People of all ages and backgrounds filled the conference room at SSB 48271, trying to learn how to reduce stress.
Dr. Roxana Rabadi of the Pierce College Student Health Center hosted a free guided meditation workshop on April 10 in the International Student Services Office.
One of the participants, Alexis Godinez, has experience with meditation and came to the workshop to deal with some of the stress in her life.
“I thought it was really insightful,” Godinez said. “I think it was really helpful and helped me take my mind off the stress of school.”
According to , meditation began with Hindus around 1500 BC and has been practiced for centuries. positive psychologyis widely used today as a way to relieve stress and anxiety.
Labadie, a clinical psychologist, organized this event at the request of the International Student Affairs Division.
“We wanted to incorporate information about stress and anxiety and how to identify, recognize and manage them,” Labadie said.
The 10 participants sat in a circle, some on chairs, some on the floor, and focused on the soothing audio of a guided meditation.
The speaker asked the students to sit comfortably, focus on their posture and breathing, and concentrate on the rise and fall of their abdomen.
Meditation provides many benefits that the typical college student is looking for. It states that their benefits include “reduced stress, reduced anxiety, improved focus and attention, and improved emotional intelligence and cognition.” aura health.
Student Health Center Director Houri Tanassian also attended the workshop and helped organize the event in hopes of aiding students’ overall health.
“Meditation helps students of all ages relax and can help reduce anxiety and depression,” Tanassian said.
Tanassian added that reducing anxiety and depression in students could lead to improved academic performance.
Tanassian also emphasized that some international students may benefit from meditation because they experience more stress from being away from home and alone in a foreign country.
according to harvard health“63 percent of U.S. college students have experienced overwhelming anxiety in the past year. In the same survey, 23 percent reported having been diagnosed or treated for an anxiety disorder by a mental health professional in the past year. ”
Labadie recognized the need to raise awareness of mental health.
“Students struggle with anxiety every day,” Labadie said. “To become a healthier individual, it is important to find better skill sets and more effective ways to manage them.”
