How to Unwind on Campus Between Classes

As the semester is kicking into gear, remember all the great resources UK offers to students. My personal favorite medium for relieving stress is going to the Relaxation room in room 114B in Frazee Hall.

In 2017, I was a freshman running around campus, attempting to use all the resources the university graciously provides.

With my emergence into adulthood and a simultaneous stress-filled school schedule, I found a flyer about the relaxation room. The title drew me in and the resources available indefinitely sealed the deal.

During this time, the relaxation room held workshops such as meditation on Wednesdays, R3 (relax, relate, rewind) for students of color, and even a service dog that visited once a week. The relaxation room also had 2 wonderful massage chairs, biofeedback, meditation cushions and mats, light therapy box, many art supplies, an herbal tea station, and a very comfy recliner. The hours of the relaxation room and the counseling center are 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday - Friday.

This space soon became my escape from reality where I focused on mindfulness and grounding myself, and the facilitator, Connie Harrison was always so helpful and called me her “frequent flyer” as I visited nearly every day in 2018.

Flash forward to January 2020, I returned to a place that I frequently found comfort in, and the relaxation room has grown and improved. There are now a total of 5 massage chairs, as this is one of the biggest attractions in the space. Also, the relaxation room now has a separate room across the hall that is dedicated to all the art supplies along with puzzles, plants, kinetic sand, and origami. During finals week last semester, the relaxation room hosted an event that had doughnuts and essential oil rice bags to help destress around the time of finals. The relaxation room also has other outreach events and participate in the infamous “Crunch Brunch."

Over the past 3 years I have attended UK, this space has been my safe haven for relaxation through naps in the recliner, 30-minute massages that ease tension, and the freedom of expression from the art supplies. I have not only watched the space grow in size but I also see more faces seeking its comfort and relaxation. This is what I call my “secret weapon” against stress from everyday life and attending college. I am so grateful to have discovered this space and encourage others to do the same so UK students can attend school in harmony while keeping our cortisol levels low.

Thank you for reading, sending love, light, and peace to you all.