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In my day, college students dealt with high levels of finals-week stress the old-fashioned way: drinking and crying. But apparently there is a better way. George Mason University School of Law offered its students a rare respite from the stress of upcoming finals with its second Puppy Day. According to the Washington Post, “Studies have found that the legal profession has higher-than-average rates of depression and problems with substance abuse. Many law schools now teach students how to balance the stress of late-night legal research, tort outlines and case summaries with healthy habits: running marathons, volunteering or hanging out with a pet.” (Running a marathon? Really?)

So the school brought in 15 puppies for these future lawyers to snuggle.  The mixed-breed puppies were saved from euthanasia by A Forever-Home Rescue Foundation, and are living with foster families. As one third-year student, who didn’t go home for Thanksgiving so that she could study, said, “‘Especially this time of the year, law school seems to ruin your life...[holding a puppy] you get to be human again.’”

We may not all be law students, but everyone can relate to that end-of-your-rope feeling, especially this busy time of year. And stroking a soft animal seems like the kind of stress-relief anyone can love. For more ways law schools are helping their students to destress, read the entire article at the Washington Post (via Jezebel).

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