Mind, Body, Balance: Stress Awareness at USC
April at USC marks the peak of academic pressures with final exams approaching before the summer break. Even with these tasks looming, it’s vital to prioritize student health and well-being.
April also marks Stress Awareness Month, serving as a timely reminder to pause, take a breath and slow down in the midst of rush. To support students' well-being during this arduous period, USC provides various resources and opportunities for students to find balance and cultivate peace of mind.
For those who might feel uncomfortable speaking about their issues with professors or professionals, student organizations offer a safe and welcoming space with like-minded individuals who may share similar struggles. As the month unfolds, let's take a moment to prioritize our well-being during these challenging times.
Support from Student Organizations
The Happy Hour USC
Founded by Saphia Zaman, a senior studying communication at USC, this student organization is aimed at improving the well-being and safety of the campus community. "I just wanted a way to bring the community together and provide a safe space for students," Zaman said.
The club regularly hosts de-stressing community events like yoga and puppy therapy. “I think what makes The Happy Hour unique is the fact that it is all students, there is no faculty there, no ‘adults.’” Zaman said.
One of The Happy Hour’s key events this year was “Kind Fest,” an Annenberg-wide event aimed at raising mental health awareness during suicide prevention month last September. The day consisted of guest speaker speeches and fun de-stressing activities like bracelet making and coloring, as well as pizza and snow cones. Zaman hopes that Kind Fest will continue to be an annual event, supporting the Annenberg community and helping students relax.
However, Zaman also recognizes the importance of integrating expertise and professional advice for members.
“I always like to outsource professionals, too,” Zaman said. “It's really nice and refreshing to hear professionals in the field, who study mental health, who have dealt with mental health on a personal level, share that they cope with anxiety in their life, or they deal with stress.”
Through successful initiatives like the Kind Fest and ongoing support events, Happy Hour USC exemplifies the impact of student-led initiatives in fostering an inclusive community for mental wellness at USC.
You can find the Happy Hour’s website and socials here.
Wazo USC
This student organization is not only a mental health and wellness club but also a mentorship program for students, with chapters in UCLA and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Students are able to get involved at the beginning of every spring and fall semester. Wazo stands out due to its distinctive student-to-student mentorship program, which pairs students seeking support with professionally trained peer mentors.
“We have two aspects of the program,” said Juan Arenas, a sophomore studying drug development and the president of Wazo’s USC chapter. “One of them is the mentor, the other one mentees. We train people to be mentors for someone else. And then we pair them up with a mentee. And that way they can have that one-on-one connection."
With the growing academic pressures during this challenging month, Arenas emphasizes the importance of prioritizing your personal well-being. “I think it's important to note that whenever you're talking about mental health, everyone's gonna be busy. But also prioritizing yourself, and what will get you to be well, is super important.” Arenas said.
One primary way of maintaining wellness is connection, he shared. However, Arenas recognizes that it’s not always easy to tell your loved ones when you’re struggling. “I think that’s where Wazo comes in, that they have a person they can confide in.” He calls this the “Zero Judgement Zone,” where mentees are free to share their highs and lows with a trusted member.
As a mentor, Arenas shared a touching past experience helping a mentee through a period of struggling with substance addiction. “The first time I met [my mentee], he was thirteen days sober, and he was super excited to tell me about it,” he said. “He's now over nine months sober.” Additionally, Wazo’s program includes professional experts who offer guidance to mentors.
Arenas notes that these experiences are not only extremely impactful for the mentees, but also equally significant for mentors like himself. “Just to see someone so committed to themselves, and someone that I could support and help through that,” Arenas said. “I keep in contact with him, and I'm super proud of him.”
Check out and learn more about Wazo here.
Insights from USC Faculty and Health Experts
Professor Sweet-Eggert from USC’s Physical Education Mind Body Health Department teaches a course on Stress Management for Healthy Living, PHED 160.
Eggert tells us that one of the biggest mistakes when approaching stress management is over-analyzing, which can actually make matters worse. “The more that we focus on those things, the more they get amplified,” Eggert said.
One of the most powerful things to understand, Eggert said, is that “at any moment, the things that stress us out can literally completely be dropped.” This concept lies within the idea that we don’t have to identify with stress, but rather to see it as something external that we are experiencing.
One of Eggert’s frequently-used strategies to combat tension is breathwork. “Our breath will tell us everything,” she said, explaining how breathwork cultivates an inner awareness rather than focusing on the things happening in our external environment.
According to Eggert, not only should we listen to the breath, but also learn how to actually breathe. She explained that we likely develop habits where we stop our breathing during the middle of class. The solution is to be conscious and focus on our inhales and exhales when we sense anxiety creeping in.
Eggert strongly advocates for maintaining the basics, reminding students to have frequent check-ins with themselves on whether they are meeting their everyday needs: Breath, exercise and water. “It’s like watering a plant, asking what they need,” she said.
However, Eggert recognizes the point to where stress impedes some individual’s ability to perform such simple tasks. “[That] is where you want to check in with a mental health professional,” she said. “And there's no shame in that. Finding somebody to talk to relieves the pressure enough where you're able to get yourself back on track.”
Dr. Sarah Van Orman, Vice President and Chief Campus Health Officer at USC, shared insightful strategies into healthier coping mechanisms and the dangers of unhealthy escapism. She highlighted the importance of listening, validation and personal space. When speaking to someone who’s struggling,“You don't want to solve their problems,” Van Orman said. She also suggests breaking down challenging tasks into smaller, more manageable tasks to take on throughout the day.
Moreover, Van Orman emphasized many common but ineffective methods people use to manage stress, such as substance abuse and mindless media consumption. One critical point Van Orman raises is the fine line between socializing with alcohol and using it as a means to escape stress. She warns against the dangers of dependency on substances, which can perpetuate a harmful cycle and detrimentally affect overall well-being.
These ineffective coping mechanisms not only don’t solve the issue, but may even exacerbate stress. Instead, Van Orman encouraged adopting alternative healthier coping mechanisms like walking, socializing with friends or practicing relaxation techniques.
Find more USC resources here:
USC CMH Let’s Talk: https://sites.usc.edu/counselingandmentalhealth/services/lets-talk/
CMH Workshops: https://sites.usc.edu/counselingandmentalhealth/services/workshops/
CMH Group Therapy: https://sites.usc.edu/counselingandmentalhealth/services/group-therapy/
CMH Cultural Communities: https://sites.usc.edu/counselingandmentalhealth/cultural-communities-bipoc-lgbtq/
SAAMLand: https://calendar.usc.edu/event/saamland
SConsent Outdoor Movie: https://calendar.usc.edu/event/sconsent-outdoor-movie-night
Personalized Stress Management Approaches
Siwen Xi, doctoral student at the USC Thornton School of Music and certified yoga teacher, shared her insights into effective stress management strategies, particularly helpful during challenging exam times.
“I started yoga when I was going through auditions for college; I felt very stressed and exhausted. Yoga helped me feel more present and challenged,” Xi said. On top of the physical aspects of yoga, Xi delves into its various forms, some which incorporate breathwork and meditation. She shares that the practice of elongating the breath slows down the heartbeat, leaving her feeling relaxed and stress-free.
However, Xi notes that it is important to personalize self-care to your own enjoyment — there are no rules. “You don't have to sit there criss-crossing your legs,” Xi said, highlighting the picture definition of meditation. Instead, Xi describes meditation as more of a state, an act of focusing in the moment. This can be done through many different ways, whether that be another form of physical activity like walking, jogging, or even painting.
Xi highly recommends Paint & Sip Studio LA, which gave her a therapeutic experience painting in the dark. "Yoga is definitely helpful, but most importantly, do something you love." Xi’s perspective on personalized self-care reminds us that stress is not a one-size-fits-all approach. By finding activities and strategies that truly speak to us, we can navigate stress more effectively.
As Stress Awareness Month unfolds, we are constantly reminded of the importance of balance in the face of academic pressures. Through support systems like The Happy Hour and Wazo USC, acknowledging the insights shared by USC health experts and discovering personalized stress management approaches, we can aim to find ways to embrace stress rather than making it the enemy.
