Marshall University Libraries will offer “Virtual Stress Relief” activities for students in place of their semiannual Stress Relief events on campus from April 20-24.

“The libraries have been hosting stress relief activities for several years in our physical buildings, so we wanted to make sure we were providing similar options now that students aren’t able to come to campus,” Sarah Mollette, the librarian in charge of the event, said.

With campus being closed, Mollette said some students are feeling displaced, adding more anxieties. Now more than ever, she said the Marshall Libraries are doing their best to ensure students are getting the help they need.

“This is a turbulent time for everyone, but the end of the semester is always difficult for students,” Mollette said. “So, we wanted to make sure we were doing our part to relieve some of that ‘regular’ stress to make it easier for students to work through all this ‘new’ stress.”

Some of the activities listed on the website include DIY project instructions, meditation exercises, crossword puzzles and a list of podcasts, among other activities. Mollette said in addition to those, the library is also providing additional resources to make this time easier for students.

“We simply try to figure out ways to make our students’ lives easier,” she said. “Whether that is through research help, answering basic library questions or loaning textbooks, calculators and webcams, we know that being a student is challenging, so we try to meet those needs to support students however we can.”

These online activities will continue to be offered in the future for students who are “distance students” or have always taken classes online.

Mollette said she wants students to understand the resources they have at Marshall during this particularly stressful time.

“My advice for anyone feeling overwhelmed at any time is the same no matter what is happening in the world: find someone to talk to, find trustworthy information, and just know that you’re not alone,” Mollette said. “Marshall has an awesome counseling services department, which we link to on our Stress Relief guide.”

The Stress Relief guide can be found at https://libguides.marshall.edu/stress-free.

Kyra Biscarner can be contacted at [email protected].