With the September unemployment rate in Hawaii at 7.2%, according to numbers released by the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, it is highly plausible that many people are feeling under pressure with the fragile condition of the economy.

Stress can come from any situation or even a mere thought that makes one feel frustrated, anxious or upset. It is no surprise then that people from all walks of life can benefit from learning about positive ways to cope with stress.

Each semester, around mid-terms at the University of Hawaii, students pack the cafeterias around campus. Instead of the usual bustle of students balancing trays of food with books and the buzz of voices chattering over the sound of metal chairs being pushed back and forth, around this time of year the cafeteria is filled with students silently hunched over open textbooks.

"I got three hours of sleep last night," said Justine Kadokawa, an undergraduate psychology major, when asked about her previous night's rest before her two exams.

While stress occurs every day and is not harmful in small amounts, it can have negative consequences on ones' health, both psychologically and physically when the amount of stress escalates. Consistent levels of high-stress often contribute to unhealthy habits such as smoking, drinking alcoholic beverages, overeating or under eating.

One of the most effective ways to positively cope with stress is through exercise. Routinely exercising allows the body to produce less stress hormones, such as the hormone Cortisol, which is responsible for building fat in the abdominal region according to Phil Sims, author of "Can Stress Affect Your Weight." Exercise also helps people sleep easier and aids in fighting anxiety. One of the hormones released during exercising, endorphins, causes persons to feel an overall state of well-being.

"Exercise affects the endorphins in the body, you actually physically, emotionally and mentally feel better. They are all related," said Kelly Wadlegger, a pilates instructor at the Outreach College.

While there are numerous ways for people to exercise, pilates and yoga in particular are beneficial in reducing stress as both of these practices allow the participant to not only strengthen the body through stretching and muscle toning, but concentrate on breathing while doing the exercises.

"You have to bring your consciousness to the activity. At another level, the thousands-year-old postures bring integration to the body and spirit," said Catherine Hage, a member of Silent Dance Center, which has promoted Iyengar style of yoga in Honolulu since 1977. Hage is a social science graduate student at the University of Hawaii who has practiced yoga for 16 years and hopes introduce yoga in her studies to students who wouldn't typically be drawn to the practice. The Silent Dance Center currently has over 40 yoga classes a week, which are taught everyday at two locations in Honolulu. For more information, call the SDC at 526-YOGA or go online to www.yogahawaii.com to view details on the different teachers, class schedules and cost to attend.

Similar to yoga, "Pilates concentrates on strengthening the core and uses very concentrated focus and breathing," said Wadlegger. According to Wedlegger, some of the benefits include strength, flexibility and improved muscular imbalances. [Pilates] "helps heal injuries especially for athletes and dancers It helps focus my mind, clear my head. It helps relax the brain too." Wadlegger teaches an evening Pilates class through the Outreach College at the UH Manoa campus every semester that is open to anyone who wants to learn.

The Outreach College usually offers several courses that teach supportive behaviors such as time management. This semester, a non-credit course called "Handling Emotions Under Pressure" was offered. For future non-credit classes, the Outreach College may be reached at 956-8244 or online at www.outreach.hawaii.edu/noncredit.

The University of Hawaii at Manoa campus also is home to the Counseling and Student Development Center, which offers free and confidential counseling services to members of the UH Manoa community. Students have priority for these services.

"Sometimes people show-up off of the street," said Dr. Russ Henrie, a psychologist who has worked at the CSDC for 20 years. While the CSDC focuses on helping students and employees of UH Manoa, Dr. Henrie stresses that the center does not turn anyone away and will refer those outside the UH community to where they can get help, depending on their situation.

"We focus on student's strengths and how to utilize those strengths," said Dr. Henrie on his strategy help students solve their problems in a positive way. The CSDC offers both individual sessions in which a student can talk with a counselor one-on-one as well as small group sessions on dealing with stress. The group session will meet on Tuesday afternoons from 2:45 until 4:15. The CSDC is located on the third floor of the Queen Lili`uokalani Center for Student Services and can be reached at 956-7927.