With finals approaching, getting advice on stress management from health experts could be very beneficial for students, especially during April, which is dedicated to stress awareness.

“I’m not in my finals frenzy yet, [but] I’m in the pre-finals frenzy because my finals are presentations, papers and projects,” Silmari Munoz, junior education major, said April 12 in an interview in Lawrence Hall lobby.

Others are feeling the pressure to leave no strings untied as the end of the semester approaches.

Amber Dimitroff, freshman broadcast production and media management major, is taking on a new responsibility by renting her own place with roommates.

“We have to pay our first month’s rent by April 16, but we get paid the fifteenth, all of our roommates and I, so the stressful part is just getting all the money together,” Dimitroff said April 12 in an interview in Lawrence Hall.

Point Park students deal with stress in various but similar ways, including playing video games, watching television shows, listening to music, hanging out with friends and taking naps.

“I’ll go have dinner with my friends, and we’ll just complain about everything that’s going on,” said Chris Salazar, freshman photography major, in an interview in Lawrence Hall on April 11.

Bunny Karger, junior global cultural studies major, avoids stress by temporarily ignoring her responsibilities and watching Netflix.

“Distractions are good, probably not the healthiest coping mechanisms, but they work,” Karger said in an interview in Lawrence Hall lobby April 12.

Despite students’ efforts to de-stress, many still feel guilty for wasting time.

“I don’t know, I just can’t bring myself to not think about [schoolwork] because I’m like, ‘I should be working on it right now,’” said Skylar Klinger, sophomore animation and visual effects major April 11 in an interview in Thayer Hall.

University counselor Taffie Bucci encourages students to practice self-care.

“When you get in a situation where you feel like you have to accomplish everything, you don’t eat as much, you say, ‘I can’t sleep, I have to finish this,’ and you don’t take a break,” she said in an interview on April 11 in the Student Center.

A few of her tips include setting an alarm to take breaks, taking a 15-minute walk down to the Point, relaxing in a hot bath and even disconnecting your electronics for a little while.

“Sometimes, I try to do everything at once, and I feel like that’s too much. You need to pace yourself and need breaks,” said Megan Wieder, junior cinema production major, in an interview on April 13 in the Boulevard Apartments.

Personal trainer Kimmy Addison suggests that any exercise in general is good for reducing stress.

“Getting your mind off work and school while doing something good for your body is a great distraction from what is causing the stress,” she said in an email interview on April 12.

Addison also suggests taking group fitness classes, such as yoga and pilates, which focus on specific breathing techniques. These classes could help release pent-up aggression caused by stress and deadlines. She said students could also try taking boxing or kickboxing classes.

Baylee Zimmerman, sophomore sports, arts and entertainment management major, felt that walks personally help her a lot.

“I did take a walk down to the Point because the fountain is back on now, and it definitely works because last night, it helped me relax,” Zimmerman said in an interview in the Boulevard Apartments on April 13.

Nutritionist Sue Cleveland advises that skipping meals is not the best idea.

“For students, I definitely recommend eating every 3-4 hours max. Eat light. If you eat a big, heavy meal, and you’re not hungry for 5-6 hours, that was probably too big of a meal,” she said in an interview at the PNC YMCA on April 12.

According to Cleveland, the best snacks to eat when in a time crunch are those that are rich in fiber, have carbohydrates and some sort of protein. For example, yogurt mixed with fresh fruits or nuts, peanut butter on whole grain crackers, string cheese, fruits and vegetables dipped in hummus.

Cleveland mentions that people should include more deep green leafy vegetables and seafood in their diets.

“Those snacks are definitely doable, and I always ask my mom to make me seafood meals because it’s so hard to eat seafood around here,” Carly Chovanec, senior mass communications major, said April 13 in an interview in Boulevard Apartments.

The Campus Activities Board hopes to provide another fun event for students to participate in during this stressful time. With the return of the Late Night Breakfast, this semester’s special addition to the breakfast food buffet, the event will have tarot card readings.

If students feel overwhelmed and stressed, they should consider visiting the University’s counseling office located in the Student Center, room 714. Counselor Bucci assures that sessions are not intimidating.

“It’s really just talking. I don’t tell people what to do,” Bucci said. “Sometimes, I offer suggestions or options or ask them what they think about something, so it’s really just a fresh pair of eyes on something that students are struggling with or want to talk about.”