For strategies on how to deal with issues like stress or relieving anxiety, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s counseling services has many resources for you to use to your benefit.

The UW-Platteville’s counseling services holds meetings every Tuesday from 4 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Royce Hall to relieve stress. The counseling department does creative expression, stress management, meditation and yoga throughout the month; each Tuesday brings something different. On Oct. 24, the theme was creative expression, where students came in and made stress relief balls. Balloons were provided along with brown beans, rice, corn starch, flour, play dough and water to make the stress ball of your choice. The students who attended interacted and helped one another make their stress balls. Sixteen people attended the event and participated in the activities.

Wellness Tuesday officially began in 2013, with its purpose being to connect to students outside of one-on-one counseling. The main goal of the event is to work on wellness and to learn the importance of self-care. The idea is to give students the chance to interact with counselors and others to discuss wellness without the pressure of having a one-on-one conversation with a counselor.

“We want to offer this event because we have the space and time and it’s another way for us to connect with the students,” counselor Jodi Moen said.

Over the years, the program has grown significantly. Moen has worked at UW-Platteville for a year and a half, and no one attended Wellness Tuesdays when she started. Last year it grew to five or six people attending, and this year a record number of 16 people attended.

“This is the best semester that we’ve ever had because we are getting bigger groups,” Moen said.

The counseling department encourages people to attend even if you want to go just for fun. Wellness Tuesday is a great way to have fun and relieve stress at the same time.