De-Stressing At UW-Madison

UW-Madison is one of the most highly ranked research institutions in the U. S. We live in a fast-paced, competitive, no hand-holding environment, where being motivated is just the norm. We turn out Rhodes Scholars, world class researchers, and creative writers. But how is our mental health?

Me, doing some YES+ yoga

There is a plethora of resources for de-stressing on campus; you just have to look for them. One fantastic opportunity is Yoga Empowerment and Service Plus (YES+), which holds a monthly, free, 5-day de-stressing workshop. The workshop teaches yoga and meditation techniques to help decrease stress and increase productivity. The group’s slogan is “breathe easy and work hard.”

Something I really admire about this group the technique they use to convince people to de-stress. Stress makes you less productive, it freezes you up, and you don’t do your best work. When you approach your work from a calm and centered place, it is better work and you get it done faster! What could be a more fitting de-stressing motivation in a high-stakes environment like UW?

UW’s mental health awareness is pretty fantastic during finals week. There’s free food, library games, and puppies. PUPPIES. But I recently discovered that University Health Services (UHS) has some fantastic resources for the most stressed of UW students.

My variation on UHS's "Savory Lentil Soup"

UHS focuses on how to de-stress your body, inside and out. They have a fantastic list of healthy, quick recipes, with the thinking being that a healthy body is a more productive one. They have a whole host of guided meditation Mp3′s (my favorite is “Gentle Harp“), the goal of which is to quiet your mind so you can focus better on what you’re doing in the present moment. AND they offer incredible discounts on back massages. What better way to get through a maddening week than with a full-body massage break?

So how do we do on mental health? I’d give us an A.