“Feel Good Finals” Helps Students De-Stress During Finals at LMU Library

Unknown e1545412144511 620x465 - “Feel Good Finals” Helps Students De-Stress During Finals at LMU Library

While it’s no secret that finals week can be a hectic five days, most students would agree that petting some furry friends or snagging a sweet treat can help to relieve the pressure of exams and deadlines. With this in mind, LMU’s William H. Hannon Library and the Fitwell Center partnered up once again to hold their bi-annual “Feel Good Finals” events in and around the library, providing those hard at work with ways big and small to relax and refresh their minds. The events included on-site massages on the third floor of the library, a cookie bar on Monday night as well as a free “Snack and Swag” cart.

IMG 3006 225x300 - “Feel Good Finals” Helps Students De-Stress During Finals at LMU Library
Also, many students took a study break to play with the therapy animals provided Monday through Wednesday afternoon. Cats, goats, and LMU’s very own therapy dog Buster and his owner Fr. Eddie Siebert, SJ, provided the LMU community with some much-needed furry fun. “It’s important to have a few minutes to let myself forget about everything, and I really appreciate having a space where it’s okay to do that,” said freshman psychology major Allison Chipman. “Now I can say I’ve finished finals and done yoga with a goat!”

Michelle Kiser, LMU’s Assistant Director of Fitness and Wellness, Fitwell Center says that taking smalls steps like those provided by “Feel Good Finals” are not just fun distractions but also helpful in making finals week more successful. “Things like therapy animals helps your brain to release endorphins, but this slows down as you spend more and more hours sitting and focusing,” said Kiser. “So, while many people believe taking breaks puts them behind, it actually helps in their overall ability to be productive because they feel less stressed out.”

As the semester draws to a close, students also took time during their study breaks to reflect on their semesters and how far they have come as they check off their to-do lists. Theresa Siri, a junior Mechanical Engineering major, said, “School gets harder every semester,

but it’s rewarding to know that I overcome every challenge and that I can start to apply my knowledge from my first few years into what I’m doing now.”

Unknown 1 225x300 - “Feel Good Finals” Helps Students De-Stress During Finals at LMU LibraryOthers like senior English major Nate Faust look forward to the events of Feel Good Finals every year, which he says has highlighted for him the importance of self-care, whether he is in college or not. “It’s weird wrapping up the semester of senior year. The ‘real world’ is coming fast, and it can be a lot sometimes. But the way I can relieve a lot of that stress is just by reminding myself what makes me happy and taking time to enjoy the little things,” said Faust. “If I can just do that, I know that I’m always doing my best.”

By Carson Miller