‘You’re Not You When Your Stressed’ Forum Educates Students About Stress

Photo Credit / Erica Correia Students wrote positive notes about themselves and put them into the compliments jar.

Erica Correia

Contributing Writer

ESU students gathered in the senate chambers on the top floor of the union to listen in on a talk about stress put on by the Active Minds student organization on Nov. 1.

Active Minds joined together with the Mu Sigma Upsilon cultural sorority to put on the presentation.

The forum, called “You’re Not You When You’re Stressed”, was run by the president and vice president of Active Minds, Raquel Sosa and Melissa Schneider, and the president and vice president of MSU, Alynah Morales and Zaria Rivera.

When asked why they decided to do the talk about stress, Zaria Rivera said, “We felt like it was a common topic among college students. We felt that there is this internal stress that people don’t understand how to cope with.”

Before the talk started, Alynah Morales passed around Snickers candies to everyone that attended the meeting that had inspiring quotes on them for people to read.

The forum was designed so that anyone could comment on anything that was said throughout and it could be discussed.

The slideshow included slides on the causes and signs of stress that many people might not realize are connected.

During the presentation, Raquel Sosa made sure to emphasize that “Stress is normal”. It is something that happens to everyone that we have to learn how to control.

Tips on how to deal with stress were given on a slide that wrote, “light a candle, reduce caffeine intake, chew gum, spend time with positive friends and family, exercise consider vitamin supplements, write out feelings.”

“Do something that takes you away from yourself,” said Rivera. “You are your biggest critic.”

The women continued to explain to their audience that by taking time for yourself and pampering yourself, even by writing down your feelings, you can de-stress and feel much better.

The slideshow ended with resources on campus for anyone that feels like they need the extra help.

Students can visit CAPS (Counseling & Psychological Services) or Mattioli Rec Center (group fitness classes, exercise helps to destress) to help themselves destress or to just have someone to talk to.

The presentation ended with an activity, called the compliment/gratitude jar, where everyone was given a mason jar and pieces of paper and was told to write compliments about themselves and put it in the jar.

The purpose of the jar was so that when people are feeling upset they can take a compliment from the jar to remind themselves that they are amazing and worth it.

To find out more about presentations like this one join in on an Active Minds meeting Thursdays at 2 in Stroud 116.

Email Erica at:

ecorreia@live.esu.edu