As the countdown for summer windles down, student stress levels hit a high.

Active Minds has come up with a way to counteract that: Stress Øut Week.

Stress Out Week Schedule

MONDAY: Stress-free zone,11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Harter Union lobby

TUESDAY: Screamfest! I Scream for Ice Cream (Cold Stone

Creamery ice cream available for $2), 9 p.m., outside Harter Union

WEDNESDAY: Recess (includes jump rope, Frisbee and four-square), time TBA, outside Harter Union

Monday through Friday, the club will host events to neutralize students’ stress and anxiety.

Throughout the week, members will have a table in Harter Union during lunch hours with information about various anxiety disorders, ways to reduce stress and resources for seeking help in dealing with anxiety and stress.

“Everyone is pretty stressed out and overwhelmed this time of the year,” Tim Hodges, director of counseling center, said. “They’re usually just ‘done,’ so these are just kind of goofy events to remind students to have fun and how to help them cope with finals.”

One additional event that will be held is “Screamfest! I Scream for Ice Cream,” which will take place at 9 p.m. Tuesday outside of Harter Union. Students will have a chance to scream and let out their anxiety and frustration. Ice cream from Cold Stone Creamery will be available for $2 as well.

Wednesday students can then harness their inner 12-year-old with a make-shift “recess.” Outside of Harter Union there will be Frisbee, jump rope, four-square and many other classic recess activities.

“My personal favorite (event) is recess because it gives me a chance to be a kid again and just play for fun,” Stephanie Brown, Active Minds vice president, said. “We all need a break and to take time to have fun.”

There will also be a “stress-free zone” in Harter Union with relaxing activities such as massages and stress balls to help students.

This Stress Øut Week is a national event put on by Active Minds chapters all across college campuses.

The purpose of it is to inform students about stress, ways to reduce stress and to raise awareness about anxiety and other related disorders.<br/>

A study conducted in 2008 found that among college students, 80 percent reported feeling stressed on a daily basis some of the time or all the time. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health disorders, affecting as many as 40 million people in the United States.

“We brought National Stress Øut Week to Baker because our campus is not immune to stress, anxiety and depression,” Active Minds President Meredith Hodges said. “We’ve all had our moments along the way, at least I know I have, and so it’s extremely important to educate students and help remind them that there is hope and that they are not alone.”