Managing Editor Alex Ortuno
As the end of the year approaches, many students will be dealing with assignments, tests or projects that will become pivotal in determining their final grade for a class for the semester. This can put a lot of stress on students who may be dealing with other situations such as family, food insecurity or other issues that may interfere with their studies.
Karen Cuttill, professional counselor for Dallas College Richland Campus, offers a variety of services that may assist students who need something specific.
“We have a food bank on campus and so we can help students with some of those things so they can not worry about that and maybe even housing,” said Cuttill.
Lakeside Resource Center in El Paso Hall offers counseling services for students who may feel stressed out from their studies or life in general.
Counseling from Lakeside Resource Center in Richland Campus is free as it is paid by tuition costs.
Sometimes, however, students may need a method to decompress themselves from the stress. Cuttill said counseling can teach people to be reflective and calm. The first part begins with the person beginning to understand how they are feeling physically from how they feel about their posture and even how they are touching items.
“We help people to be mindful of the moment. For rather than thinking on the stressful thought, you become the center of focus to their physical body. ‘So how do they feel sitting in the chair? How does their clothes feel on them? How do their feet feel touching the floor? Or are they touching the floor? How do your shoes feel on your feet?’ So it’s really beginning to notice how your body feels physically in the space it’s sitting in, not outside, but it’s really how your body feels touching whatever it’s touching,” said Cuttill.
Movements such as wringing their wrists, tapping with their feet or fingers or squeezing can be done for people to focus on their physical self during a stressful situation.
Next, students are taught to take deep breaths once they feel they are balanced.
“Once they’re grounded there, then we teach deep breathing where you breathe in and breathe out. There’s a pause but we don’t teach when they’re really stressed out, we don’t want them holding their breath because when they hold their breath, they drop in oxygen, makes them dizzy, [and] could make them pass out,” Cuttill said.
Other negative impacts can be felt if one holds in their breath for too long, according to Cuttill.
“If the body thinks or the mind thinks that there’s not enough oxygen, it might dump a whole bunch more cortisol and adrenaline in the body. And if that’s the case, they’re going to get a whole bunch more anxiety, because those are the fight or flight hormones that our body naturally produces in stressful or in dangerous situations,” Cuttill said.
Meditation is one of the ways to relax but it is not as complicated as one may think.
“If you practice mindful meditation, which sounds really like a big deal, it’s really not. It can be simply walking outside and listening to birds,” Cuttill said.
While physical exercise such as walking may be helpful, hobbies are another way to relax and destress.
“Any type of thing that you enjoy, let’s say you enjoy hobbies, maybe you enjoy drawing [or] music, these can be [relaxing] things too,” said Cuttill.
As we near the end of the semester, Cuttill suggests that any student who feels overwhelmed to reach out to counseling. While in-person counseling at Lakeside Resource Center is an option but has a limited time, students can also reach out for virtual counseling.
“However, remote counseling is amazing but it opens you up to all of the open schedules for all of the campuses. So it’s, you know, it’s a good option. And we’re all licensed and we’re all very experienced,” Cuttill said.
Lakeside Resource Center is located in El Paso Hall E082. Dallas College has a webpage about counseling for students. For more information, visit https://www.dallascollege.edu/resources/counseling/pages/default.aspx. For other resources students may need, more information can be found at https://www.dallascollege.edu/resources/pages/default.aspx.
