8A
NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2008
HEALTH
Music, exercise and sleep keep stress at bay
Professors of music and dance say students can take action to manage the pressures of finals week
--into her bag to pull it out, only to realize she's forgotten it at home. It's due today.
BY JOE PREINER
jpreiner@kansan.com
Jordan Harper walks into her class, ready to turn in the paper she spent the previous night writing. She sits in her seat and reaches
Enter stress.
Enter stress.
H a r p e r
Chicago senior,
is one of the 6.5 billion people in the world who sometimes find themselves in stressful situations. Harper will take five
hemispheres of the brain, allowing for increased productivity.
finals in the upcoming week, and that provides her with all she can handle.
"If you don't have stress, your life is very boring. Stress comes from getting an A on a final. Stress comes from getting that first kiss on that first date."
Janet Hamburg, professor of music, said students could manage stress in many ways during finals. She said exercising and staying active were two of the most important factors in diminishing stress levels while studying and finishing classes. Hamburg said a simple walk helped in more ways than students realized. Along with pushing blood through the body, the alternate swinging of arms and legs during walking stimulates both
Acciai laura, professor of music education and music therapy, said exercise, when done properly, helped students relax. She said running lengthy distances one day
ALICIA CLAIR Professor of music education and music therapy
and then not running for a month would not be beneficial. Clair said that stress was everywhere, and that it could be both positive or negative.
"If you don't have stress, your life is very boring," Clair said. "Stress comes
from getting an A on a final. Stress comes from getting that first kiss on that first date."
She said students often neglected their normal workout routines during finals week because they were pressed for time. Clair said this break in activity negatively affected students because exercise was good for the body.
Hamburg said students should also remember to take breaks and move around during their study sessions. She said students often remained stationary during studying.
"You need a change in rhythm," Hamburg said. "You have to get up and move around. You have to have wiggle breaks."
Listening to music also plays a role in relaxing during the week of finals.
Clair, who is also a board-certified music therapist, said music is associated with positive times and feelings in life. She said the areas in the brain associated with emotion worked closely with the areas that dealt with music, which could account for the paired semions
Clair said the kind of music that helped people relax depended on the person. She said people had different experiences with music through at their lives, which accounted for their varied preferences in relaxing tunes.
"For some people, the music that makes them feel calm might be rap music," Clair said. "Others can't cope with it. It's a very individualized kind of thing."
Hamburg said students overlooked the value of sleep during finals, which only compounded the
effects of stress. She said students used caffeine to stay awake instead of succumbing to sleep. Hamburg said caffeine was effective for short-term needs, but ultimately the stimulant resulted in a drop in blood sugar which caused more fatigue. Dealing with the stress of finals was all about planning ahead, she said
"Finals week is like an endurance test," Hamburg said. "You can't spend all your time just studying or you won't make it."
Edited by Becka Cremer
POLITICS La.gov.says he won't run for president in 2012
Graphic by Becka Cremer/KANSAN
RICHMOND, Va. — Louisiana Gov. Bob Jindal said Wednesday he's not interested in a 2012 Republican presidential bid and will seek a second term as governor in 2011.
Jindal, who appeared at a news conference to back Virginia Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell, was asked if he was interested in being president.
"No," he replied.
Jindal's trip to Iowa last month fueled speculation that he was laying the groundwork for a presidential campaign, and he did not rule out changing his mind over the next few years.
Instead, he said Americans are weary after the longest, most expensive election cycle in U.S. history.
"I think anybody who is even thinking of running would be well served to roll up their sleeves and support our new president," Jindal said. "I told our people, 'It doesn't matter whether you're Republican, Democrat or independent, it doesn't matter whether you voted for him or not, President elect Barack Obama is our president."
In the wake of Republican losses in Congress and a blowout defeat in the presidential race, Jindal is an early favorite among many Republicans for 2012.
He's young, 37, and has strong support from conservatives for his income tax-cutting initiatives. Many of them advocated for John McCain to pick Jindal as his vice presidential running mate.
Jindal also enjoyed broad-based approval for his handling of back-to-back hurricanes, Gustav and Ike, that menaced his state and New Orleans in particular in August and September, just three years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the area.
Associated Press