Reducing Stress

A pair of College of Veterinary Medicine students spent part of their summer developing a program designed to assist their fellow veterinary medicine students.

Emma Kelly and Jade Eschenbrenner participated in the Dean’s Summer Leadership Internship program where they created a program which will help veterinary students manage stressful situations that occur during high-pressure moments in veterinary school. These can include exams, practicals, laboratories, and clinical experiences.

“Rather than looking at stress relief as something students only do outside of school, we wanted to identify brief, evidence-based strategies that can be used in the moment when stress is actually happening, Eschenbrenner said.

The pair researched multiple strategies, looking at the neurophysiology behind why those strategies could reduce stress and improve veterinary students focus at Iowa State.

The result is a series of tools that were not only practical but easily accessible. A Box folder has been created where veterinary students can access the developed resources. In addition, the resources are being published in a series of College of Veterinary Medicine communication channels including digital displays throughout Patterson Hall, e-mails, inclusion on Canvas and student programming.

“Our goal is to introduce students to these strategies before they are in crisis, so they feel familiar and can easily access when stressful moments arise,” Kelly said. “By practicing these skills early, students can build confidence using them before they have an exam and a stressful clinical experience.”

While working on the project, Kelly and Eschenbrenner realized that stress is not something they, or any veterinary student, can eliminate. Instead, it is something individuals can learn to respond to more effectively.

A favorite technique the two began practicing last summer is “cyclic sighing.” They describe this as a brief breathing exercise that involves taking a deep inhale, adding a second smaller inhale at the top of the breath, and then slowing exhaling for longer than the inhale.

“We have found it especially helpful before presentations, meetings, or moments when stress starts to feel overwhelming,” Eschenbrenner said. “I have also found that taking short movement breaks during long study sessions helps me reset my focus and return to my work feeling grounded.”

Another technique the pair uses is tactile bilaterial stimulation. This is also called the butterfly hug and involves gently tapping alternating sides of the body, often by crossing arms over the chest and tapping each shoulder.

“I have seen other students naturally doing similar repetitive, alternating movements during stressful situations,” Kelly said. “Understanding the neurophysiology behind why this technique may help regulate the stress response made me much more likely to use it intentionally before and during high-pressure moments.”

The project was funded in part by the Lora and Russ Talbot Leadership Project. The pair were mentored by Dr. Heather Greenlee, professor of biomedical sciences.

“Stress is inevitable in veterinary school and in the veterinary profession,” Eschenbrenner said. “But our goal is to help students learn how to cope with it in a healthy and productive way. Mental health is just as important as physical health and learning how to care for ourselves allows us to be better students, classmates and future practitioners.”

“By building these skills early, students can feel more prepared to manage high-pressure situations while continuing to learn, grow and provide the best care possible to our future clients,” Kelly said.

September 2026