Is your stress level in the red? If so, how would you know? What’s your telltale sign? “Rings” under your eyes? Grouchiness? Over/under-eating? Plain old sick in bed? Regardless, it helps to de-stress with techniques like massage and biofeedback-enhanced relaxation exercises. UCSC students now have easier access to both with the launch of the Relaxation Station, a set of stress management skill-building resources for students to access with drop-in and self-serve convenience.
The Relaxation Station provides free stress management resources in a private section of the Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) waiting room at the Student Health Center, when CAPS is open. A top-notch reclining chair provides massages that can be programmed to each student’s preferences. While reclining and enjoying a massage, students can use noise-cancelling headphones to listen to guided relaxation exercises from a tablet.
The official launch of the Relaxation Station will take place at 4:15 p.m. on Thursday, April 23, 2015—just in time to manage stress related to the first midterm exams of the quarter. The popular resources are available for 15 minutes at a time when there’s a line, but those next-in-line will be able to use biofeedback-enhanced programs that build stress coping skills until it’s their turn to enter the Relaxation Station.
