Kayla Langmaid/Winonan
Anxiety can be a struggle for many individuals, especially college students; if it isn’t managed correctly it can turn into a serious health issue.
Winona State University’s counseling and wellness services have begun anxiety management seminars that are available Mondays and Tuesdays at 2 p.m.
Sessions will start for the second time the week of Oct. 21.
Counselors Eunie Alsaker and Kelly Kirby, instructors of the sessions, said the seminars have been taking place successfully since last spring.
Winona student Kristin Wilson said, “Anxiety can be a serious matter, and it was a comfortable, nonjudgmental environment to be able to discuss it with others.” It was her first time at any seminar, and she found it to be beneficial.
Evaluations have been very positive for this series. Students are able to report at least one thing they are doing differently, Alsaker said.
It is important for students to set personal goals for themselves after each session to progress in anxiety management.
The anxiety management series works through four main focus points from the book, “The 10 Best-Ever Anxiety Management Techniques” by Margaret Wehrenberg. The book focuses on understanding anxiety and defining the difference between anxiety and stress, and the body-mind connection. It also looks at specific ways to calm the body down, to calm the anxious mind and to change anxious behavior.
Counseling services see a lot of students struggling with high levels of stress and anxiety. It is beneficial to work proactively with the campus and provide opportunities for students to learn how to use coping mechanisms, Alsaker said.
The seminar offers ways to treat anxiety in natural ways with problem solving.
The first signs of anxiety can vary from person to person, but there are generally physical manifestations of anxiety such as tense muscles, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat and cognitive signals.
Cognitive signals could include having a hard time turning off the worries, having constantly negative thoughts, and having thoughts get fixed on worst-case scenarios.
Many people live with anxiety and may think there is nothing to do about it, but there are ways to manage anxiety.
When stress turns into a continual state of anxiety it is important to intervene.
People become derailed, and we want everyone to have these coping strategies for life, Alsaker said.
“College is the time to be learning how to communicate effectively and how to resolve conflicts peacefully,” Alsaker said. “ The goal is to create and laugh and learn together.”
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