De-Stressing the Stressed

Erin Jacobs, Public Relations major at the University of Oklahoma, has a lot on her plate these days. As she prepares for the next semester of classes, the financial burden of affording to continue her education at the higher education level is starting to weigh down on her.

“Next year I will be paying for school all on my own,” Jacobs said. “I get very little loans because my FAFSA says my dad makes a lot, but my mom is very sick and cannot work and all the extra money goes towards her medical expenses. I am taking 20 or more hours a semester just so I can graduate early and save money.”

Realizing that the stress she is about to experience is not going to be healthy for her, Jacobs relies on her one true passion for relief: Dance.

Jacobs has been dancing since the age of three. She is a member of several dance clubs on campus including the Sooner Dance Company and Crimson Beat. Jacobs is also enrolled in a Belly dancing course that is taught by Kathleen Redwine, University of Oklahoma professor and dance instructor.

In addition to teaching Belly dancing, Redwine uses some of the class days to teach Jacobs and her other students yoga and other different stress relief techniques to help them get a jump start on their day and maintain a healthy emotional state.

“The yoga and stress relief techniques I learn in Professor Redwine’s class are beneficial, therapeutic, and very relaxing to me,” Jacobs said.

Beth McCoy is a professor for a program called Strategies for Success at the University of Oklahoma. The class is designed to help first year students on academic probation learn habits and techniques that can help turn them in to successful individuals in school, work, and life.
Many of the students that enter Strategies either suffered personal, academic, or financial stress that caused them to perform poorly at the academic level, McCoy said. Part of the course is designed for McCoy to discuss with her students appropriate stress reduction techniques.

“Along with acknowledging the stressors of college life and ways to manage it, I always suggest to my students to take advantage of on campus extracurricular activities that allow them to be social and have fun in order to take their mind off of any stressful predicaments they may be in,” McCoy said. “Students should find something they like and get involved.”

For Jacobs dance has become a lifesaver in terms of managing the financial stress she faces as a college student. While something like financial problems won’t disappear right away, Jacobs encourages others like her to find something they are passionate about and get involved in it to create social interaction and enjoyment for themselves so they can reduce their stress.

“It is very important to find a constructive outlet for stress,” Jacobs said. “It also helps school and tuition costs seem more worth it. If I wasn’t dancing and meeting new people I would be a lot unhappier with paying the high prices. College is just as much about learning as it is making connections with friends and for me learning dance skills for free. Universities are great places to take advantage of free stress relieving activities and to spread your wings.”