College Student Stress Levels and the Need for Wellness Solutions

College students today face increasing stress: According to the American Institute of Stress, 45% of American college students report experiencing “more than average stress.” The impact?

Social: Stress often leads to withdrawal from campus activities and peer interactions.

Academic: High stress correlates with lower GPAs and increased dropout rates.

Well-being: Chronic stress contributes to sleep issues, anxiety, and depression.

Given these challenges, integrating non-digital, creative activities into wellness programs is a powerful tool to relieve stress and build community.

How Art-Making at Penn State Relieved Student Stress and Built Community

I recently facilitated several Cut Loose Collage Workshops at Penn State: a collage journaling workshop for the William and Wyllis Leonhard Engineering Scholars Program, as well as a Mindful Making series in collaboration with the Center for Performing Arts, Flourish Penn State, and Student Affairs. 

Here’s what I noticed during the sessions.

• Digital Break: Stepping Away from Screens with Art-Making: Students embraced the opportunity to disconnect from screens. Engaging in hands-on, tactile activities offered a refreshing and therapeutic change, allowing them to recharge away from digital distractions.
• Social Connection Through Group Art-Making: Though the workshops focused on individual expression, the group setting fostered spontaneous interaction. Students bonded by sharing materials and discussing their creations, which helped break social barriers in a comfortable, collaborative environment.
• Non-Verbal Emotional Expression with Collage Art: Many students found the workshops to be an unexpected way to express emotions. Collage gave them a non-verbal outlet to communicate feelings like anxiety or excitement about the future, helping them reflect on their emotions without words.
• Productive Relaxation: Art-Making as a Rejuvenating Break: Students discovered that relaxation doesn’t have to mean doing nothing. By engaging in creative work, they found an energizing and satisfying form of rest that left them feeling recharged and focused, rather than drained.

Why Group Art-Making Benefits College Student Wellness

Art-making is a powerful tool for college students’ self-care and stress management. While individual creativity has its benefits, group art-making enhances these effects by combining personal expression with social connection. This synergy makes group sessions especially effective for relieving academic and personal stress. Key psychological benefits include:

• Stress Reduction Through Art-Making: A study in Art Therapy found that 75% of participants had lower cortisol levels after just 45 minutes of creative activity, demonstrating art’s ability to reduce stress. The study included people of all skill levels, highlighting that the benefits of art are accessible to everyone, making it especially relevant for college students who may feel intimidated by “being artistic.”
• Improved Mood with Art-Making: Art-making stimulates dopamine, the “feel-good” neurotransmitter, which improves mood, boosts motivation, and creates a sense of accomplishment. For stressed students, this natural mood boost serves as a counterbalance to academic pressures. The immediate visual feedback from creating art reinforces feelings of capability and progress.
• Non-Verbal Expression of Emotions Through Art: Art provides a way to process emotions that can be hard to express verbally. This is particularly helpful for students who struggle with articulating feelings or come from cultures where verbal expression isn’t the norm. Through color, form, and texture, students can externalize emotions and gain new insights that verbal communication may not reveal.
• Fostering Social Connection Through Group Art-Making: Group art-making fosters a sense of belonging and counters isolation, a common issue among college students. Creating art together breaks down social barriers, encouraging interaction and building friendships based on shared interests, not academic pressures.

How to Introduce Art-Making Activities for College Student Wellness

Student wellness and engagement departments can implement these strategies to draw students into art-related wellness activities:

• Create Eye-Catching Displays for Art-Related Wellness Programs: Set up interactive installations in high-traffic areas like student unions, dining halls, or library entrances. These displays can act as conversation starters and build curiosity about upcoming wellness events.
• Pop-Up Art Stations for Quick Stress Relief: Place mobile art stations around campus that offer quick, stress-relieving activities such as coloring, origami, or simple collage-making. These stations can be set up in places where students naturally gather, like lounges or outside lecture halls, encouraging them to take a few minutes to unwind and get creative between classes. Keep the materials simple and easy to use so participation feels spontaneous and low-pressure.
• Collaborate with Student Organizations to Broaden Reach: Partner with student-run clubs, such as art clubs, mental health advocacy groups, or cultural organizations, to co-host events or create collaborative art installations. This partnership not only broadens your reach but also gives students a sense of ownership over the event, making them more likely to attend and engage.
• Offer Incentives to Boost Participation in Art Workshops: Introduce short-term challenges that come with small rewards. For example, host a week-long mindfulness drawing challenge. Offering incentives like gift cards, campus swag, or public recognition can motivate students to participate, while also promoting the wellness initiative.
• Flexible Drop-In Art Workshops for Busy College Students: Organize brief, drop-in workshops during peak times, such as lunch breaks or study weeks, that require little commitment but offer significant benefits. These could include quick 15-30 minute sessions focused on expressive arts, like guided drawing or collage-making. Flexible formats make it easy for students to participate without feeling like they’re sacrificing their study time or social plans.

Art-Making as a Stress-Relief and Wellness Tool for College Students

Art-making offers a creative, flexible approach to help students manage stress, build community, and engage in productive relaxation. By incorporating activities like collage workshops into campus wellness programs, colleges can provide students with a powerful tool for stress management and personal expression.

Bring stress-relieving and creative wellness activities to your campus. Contact me to schedule a Cut Loose Collage Workshop and help your students manage stress, build community, and practice self-care.