Lower Your Stress Level in as Little as One Minute

Written by Dr. Sharon Webb

Weary from stress and multiple emotions experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are looking forward to the holidays. However, Christmas celebrations will probably look different this year as families strive to keep everyone healthy.

Changing traditions could lead to more feelings of anxiety. Let鈥檚 look at some helpful coping mechanisms, which may reduce the negative impact of stress and anxiety.

Perception is key as we anticipate a potential stressful experience this upcoming holiday season. It is often not just one thing, but it is a combination of things that 鈥減ileup鈥� to impact our ability to cope in healthy ways. In addition to 鈥渘ormally鈥� expected stress from Christmas shopping, additional event planning, and possibly traveling, the uncertainties of COVID-19 implications on health and holiday events may elevate levels of stress and anxiety.

Anything learned can be unlearned. Thus, ineffective thoughts and behaviors for dealing with stress and anxiety can be replaced with learned healthy strategies. We can retrain our brains to think positively鈥攃ognitively process things in a different way, which will influence how we respond to changes and uncertainties during this Christmas season.

In addition to perception, it is also important to have realistic expectations, recognizing what we can and cannot control. We often create or exacerbate our experience of stress from unrealistic expectations and demands we place on ourselves. I encourage you to offer yourself the same grace you would offer to others who are navigating the holidays through these uncertain times.

Getting enough rest, exercise, and proper nutrition are commonly known to help decrease feelings of stress, but there are additional tools that can be added to our daily routines to minimize stress and anxiety (i.e. prayer, meditation, yoga, mindfulness exercises, etc.) A common excuse for not practicing wellness is, 鈥渘ot enough time,鈥� but following are some ideas for how to manage stress in healthy ways within small amounts of time:

• One minute (stretching, grounding exercises, petting a dog or cat)
• Five minutes (breathing exercises, journaling)
• Fifteen minutes (chatting with a supportive friend or family member)
• Thirty minutes (reading a book, watching a funny TV show, taking a walk, exercising)

If self-identified stress is mild to moderate, practicing any of the above strategies can help you to successfully cope and overcome feelings of stress and anxiety. If you believe stress to be at a moderate to severe level, outside help may be needed. In some cases, professional intervention may be necessary through therapy and/or medication. You can contact our GWU Counseling Center at (704) 406-4563 for a direct appointment or for referral sources.

Merry Christmas!

Dr. Sharon Webb is an associate professor of the 猫咪头条 School of Psychological Science and Counselor. She is coordinator of Clinical Mental Health Counseling Programs for the Main Campus and Charlotte Center. She received her bachelor鈥檚, master鈥檚 and educational specialist degrees from 猫咪头条 and her doctorate from Walden University in Minneapolis, Minn. She is also a volunteer with the American Red Cross, providing counseling for the military community and serving as the Blue Ridge Piedmont Chapter Mental Health Lead, consisting of 12 counties.

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Saturn and Jupiter Will be in Their Closest Alignment in 800 Years

Written by Dr. David Judge

Saturn and Jupiter have been dancing closer and closer to each other for months, coming together in a conjunction on Dec. 21, the Winter Solstice. It is being called the Christmas Star, as it brightens the sky at the darkest time of the year, like Christ brightening the world with his birth.

The two planets come close to each other in cycles, but being this close to look like one 鈥渟tar鈥� in December hasn’t happened for nearly 800 years. The last time this conjunction occurred was in 2000, but they weren鈥檛 as close as this month and were hard to see. 

Viewing Saturn and Jupiter

People will not need binoculars to see bright Saturn and Jupiter. They are some of brightest objects and so bright people in western North Carolina can easily see them. They are found as the sky darkens in the Southwest sky, relatively low to the horizon. They have to be seen early in the evening as they will set below the horizon between 7 and 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 21.

Astronomy students at 猫咪头条 were able to look at these two planets through telescopes in November at the observatory with help from the Cleveland County Astronomical Society. They saw moons of Jupiter, the rings of Saturn, and the Andromeda and Ring galaxies using the 16-inch Ritchey-Chr茅tien telescope donated to 猫咪头条 by Dr. James Hermann.

The Christmas Star

Astronomers have researched what natural circumstances could have been responsible for the star that the Magi followed as they traveled to Bethlehem. There was a Saturn/Jupiter conjunction, but they were not that close. Another popular theory is that a Supernova occurred, which involves an exploding star and brightens the sky like nothing else. However, Chinese astronomers did not record any such event in their thorough records of the sky. 

The best theory is a conjunction of Jupiter, Venus and Regulus. Following is an explanation from the : 鈥淛upiter in Hebrew is known as 鈥楽edeq,鈥� which is often translated as meaning righteousness. Jupiter is also often viewed as being the 鈥榢ing鈥� of the planets. Regulus itself is Latin for 鈥榩rince鈥� or 鈥榣ittle king,鈥� and Venus is often viewed as a symbol of love, fertility and birth. As such, the combination of these objects close in the sky could have led to the interpretation of the birth of the 鈥楰ing of Kings.鈥�

Regardless of the scientific explanation of the Magi鈥檚 Star, the conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter on Dec. 21 is wonderful thing for everyone to see in the night sky tonight, on the Solstice, Christmas, and months to come. It reminds us of the brightness that Christ brings us.

Dr. David Judge, professor of biology and biology lab coordinator at 猫咪头条 University, is currently teaching astronomy. He received his Master of Science Degree and his doctorate in Entomology from Virginia Tech.

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A Course Featuring African American Literature

Assistant Professor of English Dr. Kemeshia Randle Swanson will be teaching an African American literature course in the spring semester entitled 鈥淪till I Rise.鈥� English 434 is open to any student registered at 猫咪头条 University.

In this Q&A, Swanson talks about why the topic is important to her and what students can expect from the class.

Q: What topics will be covered in this course?

Swanson: We will use traditional literature and other modern texts to examine the lived experiences and cultural practices of African Americans from the pre-Civil War era to the present. We will study memoirs, short stories, speeches, poetry, music lyrics, and even fashion (amongst other genres and expressions) to explore the long-standing tradition of African Americans displaying tact and tenacity, using their literature and lives to fight injustices and overcome adversities. 

Q: Why is this class important?

Swanson: Unfortunately, racial conflict and identity are embedded in our country鈥檚 DNA; political events over the past few years have only heightened the need for African Americans and all minority groups to be able to find a safe place to reflect upon their own experiences while learning about the experiences of those who came before them. The murder of George Floyd in May 2020, coupled with the unrest caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulted in GWU students making a special request for a place to process and critically discuss their frustrations. This course is an attempt to begin answering the students鈥� plea. Though, this is not just a course for African Americans. It is a place for students of all races, genders, ages, socioeconomic standings, and abilities to learn the value of varied viewpoints and to practice empathy.

Q: What can students expect to learn and experience in this class?

Swanson: This course will indeed be discussion-oriented, as I strongly believe that part of the reason America has not healed from its past is because we have shied away from having the difficult conversations. Instead, we have placed bandages on our wounds and wished them away. This is not an effective problem-resolution strategy, however. As such, in addition to reading and discussing the literature, this class will also be hands-on in the sense that I will ask students to envision and create instruments that might help to improve their campus environment and their own individual communities, i.e. diversity statements, colloquiums, etc.   

Q: What do you hope students take away, learn, and experience as they move through the semester?

Swanson: As a professor in the Humanities, my goal, always, is to teach students to be self-reflective, to think and write critically and objectively, appreciate difference, become informed, and practice empathy and mutual respect.

Q: What are you most excited about the opportunity to teach this class?

Swanson: African American literature is my area of expertise, but I was hired here as an Americanist, and while my department chair has been pretty flexible and supportive and has allowed me to teach to my passions, this will be my first semester getting to teach this particular course, a course dedicated solely to the history, culture, and literature of African Americans. So I am just excited to get to do what I love, to introduce students to texts that I love, to engage in difficult but necessary conversations, and hopefully to affect change on our campus and in our communities.

Q: Why have you focused your scholarly work in the area of African American Studies?

Swanson: I grew up in an impoverished, majority Black town and attended an HBCU (Historically Black College or University) for undergrad. In both those spaces, despite my circumstances, I knew that my voice, my identity, and my life mattered. The history books and world outside of those hallowed grounds weren鈥檛 so reassuring, however. So, I dedicated my studies to learning more about African American history and culture so that I would never have to question my own worth. Though, I realize that Black experiences (and life experiences in general) are not monolithic, so I am able to see varied viewpoints and perspectives in literature, and I hope to share those perspectives with others, to encourage critical analysis and teach empathy and mutual respect.

Q: How did you choose the authors students will study in the course?

Swanson: Most of the authors students will study are well-known African American authors, those who might be found in an anthology鈥擣rederick Douglass, Zora Neale Hurston, Martin Luther King, Jr., Maya Angelou, etc. But others are non-traditional and contemporary, people in popular culture who do not consider themselves African American scholars but purposely disseminate knowledge鈥擩. Cole, Serena Williams, Michelle Obama, etc. We will also read two YA (Young Adult) literature novels that speak directly to police brutality and unjust penal systems, the very issues that sparked students鈥� push for this course. In a nutshell, I chose classic works that are foundational to Black identity and freedom as well as contemporary texts that speak to current topics and issues, and I am really excited about discussing them all.

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Life during the pandemic is hard.

Written By James P. Morgan Jr., Ph.D.

Even the easiest of things are not so easy anymore. And some people are facing major, even catastrophic, life changes.  We don鈥檛 have to look far to find someone who has experienced the death of a loved one, the loss of livelihood, or other major setbacks during the pandemic.

Sometimes I feel sorry for myself because my life has changed so much. But then I walk into my classroom of socially distanced, masked, young scholars, and all self-pity is washed away. My students inspire me, and I feel grateful for them. Think of all they are dealing with to be at 猫咪头条 pursuing their education: constant mask wearing, extended periods away from home, juggling different types of classes (seated, hybrid, online), delays or alterations in being able to compete in their sport or perform in the arts, as well as being quarantined. Sometimes we reflect in class on how college students are making history and how they will always remember going to college during a pandemic. It is something they will tell their children and grandchildren about.  Our students are resilient, and they are our future!

When I feel grateful for these students, my perspective changes. No longer do I feel sorry for myself. I am inspired by them, and they make me want to become a better teacher and person. This is how gratitude can change each of us: It can help us to look at something in a new way, through a different lens, that can transform us. I once had a student who called gratitude a 鈥渟uper power.鈥� She was right. Gratitude has now been extensively studied by psychologists and found to make a big difference in our well-being. But long before psychology was a 鈥渢hing,鈥� the Apostle Paul spoke of the power of gratitude. To be grateful is to be thankful, and Paul often emphasized it: 鈥淎nd with joy give thanks to the Father, who has made you fit to have your share of what God has reserved for his people in the kingdom of light鈥� (Col. 1: 12).

As we approach the holiday season in the midst of the pandemic, let us try to remember to keep our sights on gratitude. Some things will be hard this year: We may be grieving the death of one or more loved ones, we may not get to be with our families as we would like, and we may have to deal with other unwanted changes. But even in the worst of times it is still possible to be grateful. And gratitude can make a positive difference.

One way of focusing on gratitude is to keep a gratitude journal. At the end of each day, write down three things that you were grateful for that day. This simple method has received considerable research attention and has been found to make a difference. You might also express gratitude to others. Let people know you appreciate them. Maybe you could write a gratitude letter to someone who means a lot to you. Expressing gratitude helps us to become more other-centered and benefits both the giver and receiver of gratitude.

I hope you will also remember to express gratitude for the greatest gift of all鈥攚hen God sent his only son, Jesus, to live among us and to teach us how to live and how to love.

Dr. James Morgan P. Morgan Jr. is professor of psychology and counseling in the 猫咪头条 University School of Psychology and Counseling. His research interests are in Positive Psychology, Psychology of Religion and Grief and Bereavement.

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