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Pet therapy program for college students moves online - KSTP channel 5
![]() Alex Jokich Updated: April 20, 2020 08:34 PM Created: April 20, 2020 06:51 PM A pet therapy program at the University of Minnesota has now gone virtual. PAWS, which stands for Pet Away Worry And Stress, is an extremely popular program offered through Boynton Health at the University of Minnesota. It is typically offered four times per week on campus and features about 100 different registered therapy animals, ranging from dogs and cats to chickens and miniature horses. Since the university is closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the program has adapted and is now being held through online Zoom sessions. "More than ever, mental health is a concern," said Kevin Bubolz, who participates with his therapy dog Ellie, a golden retriever. "A lot of people are going through a lot of different challenges and really need these animal assisted interactions to help bring back a sense of normalcy in this time of uncertainty." KSTP In the virtual sessions, students can move between different "rooms" to visit the animals of their choice and interact with the handlers and other students. The groups bond over the animals but eventually open up about how they are feeling, covering topics like fears over coronavirus, the challenges of online learning and uncertainty over the job market following graduation. Follow KSTP's complete COVID-19 coverage "As soon as a student is brave enough to say, 'I'm really struggling,' other students step forward and say, ‘I am too,’" explained Animal Assisted Interactions Coordinator Tanya Bailey, who started the program seven years ago. Bailey said, while in person sessions are preferable, the digital interactions are still effective because of a concept called "mirror neurons." "What that means is that when you are observing somebody else do something that's a pattern your brain recognizes, you oftentimes will feel the same feeling. So just the sheer act of the owner of that animal petting the animal, the student observing that, their brain recognizes that pattern and it brings peace," Bailey explained. "A lot of times it brings joy and happiness and they laugh as well." "You leave out of there feeling so euphoric and so happy, it really does carry on into the rest of your day and for me personally into the rest of my week," added student Mariah Flores. The PAWS sessions are free for anyone in the University of Minnesota community. For more information, click here. Click the video box above to see the full story. Copyright 2020 - KSTP-TV, LLC A Hubbard Broadcasting Company |
Minnetonka high school, Stess Less with bunny besties, 1/21/2020
Bunny Besties Event Helps Alleviate Stress
FEBRUARY 14, 2020
Winter is a busy time of year at Minnetonka High School. Between final exams, end of the semester projects, and preparing for registration next year, stress can sometimes run high. Student leaders at MHS have been working on ways to alleviate some of the tension and encourage students to practice mindfulness. One idea they were able to implement was to set aside an area of the school where students could take a break from homework and finals and instead enjoy playing with a group of therapy rabbits.
"Finals are of course important but they sometimes end up bubbling into a bigger deal than necessary," says Laura Hebst, Advanced Learning Coordinator at the high school. "Starting the day in a calm and positive manner like this helps students gain some perspective and hopefully walk into final exams calmer and more able to see the bigger picture."
MHS partnered with a local organization called Bunny Besties, which is run through the University of Minnesota. This nonprofit aims to support the mental and emotional health of the community through Animal Assisted Interactions. Representatives from the company, along with a dozen trained bunnies, visited the high school on Thursday, January 23, during the study block allotted for students prior to finals. Over the course of the two-hour period, more than 540 students showed up to catch a break and recharge before heading off to their finals.
Priscilla Bunday is a student leader for Bunny Besties at MHS. Along with fellow juniors Linden Rude and Mara Sandberg, she worked hard to plan and organize the event for other students to enjoy. A dedicated student herself, Priscilla has experienced first-hand the extra pressures added at the end of the semester. She loved watching the students' stress melt away as they walked in the door and saw all of the rabbits. "Getting a chance to take a mental break and just do something fun, like watch bunnies run and jump across the floor, can be really important."
The positive physical, mental and emotional effects of practicing mindfulness are invaluable. When left alone, stress can build up and lead to more severe mental health issues, negatively impacting the lives of thousands of high school and college students, as well as those of the general population. However, healthy stress management is still possible even in our busy world if we set aside time for self-care and personal enjoyment. One of the best ways to do this is through building connections with both people and animals.
"I have witnessed the tremendous value of unique and creative programming that supplements traditional responses to this current [mental health] crisis...Bunny Besties is a perfect example of harnessing the powerful experience of the human-animal bond to help students and others in the community." Gary Christenson, the current chair for Bunny Besties, says on the company's website. "Our rescued rabbits have a unique ability to lower stress of the humans around them and bring joyfulness to those in challenging life [situations]."
"It's extremely easy to get caught up in your stress and forget that you need to take time to step back, take a deep breath and focus on taking care of yourself," concludes Priscialla "I think it is good to develop habits early on, not only to protect our mental and physical health now, but also so that when we are in even more pressing situations in the future, we don't burn out and crash as a result of not taking care of ourselves."
Source: Minnetonka Schools District Website https://www.minnetonkaschools.org/schools/high-school/mhs/about/news/~post/bunny-besties-event-helps-alleviate-stress-20200210
FEBRUARY 14, 2020
Winter is a busy time of year at Minnetonka High School. Between final exams, end of the semester projects, and preparing for registration next year, stress can sometimes run high. Student leaders at MHS have been working on ways to alleviate some of the tension and encourage students to practice mindfulness. One idea they were able to implement was to set aside an area of the school where students could take a break from homework and finals and instead enjoy playing with a group of therapy rabbits.
"Finals are of course important but they sometimes end up bubbling into a bigger deal than necessary," says Laura Hebst, Advanced Learning Coordinator at the high school. "Starting the day in a calm and positive manner like this helps students gain some perspective and hopefully walk into final exams calmer and more able to see the bigger picture."
MHS partnered with a local organization called Bunny Besties, which is run through the University of Minnesota. This nonprofit aims to support the mental and emotional health of the community through Animal Assisted Interactions. Representatives from the company, along with a dozen trained bunnies, visited the high school on Thursday, January 23, during the study block allotted for students prior to finals. Over the course of the two-hour period, more than 540 students showed up to catch a break and recharge before heading off to their finals.
Priscilla Bunday is a student leader for Bunny Besties at MHS. Along with fellow juniors Linden Rude and Mara Sandberg, she worked hard to plan and organize the event for other students to enjoy. A dedicated student herself, Priscilla has experienced first-hand the extra pressures added at the end of the semester. She loved watching the students' stress melt away as they walked in the door and saw all of the rabbits. "Getting a chance to take a mental break and just do something fun, like watch bunnies run and jump across the floor, can be really important."
The positive physical, mental and emotional effects of practicing mindfulness are invaluable. When left alone, stress can build up and lead to more severe mental health issues, negatively impacting the lives of thousands of high school and college students, as well as those of the general population. However, healthy stress management is still possible even in our busy world if we set aside time for self-care and personal enjoyment. One of the best ways to do this is through building connections with both people and animals.
"I have witnessed the tremendous value of unique and creative programming that supplements traditional responses to this current [mental health] crisis...Bunny Besties is a perfect example of harnessing the powerful experience of the human-animal bond to help students and others in the community." Gary Christenson, the current chair for Bunny Besties, says on the company's website. "Our rescued rabbits have a unique ability to lower stress of the humans around them and bring joyfulness to those in challenging life [situations]."
"It's extremely easy to get caught up in your stress and forget that you need to take time to step back, take a deep breath and focus on taking care of yourself," concludes Priscialla "I think it is good to develop habits early on, not only to protect our mental and physical health now, but also so that when we are in even more pressing situations in the future, we don't burn out and crash as a result of not taking care of ourselves."
Source: Minnetonka Schools District Website https://www.minnetonkaschools.org/schools/high-school/mhs/about/news/~post/bunny-besties-event-helps-alleviate-stress-20200210
Minnetonka High School brings in bunnies to relieve stress during finals week
MINNETONKA — Students looking for a way to de-stress found a fluffy solution at Minnetonka High School on Tuesday, Jan. 21.
The student-led effort was spearheaded out of the Students Wellness Committee, which brought rabbits in from the company Bunny Besties, a nonprofit that provides animal-assisted interactions with rabbits to support the emotional wellness of the community.
The goal was for students to have some animal therapy during finals week, which ran from Monday, Jan. 20, through Friday, Jan. 24.
More than 500 students stopped by in between classes to pet the fluffy animals, said Minnetonka Schools Executive Director of Communications JacQueline Getty.
The relationship between animals and humans can have a positive psychological benefit for humans, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.
Therapy animals can help relieve stress, anxiety and depression, the association says.
By Frances Stevenson. Frances Stevenson is a reporter for the Lakeshore Weekly News, covering the communities around Lake Minnetonka.
Source: https://www.swnewsmedia.com/lakeshore_weekly/news/education/minnetonka-high-school-brings-in-bunnies-to-relieve-stress-during/article_98ecf904-6f7b-5fe0-b20c-9003fe0f7e61.html
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