Though freshman Sammy Lifson said she typically has good handle on her day-to-day activities, sometimes her 17-credit workload, two performance groups, clubs and an upcoming sorority rush become overwhelming. Lifson is one of many Syracuse students coping with second-semester stress.

The Counseling Center and the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program will hold a free Anxiety Screening from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. today in Schine Student Center. Students who choose to participate will fill out questionnaires evaluating their anxiety level and receive free 10-minute massages.

Students will then meet with a professional to review the results and hear about resources available to help them cope with the stresses of college life. All screenings will be kept confidential.

‘Being a student can be pretty stressful, but there are many ways to help oneself, including scheduling a few visits with a counselor and consulting handouts online or at the screening,’ said Susan Levy, a staff therapist at the Counseling Center.

A number of students attended the event last year, and Levy anticipates a good number will show up today.

The center hosts the screenings at the beginning of spring semester because students are returning to what is typically a stressful time of year, said Jamie Ghany, another staff therapist.

The goal is to encourage students who aren’t coming in to get screened, Ghany said.

‘It’s a way to reach out to students that don’t know about our services,’ she said.

Lifson, an advertising major, considers herself a typically calm and organized person, but is still experiencing some back-to-school stress.

Like many SU students, Lifson balances a number of activities, along with a large workload.

‘Time management is difficult to do. Friendships are all kind of still new compared to my friends at home who it took me most of my life to get close to,’ she said.

Junior education and sociology major Heather Knapp struggles to keep everything organized with a workload of 19 credits. She said the first two weeks back to school are some of the toughest because professors ‘throw a lot at you.’

Any student could benefit from a free massage and attending the event, Knapp said.

‘Most people probably already know if they’re stressed out, but if someone is right there to help them it could be a really good thing,’ she said.

Knapp and Lifson both noted relationships, sleep deprivation and overwhelming workloads as key factors contributing to college stress.

Identifying these key factors is one of the most important steps in stress-reduction, said Ghany, a participant therapist in the event.

‘Once you know the reason for your anxiety you can then start to figure out what might need to change, what you might want to avoid or eliminate,’ she said.

Many students need to focus on reducing their emotional reactions to stress, Ghany said. She emphasized the importance of a strong social network.

‘Having a support system around you that you can rely on and open up to about things going on in your life is really important,’ she said.

Anxiety-screening day is one of a number of upcoming events hosted by the Counseling Service. A stress reduction program called ‘Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction’ will run in February. Orientation for the six-session class is Thursday at 6 p.m. The course involves mediation, yoga and focus exercises.

Ghany said today’s event is open to anyone regardless of their ‘stress level.’

‘Anyone that has any sort of question about the counseling center or services or who may be having any sort of trouble would benefit from the screening,’ she said.

Published on January 29, 2008 at 12:00 pm