The Mind Over Anxiety event presented by Julia Rosas-Nieto, Stan State Counselor, focused on symptoms of anxiety, thinking traps, and skills that can help to lower it. This workshop was a part of the Wellness Workshops put together by the Psychological Counseling Services.

Rosas-Nieto said that the workshop was more focused on critical thinking and conscious thoughts rather than physical reactions to anxiety.

She said that they were “focusing on the interventions” of anxiety.

This workshop was centered on getting a group of individuals together who are all struggling with the same issues of anxiety. She referred to the group as a “team” throughout the workshop because they were working together, as a unit, to combat anxiety and find coping strategies to help manage anxiety levels.

For the ice breaker, she had the group paint a relaxing image on jars. The painting could be based on a memory, place, or a anything that the individuals considered calming.
Cassandra Diaz-Torres (senior, Psychology) drew her husband with things they have in common that strengthen their bond with each other. She said “He’s usually the one that keeps me calm. If I’m overthinking, he will keep me grounded.”

As the workshop progressed, the group worked through several activities like identifying and labeling how your body reacts to anxiety.

While the workshop as a while emphasized critical thinking, Rosas-Nieto ended the workshop with two activities of a different nature. 

The first activity was a physical activity. Rosas-Nieto had the group follow two different breathing techniques than can be used anywhere when one starts to feel anxious. The members of the group were given the chouse between two different forms of breathing and could choose which style felt more comfortable and effective for them.
Gabriel Murrieta (senior, Psychology) enjoyed the breathing activity because it’s more important than we may realizie. He said breathing is something that needs to be talked about more. 

In the final activity, the group wrote down three to four positive coping statements to add to their jars as personal reminders. There were four sections with several phrases. The sections included “coping statements for anxiety, coping statements for feeling stressed or overwhelmed, coping statements for panic, and coping statements for self-esteem.”

All of these statements served as a reminder to take a step back and ground yourself with a written reminder.

The group actively engaged in the activities and group discussions. The environment was warm and understanding throughout the workshop.

Diaz-Torres would like to see more workshops of this style this in the future. She said “Whether it be more workshops like this or workshops that deal with different parts of anxiety.”

The next workshop is Wednesday, April 24. It will be called More Than Words, and will focus on creative writing.
Counseling services are available to students on campus. To get in contact with PCS, check out the link.