: For Students, Faculty, and Staff 
According to the University of Minnesota’s Boynton Clinic, more than one-third (35 percent) of students report they are unable to fully manage their stress level.
“One of our priorities is educating and helping students learn how to manage stress,” said Gary Christenson, M.D., Boynton’s Chief Medical Officer. “Boynton Health Service and other University partners collaborate on a number of initiatives to build these skills among our students, because it’s not just about eliminating stress in our lives but learning to manage it.”
For its part, the University Libraries, offered “distraction-free” studying areas for finals that also included extended building hours and stress-reducing activities such as Walter Library’s relaxation room. The Star Tribune took notice and reported on these activities last week:
As the fall semester draws to a close, U librarians have gone all out to help lower the stress level for students, providing Legos, crayons, “kinetic sand” boxes and — for the first time — a study-free zone, complete with yoga mats and pillows, next to the bookshelves.
“It’s meant to restore sanity,” said Daniel Fabres, a computer science student from St. Cloud, who tried out both the relaxation space and Lego table Tuesday. “I’ve just been stressed [about] homework due tomorrow, homework due Friday.” And, of course, final exams.
Read the entire Star Tribune story
