity negatively affected students because exercise was good for the body.

Hamburg said students should also remember to take breaks and move around during their study sessions. She said students often remained stationary during studying.

“You need a change in rhythm,” Hamburg said. “You have to get up and move around. You have to have wiggle breaks.”

Listening to music also plays a role in relaxing during the week of finals.

Clair, who is also a board-certified music therapist, said music is associated with positive times and feelings in life. She said the areas in the brain associated with emotion worked closely with the areas that dealt with music, which could account for the paired sensations.

Clair said the kind of music that helped people relax depended on the person. She said people had different experiences with music throughout their lives, which accounted for their varied preferences in relaxing tunes.

“For some people, the music that makes them feel calm might be rap music,” Clair said. “Others can’t cope with it. It’s a very individualized kind of thing.”

Hamburg said students overlooked the value of sleep during finals, which only compounded the effects of stress. She said students used caffeine to stay awake instead of succumbing to sleep. Hamburg said caffeine was effective for short-term needs, but ultimately the stimulant resulted in a drop in blood sugar, which caused more fatigue. Dealing with the stress of finals was all about planning ahead, she said

“Finals week is like an endurance test,” Hamburg said. “You can’t spend all your time just studying or you won’t make it.”

— - Edited by Becka Cremer

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