This year, we can all agree, has been very stressful and has caused some anxiety and stress. There have been so many changes to our daily lives, from having to start online classes, working from home, quarantining and more. Luckily, there are things people can do to relieve stress or ease their anxiety.

Here are 5 ways to help keep calm during this time:

1. Stress balls: The act of repeatedly squeezing a stress ball helps release tension and relieve stress. Stress balls are also used as a tool for meditation.

2. Visualization: Eyes closed and body relaxed, picture a calm environment and work through a stressful or anxiety inducing situation. When staying calm and focused, one can create a mental image of themselves they can come back to whenever feeling stressed or anxious in the future. Visualization can be grounding in that way. 

3. Listen to music: Grab a pair of headphones and blast some tunes! Playing the right melody can actually help lower one’s heart rate and therefore decrease stress hormones in the body. Consider playing a few of today’s hits when feeling overwhelmed.
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4. Find the right temperature: A room’s temperature can affect stress and anxiety. Being too warm, feeling stuffy, or getting the chills all can make someone feel tense. One can create a more comfortable workspace by bundling up in a cozy sweater and socks when it’s too cold or cracking the window when it gets too warm. 

Pro tip: Invest in a humidifier to keep the air from getting dry! Be even more of a pro by adding a few drops of essential oils in the humidifier; scents such as lavender and chamomile are known to help calm the body.

5. Fuel your body: Being hungry or not properly hydrated leaves the body feeling tired and unable to focus. A couple ways to prevent this fatigue would be having a reusable water bottle full at one’s desk and keeping healthy snacks* around. 

*Some healthy snack ideas: almonds, apple slices, carrots, or greek yogurt.

These 5 ways are only a handful of things people do to help with their stress or anxiety. Hopefully this list will serve as a guide to those needing a reminder or those who are new to this. 


Comment below some other ways people can relieve their stress and anxiety!


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-Lindsay White

Simple tips for bakers of any experience level!

It’s the second semester of your senior year, and you couldn’t be happier. Finally you can kick back and relax in classes, you can go out with friends, and the most important thing, in a few months you are going to walk the stage and get your high school diploma. You already got accepted into your dream college, so from now until college starts you plan on setting the car on cruise control and just enjoying the drive. 

Or that’s what you thought was going to happen. Sadly you are in the graduating class of 2020, and COVID-19 has caused the entire world to shut down. 

Now, what am I going to do? What can I expect? Is college still going to happen? Is life basically just closed now? What’s going to happen now? Will I still walk the stage for graduation? These questions were going through my head when I heard about school being all online. 

For a while, it felt like everything we students had been working towards simply came crashing down, and there was no way to rebuild it, which can cause several seniors to get major anxiety and become depressed. 
We all dreamed of walking the stage at graduation and being done with high school, but now we’re told our dreams are going to stay dreams. We accepted it --although we really didn’t have any other option. We drove through our schools, got our diplomas, and moved on. 

A few days after “graduation” I heard some breaking news, with an emphasis on breaking. Due to an increase in COVID-19 cases, all CSU’s would transition into completely online classes. This broke all the hearts of current students, staff and faculty,  and all the incoming freshmen, like me. We accepted it while remaining hopeful. 

Now, to discuss the transition:
To be honest, transitioning was the easiest thing I’ve ever done, because everyone knows how tough this time is and is doing their best to help one another. All the staff had made everything so smooth. There was no problem accessing all required forms, or going to a virtual orientation, or finding out classes.   Everything was extremely clear, and when school started, it stayed just as easy. 

There was no running around campus trying to find classes; there was no spending half an hour trying to find parking; there was no getting lost, simply because classes are online. 

Going to class was really easy because, my ‘commute’ was walking from my bed to my laptop. From there, it is simply logging into Canvas and opening the Zoom link.   All the homework was on Canvas, so it can be done whenever and isn’t really a big problem. 

All that being said, there still was a big problem. Meeting new people and making new friends in college was now the biggest issue of my freshman year. No one really talks to each other. In classes, several people will mute themselves and have their cameras off, leaving the professors lecturing a bunch of black boxes on a screen. 

Connecting with peers was my biggest problem, so I worked to find a solution. I went to club meetings, met people, and found a club that I really love, PRSSA. I’ve met some incredible people. 

After the first week, students in classes actually started opening up and being friendly. Now, people are making great new friendships with each other, and college isn’t seeming as sad as it did during the summer. 
Once again you spend time with all your friends, virtually, and enjoy your classes, virtually, and even go and check out the clubs around campus, virtually. 

The truth is that it isn’t the best or the most ideal situation. In fact it’s the complete opposite, but it is what it is. 

Going through this transition I learned being positive and optimistic is super important. Yes everything is online, and yes, you can’t go on campus, however none of this should stop you from reaching out and engaging with everything and everyone at school. 

Losing my last few months of high school and my graduation really hurt.  If it hadn’t happened, though, I don’t know if I would have met even half of the people at Sac State I know right now. Overall, the transition was honestly one of the hardest, yet easiest things that I’ve done. Through it all, I learned a lot.

​ - Sankalp Sharma

Whether it’s working or taking classes from home, we all know how draining staying indoors and staring at our computer screen can be. With the increased amount of free time we have, many of us have picked up new skills and hobbies, such as cooking a new recipe or trying out an online yoga lesson. However, just because most indoor entertainment places are closed doesn’t mean we can’t have a picnic day at the park or check out a new hiking spot!
Here’s a list of 5 places in the Sacramento region one can visit whenever feeling adventurous or just in need of a place to relax:

1. Capitol Park
Home to the California Legislature since 1869, Capitol Park is located within the California State Capitol. Bring your dog and take a stroll, admiring the stately architecture and the many species of trees and flowers housed within the park. Grab a bite afterward at one of the many coffee shops and restaurants downtown! For more information on park hours and guided tours visit https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=495. 

2. Effie Yeaw Nature Center
The Effie Yeaw Nature Center is a nonprofit organization located inside the Ancil Hoffman Park in Carmichael, CA. The center is a hidden gem among Carmichael residents, housing an array of rescue animals including birds, snakes and amphibians. Effie Yeaw’s mission is to spread awareness of our natural wildlife in the Sacramento region through the catering of programs and events focused on wildlife education and interpretation. One can hike along the trails leading down to the American River or simply have a meal and rest in the picnic area. As a volunteer receptionist at the center myself, I have seen the impact the center’s programs and events have on families looking for activities to enrich their children’s life. For more information on activities and membership purchases go to https://www.sacnaturecenter.net/. 

3. Nimbus Fish Hatchery
Located twenty minutes from downtown Sacramento, Nimbus Hatchery raises close to 4 million Chinook salmon and steelhead for release to the American River each year. The visitor center offers educational activities for children and adults including raceway ponds, hiking trails, play areas and opportunities to learn about the fish species raised at the hatchery. Visitors can even feed the salmon at the top of every hour and watch them climb the hatchery’s ladders, making for a fun and educational experience about our local ecosystem. Check out more details at https://wildlife.ca.gov/fishing/hatcheries/nimbus. 

4. Sacramento Zoo
​The Sacramento Zoo has been a staple of the Sacramento region since 1927, housing more than ninety animal species since its opening. Come visit some furry friends and experience the opportunity to feed a giraffe at the zoo’s Giraffe Encounters! The zoo is also hosting a number of virtual events throughout the season, such as Safari at Home and Zoo to You. Visit https://www.saczoo.org/visit/ to check out the events calendar and purchase tickets in advance!

5. Sac State Aquatic Center
The Sac State Aquatic Center is part of Associated Students Inc., and is located at Lake Natoma in Gold River, CA. The center offers paddling, boating, rowing and windsurfing lessons among many others. The Aquatic Center is open to the general public and offers perks and discounts to students at Sacramento State. Right now, the center is offering free boat rentals to all students until the end of the fall semester. Make sure to visit https://www.sacstateaquaticcenter.com/ for class sign-ups and costs.

Take some time and check out one of these spots  soon!

-Cesar Ruiz Martinez

With an increase of at-home students and workers, more people are struggling to stay energized. Caffeine can be a fine way to improve productivity but too much can pose harmful physical and mental health effects. How can you stay awake without compromising your health? Explore these five energy-boosting alternatives to caffeinated drinks. 

1. Water: Believe it or not, water can enhance your energy supply more than you think! Dehydration can cause fatigue and exhaustion, so wake yourself up with a glass of chilled water. Add in some chia seeds for an extra boost of energy!

2. Sunlight:  Getting enough vitamin D is crucial to your energy supply and being trapped inside all day can trigger drowsiness. Go for a 30-minute walk in the morning to soak up some sunshine and awaken your spirit! 

3. Mindfulness: Your brain gets tired of thinking all the time, so give your mind the break it needs to recharge! Take some time to breathe deeply and do some stretches to get the energetic juices flowing! 

4. Physical Activity: Sitting at a desk all day can be draining and a sedentary lifestyle is linked to fatigue. It may seem contradictory to harvest energy from the spending of energy, but an active body has more energy in the long-term! to Get up every 20 minutes and do some jumping jacks to get the blood pumping and the energy flowing. 

5. Power Nap: Napping for too long can increase drowsiness, but a short power nap can change your entire day! Studies have shown that a 20-minute power nap can improve focus and help enhance memory. 


Caffeinated drinks are okay as a last resort but should be limited to avoid negative effects. Instead, tap into your natural energy supply before relying on coffee and Red Bull as a crutch. The five alternatives above are a great start to increasing your energy stock. Consult your doctor for more healthy swaps to awaken your potential!


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​-Excell Brown

    Failure is a part of growing up, and it’s normal to do so. Like many things in our society, it has become such a taboo to the point where people won’t even attempt a task in fear of not being good at it on the first try. The thing about failure is that we need it to help us grow. The thought of failing at something usually stops people in their tracks from pursuing budding interests, such as getting that plant for fear of killing it, or simply trying something new.
    With social media reaching new heights everyday, it’s hard for people to compartmentalize what goes into being successful. I mean, sure, we hear it’s hard but we don’t actually see how hard it is. We’ve been conditioned to believe failure shouldn’t even be in our vocabulary. With videos, stories and pictures highlighting public figures' top points in their lives, it's hard to take things with a grain of salt. What I wish I heard more is we aren’t going to achieve greatness straight out of college just because we have a degree, it’s what one does with that degree that makes them successful. 
  The reality many people face in order to achieve the level of success we want is through failure. Even if we do ‘fail’, we are not failures if we keep trying. The only way someone can truly fail at life is by not taking risks at all, or by dwelling in failure to the point of not taking anymore risks. We will never know how something will turn out, good or bad, if we never make that jump. It’s hard for most people, since our society has become so visual, to realize greatness takes time and the learning curves that are thrown at us can make us into the person we want to become.
   Although failing might be embarrassing, possibly making someone want to move to a different state under a different name and open up a candle shop; that’s the price every successful person has had to pay a few times. 
A few great examples I found of successful people having failed included: 

• Walt Disney going bankrupt, with his company ‘Laugh-O-Gram’, before he created Mickey Mouse and his Disney empire. 
  
• Oprah Winfrey being fired from her first television job as an anchor in Baltimore before her infamous talk show. 
  
• Vera Wang failed at making it onto the U.S. Olympic figure skating team, and she didn’t design her first dress until she was 40. 
  

  The list goes on and on. The point is, through their failures they found success elsewhere. They were brave enough, and confident in themselves, to take that leap. Like one of my favorite characters from a TV show once said,“Dude, sucking at sumthin’ is the first step towards being sorta good at something.” - Jake the Dog.
-Erin Warren

On October 15th, 2020, PRSSA got to chat with Stu Opperman, the leader of Impact Players Strategic Communications. Stu shared advice and his career history with the chapter, giving insight to the broad world of his experience in communications and public relations.

The beginning of Stu’s story caught the attention of many PRSSA members, as he detailed his experience in the world of sports communication. Early in his career, Stu had the opportunity to work as an operations manager for the basketball team the Miami Heat. He expressed that working in sports was a very exciting yet very demanding occupation. It was his dream, similarly to some members in the chapter, to work in such a highly-competitive field.

While Stu acknowledged the difficulty of breaking into a career in the world of sports, he did offer some hope to people who aspire to work in sports PR. Stu said publicist jobs are continuing to open up for athletes, as some players have developed strong interests in speaking on social and political matters. It was also noted that with the ever-evolving world of social media, interested young professionals may want to look into social media jobs within the sports world. In the end, Stu commented that a career in sports communication is not particularly sufficient to support a family on account of fickle, late scheduling and travel. However, if one is ready for the commitment, then it is an excellent and exciting career opportunity to have.

After deciding his time in the sports world was at an end, Stu began a career at an advertising agency. A decade of work at the advertising agency passed before Stu made the move to begin his own agency, Impact Players Strategic Communications. This was a major career move which resulted in a very satisfying change in Stu’s life. Representing various healthcare providers and the Make-A-Wish Foundation of South Florida, Impact Players is an agency that is making strides.

Stu left some final words of advice with PRSSA which truly resonated with its members. He emphasized the importance of writing as a skill; he said, “If you can write, there is always a market for that.” Stu stressed even frequent writers should keep writing because one can only improve and it’s important to keep improving. He also hinted at the importance of telling a story in one’s resume, which is an excellent way to make one’s resume stand out.

Stu brought to light the importance of PRSSA and PRSA. As a member of PRSA himself, Stu testified that the organization has been very helpful in establishing connections and developing important career skills.
As Stu said in the beginning, sports is a competitive career field but there are also several other branches of PR and communications are equally as competitive, if not more-so.
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If one has eyes on a career in a competitive field, then one must put the work in to make it happen. Keep dreaming, and keep working hard for that dream! It is the dream that encourages the drive.

-Elysse  Fresquez

On October 1st, 2020, PRSSA had the opportunity to catch up with CSUS Public Relations alumni via Zoom. Former PRSSA members Farah Musallam, Adam Martinez, and Zebastian Chihuaque-Martinez shared valuable advice with members on how to prepare for a career before graduation. 

The guest panel highlighted the importance of participating in internships while in school. Not only does an internship allow students to gain experience, but it also gives them the chance to discover which aspects of their field they enjoy most. For this reason, our panelists highly suggested that students intern in different industries. It was noted that students we must take risks in order to find the career niche for them! And what better time to discover one’s  niche than now? Adam shared with us that now is the prime time for finding internships.

Now that everything has shifted online due to the pandemic, there is a stronger online presence for all industries. Farah recommended researching local companies on LinkedIn and set up information interviews with companies which capture one’s interest. To stand  out further, all of the    panelists agreed that reaching out to a potential employer is a great way to establish a connection. Zebastian confirmed that this technique works! That employer is just a phone call or an e-mail away. Even if they aren’t hiring now, there is always a chance they could call in the future about  another position.

The  panelists, also, shared some important software which they used either during internships or their current jobs. These included:

• Adobe Lightroom
• Adobe Photoshop
• Adobe Premier
• Canva
• FinalCut Pro (Mac only)
• Enlight
• Cision
• Muckrack

(Adobe products are free to CSUS students, so if you are interested in getting acquainted with Adobe software, just check out CSUS.edu!)

The most important advice of all, however, were the messages of confidence that the our dear alumni shared with everyone. They encouraged members to all to take risks, and to realize our self worth. This is always a very valuable message to realize, in one’s career and in one’s life!

​-Elysse   Fresquez

Have you been struggling to find professional attire? Do you have an interview coming up or just need help finding clothes for a workplace? PRSSA has the help you need. A professional development workshop took place at the general meeting on Thurs, March 5. E-board members discussed what professional attire looks like. One point made was to dress for the position you want, not the position you are applying for. Six outfits were presented, some professional and some lacking professionalism in various aspects. Several do’s and don’ts were given and can be found below. 
Do’s 

• Button-up to an appropriate button. 
• A properly fitted blazer, slacks, blouse, suit jacket. 
• Short heels, flats, boots or dress shoes. 
• Match clothing, watch (if applicable), belt and shoes. 
• A tie at the proper length, being at the belt. 
• Cover tattoos with concealer or clothing. 

Don’ts 

• Wrinkled shirts. 
• Short, extremely tight skirts. 
• Sandals or sneakers. 
• Low-cut tops. 

If you are searching for proper attire for work, look no further. Some stores to find professional attire are listed below. 

• Amazon
• H&M
• Fashion Nova 
• Target 
• Macy’s (look for Sac State “Suit-up events,” measurements can be taken for suits, button-ups and pants.)
• Costco 
• Crossroads 
• Freestyle
• Express (keep an eye out for sales.) 
• Nordstrom Rack (if your budget is higher.) 
• Clothing swaps are also a good way to be eco-friendly and find free clothing.