De-Stressing-Citrus Style

 

Written by Russel Altamirano
Photos courtesy of the Honors Service Committee
 

 

On February 27, 2014, the University Honors Community Service Committee held a fun and interactive workshop to de-stress students before finals week. Beginning with an informative presentation on identifying and addressing high levels of stress in our lives, the talk included educative facts and simple day-to-day exercises to recharge our brain and relax our tension. It is highly recommended for college students to take time from their hectic days to breath, stretch, and laugh their pain away. Furthermore, students offered sincere support and learned different coping methods by sharing personal stories and experiences with one another. Through these exercises, we realized that as college students, stressors will always be around; however, we must not let them disorient our future prospects. After the presentation, all students participated in a soulful exercise that benefited both themselves and the community. Students were given oranges and instructed to write down their current stressors on the back of the peels, which were then collected. These peels are to be planted in Riverside to sustain the growth of trees and plants. Although we all had many stressors in our life at the time, this activity symbolizes the fact that they will not live forever but can develop into something beautiful.