On Thursday, Dec. 4, Wellness Resources hosted its first-ever fall semester De-Stress Fest at California Lutheran University. The event was “cozy edition”-themed and invited students to wear comfy attire, enjoy comfort foods and partake in holiday shopping in Kingsmen Park.
Carol Macias Castillo, a sophomore and Wellness Resources intern, said events like De-Stress Fest promote self-care and are needed for students as they approach finals week.
“I know from personal experience that the last two weeks [of school] can be really, really stressful,” Macias said. “Having somewhere where you can just de-stress, take a breather and just stay away from a little bit of the academic stress for a little while [is] definitely necessary.”
Cal Lutheran previously hosted De-Stress Fest during the spring semester in May, however the event has never made an appearance during the fall semester, according to sophomore Amanda Seat, a Wellness Resources intern.
“We were like, ‘Well, why don’t we just make this every semester kind of thing?’ and so far, it’s been working out,” Seat said. “It’s super fun and I think it’s helpful for students.”
Wellness Resources Coordinator Hayley George said one of the ways she wished to reduce stress for students at the event was by offering gift wrapping stations and letting students shop from local vendors. The Sage Creators, a massage company, also returned to campus after offering their services at the spring De-Stress Fest.
“I think [De-Stress Fest] is really cute, and I feel like it’s a good way for people to just get out of their room,” said Clarisa Robles, a junior at Cal Lutheran.
Robles said that her favorite part of the event was the variety of classic comfort foods that were offered to students. Some of the free options were grilled cheese, tomato soup, meatballs and fresh popcorn.
Students were also encouraged to join different raffles, wrap gifts, make bracelets and decorate paper snowflakes. Positive-affirmation posters were also scattered throughout the event.
Robles said she hopes Wellness Resources continues hosting De-Stress Fest, as it could be beneficial in helping students feel less anxious as they conclude their classes.
“We’re probably going to want to do one again in May for finals,” George said. “We might keep [spring De-Stress Fest] a little bit the same, but I have a feeling we might change it a little, just so it’s not exactly a copy and paste of what we did this year.”
