Though balancing school and work may be stressful, Recreation Services is teaching people how to manage stress.

Recreation Services is offering Relax and Rejuvenate and Stress Management Workshop 101 to teach students how to manage and identify stress.

Relax and Rejuvenate, which runs on Wednesday nights, teaches students to integrate relaxation techniques into their daily life.

Stress Management Workshop 101, a three-hour, hands-on workshop offered Monday, Feb. 4, teaches students about yoga breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, aroma therapy, movement meditation and massage and acupressure methods for managing stress.

“Recreation Services wanted to offer something to help students and members de-stress their lives and potentially learn something new,” said Becky Lewis, recreation services assistant director for fitness and wellness. “Reducing personal stress can improve overall well-being, personal health and improve student academic performance.”

Both the class and workshop, run by Lewis and Debbie Brandt – a yoga instructor, Reiki master and acupressure practitioner – are open to all students and members of the Student Recreation Center. The last day to sign up for Relax and Rejuvenate is today.

The workshop will address mindfulness, stress reduction and some of the main factors causing stress, such as bad diets and sleep deprivation, Brandt said. It will also provide a combination of experiential and cognitive ways to manage stress.

Prolonged stress can lead to poor health and illness, she said.

“We can change some of what we can control in our life,” Brandt said. “(The workshop) will help people identify what stress is in their life and learn to be proactive with managing it.”

For more information, call Recreation Services at 753-0231.