On Tuesday, Dec. 3, the sisters of Omega Sigma Psi set up a table called Take What You Need, which encouraged students to create and receive affirming messages, in the Miron Student Center Atrium.

The table was draped with the sorority's logo. A black poster board was placed at the right, where students were able to retrieve sticky notes with reassuring messages written on them.

In turn, students wrote their own comforting messages and stuck them to the board, where they received a complimentary candy cane of their choosing after doing so.

"We decided to do a program based on positivity," said Brianna Brion, program coordinator and sisterhood chair of Omega Sigma Psi. "This allowed students to come up to the board and take a positive message, while writing another to a different student who came to the table."

Affirmations are used to reprogram the mind, overcoming self-limiting thoughts and beliefs. They encourage optimism and confidence, helping to create a change in someone. Affirmations serve as inspiration to shift attention to daily tasks and goals. Many times, they help lead one to success, happiness, health, and money.

Repetition of these messages has long-term benefits which rewire the mind to remove negative thoughts and beliefs. Affirmations are known to treat depression and boost a person's self-esteem.

According to Psychology Today, writing affirmations is useful because the act of writing something helps root the message into the subconscious mind.

When asked about the impact this tabling had on students, Brion felt that it was an uplifting experience.

"Since it is December and the end of the semester is approaching, we want students to feel confident enough in themselves to finish strong," Brion continued.

Finals are around the corner and there will be students feeling a lot of pressure to do well. Because of this, many students may experience a high level of stress.

The signs of stress during finals are:

• increased irritability, impatience and frustration
• being disorganized and forgetful
• frequent headaches
• difficulty sleeping
• feelings of anxiety or panic
• difficulty making decisions

It is imperative that students take proper care of themselves during these times. There are many ways to do this, such as exercising, eating healthy, avoiding drugs and alcohol, scheduling personal time, and limiting excessive consumption of sugar and caffeine.

Take What You Need is one of many events happening around campus that will aid in easing the worries and stresses of finals time.

Omega Sigma Psi is a diverse organization that stands for friendship, sisterhood, and trust.

The sorority frequently gives back to the community through the work they do, such as fundraising for Lou Gehrig's disease, cleaning up the campus, volunteering at the Hillside Food Bank, and hosting their annual Multiple Sclerosis Walk.

More information about the sorority can be found here. They can be contacted at osp1966@kean.edu.