By Beatriz Garay
The Latina Completion and Transfer Academy at East Los Angeles College held a workshop on May 5 where they offered suggestions and advice on how to cope with stress.
Karime Cardenas explained what stress is and how it affects the body and mind.
As a result of having too much stress and not knowing how to deal with it, people can start to have anxiety, depression or possibly a reduction in day-to-day productivity.
Cardenas, who was the host of the workshop, gave suggestions and advice on how to cope with stress.
Some suggestions she recommended were getting some sleep, finding activities that create joy, building strength and doing physical activities.
Some activities that can make people happy include coloring in adult coloring books, reading and meditating when possible and doing some breathing exercises.
Cardenas said that it’s important for people to get rest and sleep. When a person is able to rest and sleep it’s almost like a refresh, a restart for the body and mind.
When there’s too much of a demand being required from the mind and body, it can take a toll.
As for physical activities, Cardenas suggested something as simple as going for walks to help reduce the stress someone might be going through. It can also help clear the mind.
Talking to someone also helps with stress.
When people can talk through what they might be feeling emotionally, mentally or physically it helps get those feelings and thoughts out of the way.
She made it clear that people need to learn what works for them when feeling really stressed.
Attendees discussed what they do to cope with stress and added advice they had for others.
Cardenas said she likes to draw as a way to cope with stress.
She bought some coloring books and realized it helps her with relieving stress.
It gives her a break from the overwhelming feelings and it gives her mind a break from all the school work and the many demands of school.
Mary Contreras, one of the attendees, who is also part of the LCTA club, suggested self-care.
It’s important to take care of yourself whenever possible.
She said something as small as getting a pedicure can help cope with stress as it can be a distraction.
Another way of self-care is removing the cause of the stress.
Sometimes taking a break from the situation can help mentally prepare and refresh when needing to go back and face the situation with a solution.
Contreras also said gardening is a way to cope with stress.
When gardening while feeling stressed and frustrated, beating up the dirt can help take the negative energy out and get a wonderful garden in the end.
She said if this is a continuous method for some to cope with stress, they can end up having a nice garden as well.
Another suggestion for coping with stress Contreras said was journaling. When someone isn’t able to talk out their thoughts or feelings, writing it down helps.
She said a nice thing about journaling one’s thoughts is being able to go back and read what was the cause of the stress. This can help with learning what was happening in the moment.
LCTA is a program at ELAC with a focus on helping students that have 30 plus units before they reach graduation and/or transfer.
They continuously hold workshops for students.
They have moved to E7-210 for anyone who is interested in knowing what this club is about and what they have to offer to the students of ELAC.