UHS “counseling canines” ready for annual pet therapy study break

UW-Madison students are in the final stretch of the spring semester, but there’s still one last hurdle to clear — final exam week, for many, which can be one of the most stressful times of the year.

To help students get their minds off the burden of the books, University Health Services (UHS) is offering a tail-wagging escape.

UHS “counseling canines” will be at Library Mall from 3:30-5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 5 for the annual Pet Therapy study break. In the event of rain, the event will be rescheduled to Friday, May 7.

Staff from UHS Counseling and Consultation Services will bring an assortment of their own friendly dogs for students to pet and play with — an activity proven to have stress-reducing benefits.

“Pet therapy has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety, lower blood pressure and lift moods,” says UHS psychologist Bob McGrath. “It also gives students a chance to take a breather, and spend time with a dog offering genuine affection.”

“And as you can imagine,” adds McGrath, “the dogs certainly don’t object to a couple hours of extra attention.”

Counseling staff will also be available to chat informally about end-of-semester stress and offer advice on ways to lighten the load.

“Taking study breaks and making sleep a top priority can reduce stress and improve your recall of information,” says Rob Sepich, student relations manager at UHS.

Additionally, Sepich advises students to focus on what’s within your control and ignore what’s beyond it. For example, you can’t predict how an exam will be curved, so recalculating your GPA now won’t help. But you can choose to divide your remaining time however you like.

“Choosing to adopt an optimistic attitude, even briefly, can often get you restarted on a project long enough for momentum to take over,” says Sepich.

Sepich says other basic stress-reduction tips include:

• Set attainable goals, striving for excellence rather than perfection. This will place less stress on you and may help you excel.
• Go easy on caffeine because you are producing enough adrenaline right now.
• Aim to achieve success instead of avoiding failure, and you will more likely reach your goals.
• Find something to laugh at, no matter how fleeting. Since final exams are already serious enough, take a break when you can to lighten your mood.
• According to physician Andrew Weil, even a few minutes a day of diaphragmatic breathing is the single best health practice you can use for stress reduction.
• Visit the UHS Web site and click on “Take a Break from Stress” to listen to or download brief relaxation exercises.
• Ask for assistance. Turning to friends, faculty or UHS for help in coping is a sign of wisdom and strength.

To schedule a free, one-on-one session with a counselor, students should call the main UHS number at (608) 265-5600. Call the same number or make an online appointment through MyUHS for 50 minutes of massage therapy for $40.