Olds College students took a noontime break from classes to enjoy some free tunes by a Canadian country music star.
George Canyon stopped by the school's Alumni Centre to play a concert on March 13. He was performing and speaking about how he managed stress as a travelling musician as part of HealthyU Month at the college, organized by the Olds College Students' Association (OCSA).
"I think it's really important as a society we talk about that more Ö we watch people be consumed by their mind and I know lots of people who've come close to trying to end it all because they've just been so depressed, they're so down,î Canyon said in a post-show interview with the Olds Albertan. ìAnd the mind is such a powerful tool but sometimes it's a powerful weapon against ourselves and I think it's important as a society we openly talk about these things.
ìI hope doing things like this helps engage the kids to talk more about, well what do you do, how do you take care of yourself, what do you do when you're going through an exam so they don't panic and be self consumed.î
For Canyon, a Type 1 diabetic, stress took a physical toll on his body. He said that sleep deprivation exacerbated the challenges of being a touring artist.
ìSo you wake up in the morning and you trip in your room, it's just not a big deal but it becomes amplified because you haven't had enough sleep and that kind of stress is something that we deal with every day on the road,î he said. ìIt sounds simple to fix but it isn't when you're getting four hours of sleep a night and you're trying to fit it all in."
He also urged students not to ìsweat the small stuffî and to maintain perspective.
ìWhen I looked at people who told me the stresses they've gone through, that's what I call on when I look and I say, well I shouldn't be stressed over this. Look what this guy's gone through, suffering from cancer or things like that and that's really the message I hope got through today.î
According to Mick Plemel, OCSA's communications vice-president, March is Olds College's mental health awareness month. It's a critical time when students are dealing with the demands of year-end exams, among other concerns, she said.
Plemel added that college life is a time of high-tension in a student's life, with many experiencing loneliness and depression.
ìThis time of your life is a little bit difficult because it's a big transition time so you're dealing with a lot of anxiety and a lot of just unsureness and you're trying to fit in with friends and trying to figure where your place is in the world,î she said.
