The FDO’s results are in line with the findings of the Workgroup on Student Stress, which concluded in its 2013 report that student stress had four primary causes: time pressure, academic and extracurricular competition, identity and belonging, and managing digital media.

Dingman noted that extracurricular activities, instead of relieving student stress, have increasingly contributed to higher stress levels in recent years.

“It used to be that people did their extracurricular activities as a way to recharge their batteries, and feel some unencumbered pleasure,” Dingman said. “Now, a number put their extracurricular activities with their ‘should list.’”

With stress permeating an increasing number of aspects of student life, sleeping and exercising habits that are less than optimal leave students poorly equipped to cope with stress and maintain their physical health, administrators say.

HARVARD HAS YOUR BACK

Acknowledging the link between stress and physical wellness, Harvard administrators and staff point to a number of existing and developing initiatives meant for students seeking to alleviate their stress.  

Barreira cited the Workgroup on Student Stress as a product of growing awareness of a connection between stress, mental health, and physical wellness. The group made several recommendations, one of which was recently realized with the opening of the Serenity Room for freshmen in the basement of Grays Hall.

While Dingman said he thinks the College has greatly strengthened its mental health resources in recent years, he added that it still needs to improve its physical health resources, particularly in encouraging its students to look after their physical health.

Although there have been some discussions among administrators of re-instituting a physical activity requirement for students, Dingman said, he believes the College should work to encourage rather than mandate students to get exercise.

Perhaps the most prominent example of an institutional resource that encourages students to prioritize physical wellness is the Center of Wellness at UHS, where students can get discounted hour-long massage or acupuncture appointments with a professional therapist. The Center also offers yoga classes and free meditation sessions. According to Director of Center for Wellness Jeanne Mahon, undergraduate students had more than 1,300 massage and acupuncture appointments during the 2013-2014 academic year.

The College also provides the freshman class and each upperclassman house with wellness tutors or proctors, who plan events to promote healthy living for their community. According to Kirkland wellness tutors Kelly P. Brock and Rory B. Lindsay, while the Center of Wellness coordinates trainings and assists tutors in scheduling some events, services vary from house to house because tutors are autonomous, planning everything from a puppy study break to Buddhist meditation based on resources and personal interests.

“[House administrators] are thinking about how to create calm spaces—how do you help students manage stress more effectively, as well as helping them change their habits?” Barreira said.

TOO STRESSED TO DE-STRESS?

While the 12 students interviewed for this article said they were aware of the resources that Harvard provides, most had not taken advantage of them—a state of affairs student wellness activists said indicates a need for broader cultural changes on campus regarding stress.

One student said that she is too busy to de-stress, questioning whether the College’s wellness programs would be an effective use of time for Harvard students caught in “a culture of continuous competition.”