Tuesday, Nov. 3rd, 2009
1:00 PM- 2:00 PM
Multipurpose Room, NVC 1-107
This workshop was based on promoting helpful strategies to prevent stress and anxiety with college life and other personal issues. It was sponsored by The Baruch College Counseling Center, Freshman Seminar & Student Life. The presenters of this workshop were Ryan Androsiglio and Joshua King. They began this activity by passing around some Stress & Anxiety Related handouts along with a bag of raisins. We were each supposed to take a raisin and hold onto it for a brief activity. Ryan told us to take small steps in observing the raisin’s taste. We touched it, we felt the texture, we smelled it, etc. Eventually, we were supposed to eat it. The point of this excercise was to discover how different it felt to eat this specific raisin after examining it. When we take the time to focus on something, we can experience things we never imagined we could. Ryan went on to discuss mindfulness and the idea of paying attention to things on purpose and enjoy them.
We then had an exercise where Ryan played a relaxation session from an ipod. We all sat quietly together and did some breathing and stretching exercises. I participated in it but after a while it got boring. Afterwards, Joshua did an activity with us called “Assertiveness Training”. We talked about the diff. ways in which we can assert ourselves in a positive way. He had this activity called “DEAR MAN” in which we wrote down our emotions and assert what is is we wanted. I did this on the handout we were given. After that, we were allowed to go.
Overall, this workshop kinda struck a nerve with me. I got kinda emotional over it afterwards, esp. because of the “DEAR MAN” assignment. I tend to bottle up my emotions a lot which makes me very angry for no reason sometimes. This really isn’t a healthy way to live but I try to deal with it myself somehow. Hanging out with friends or listening to music is a great way to just chill out sometimes, which I def. do a lot. I don’t really get stressed out with schoolwork. I mean we all complain about work but it’s mostly personal drama in my life that stresses me out.