As we are all painfully aware, finals are upon us. As this semester comes to a close, we have to remember to take care of ourselves. Finals are always stressful. Lack of sleep, practically no free time and the cramming of information into our minds, day in and day out, can lead to absolute exhaustion and play a major toll on our health. As students, aren’t we pretty much useless if we get ourselves so stressed out we can barely function? Well, before our impending doom, we should spend as much time preparing our minds and our bodies for this battle called finals. Here are 10 things you can do to help you relax and rest before you take on all the papers, tests and exams:

1. Take a nap

Okay, the weeks leading up to finals are not the easiest since many teachers are cramming last minute tests and assignments in before finals. You may have a few late nights ahead of you before finals even start. How will you ever make it? Protip: take naps. Even if you close your eyes for 20 minutes, this little power nap will get you so far. Though it may be hard to force yourself to get up again, the energy boost you will feel 10 minutes later is so worth it. Plus, taking a few little naps throughout the day allows you to stay up later and get up earlier, which is definitely necessary once the test preparation starts.

2. Hit the gym

You know dang well that you will not be going to the gym during finals because your butt is going to be parked in the library, so why not hit the gym before? The exercise will allow you to release all your building anxiety and stress about the upcoming end of the semester as well as allow you to give your brain a little rest. Plus, exercise is good for you in general. Getting your heart rate up after you spend hours sitting in the library feels superb and helps burn off those calories from the study munchies you will partake in later.

3. Sit outside

You’re about to spend the entirety of every single day for the next couple weeks inside under fluorescent lighting—gross. Take some time to enjoy the outdoors, the fresh air and the sunshine. Trust me, you will be missing it once you can't go out there. You could even take your books and study a little bit or really take the time to rest and soak up some sun. Either way, you’ll thank yourself later.

4. Go out to dinner

Finals week doesn’t allow for a lot of free time. Some days, I find that I go hours without eating just because every second of my free time is spent studying or running from class to class. Somehow, making time to eat just kind of slips through my fingers. Well, before this happens and all you want is a good, warm meal, treat yo’ self. Order dinner from your favorite take-out place or make a reservation and go out with some friends. The dining hall does not count—go out for real. Get a fantastic, delicious, quality and filling meal. Maybe you will even have some leftovers to heat up one night after studying. Trust me: for that one, you will most definitely thank yourself.

5. Drink some green tea

Green tea is such an underrated drink, and it is so much more than just green water. Green tea contains a multitude of antioxidants, one of which (EGCG) has been used as a treatment for various diseases and could be why green tea has such medicinal properties. Green tea also contains caffeine and the amino acid L-theanine. This amino acid increases dopamine levels and the production of alpha waves in the brain. Though it does not have as much caffeine as a cup of coffee, the caffeine acting in combination with the L-theanine has been proven to improve brain function. What else could you ask for right before finals? Have a little mug of green tea, get your brain working and give yourself a little mood boost.

6. Get your nails done

Alright, this is definitely a special treat because we all know how expensive it is to go to the nail salon. However, it is so worth it, especially during finals. You’re going to spend lots of time writing notes, making flashcards and typing essays, and believe me, your hands are going to feel it. Take them to the specialists and let them massage all the work and stress right out of those hard working fingers. Pick out a fun color to put on your nails to keep your mood boosted. This is really a gift to yourself that keeps giving because once finals start, you'll find that you haven't showered for two days, haven’t touched your makeup in twice as long and find that your hair is tied into a rat’s nest on top of your head. At least you can look down at your fleeky nails and feel a little better.

7. See a movie

We’re all poor, so you don’t necessarily have to go to the movie theater. You could just watch a movie on Netflix, but I highly recommend watching a movie in preparation for finals. Watching a movie is an excellent way to get your mind off all the work that you have to do. For two hours or so, you can escape the real world and give your mind a good rest by getting completely engrossed in a story line. Comedies are always good options, especially the ones with simple humor so you can mindlessly watch and get a good chuckle out of it. No matter what you watch, the escape from reality for a moment is so great.

8. Buy yourself something

Every now and then you have to get yourself a little present. How nice that gift is, well, that’s up to you. Get your favorite candy at the store, go all out and buy yourself a new outfit or get something priced somewhere in between. No matter how much you spend, as long as your gift to yourself brightens your mood and gets you excited about something, then it’s worth it! Give yourself a little cheer before your days make you miserable—you deserve it.

9. Hang out with friends

Odds are, your buddies are all in the same boat as you: overwhelmed with stress and anxiety at the end of the semester. Get together and take some time to enjoy each other’s company before the only time you see each another is when you run into each other in the library. Get dinner together, go out for some drinks or have a quiet night in. As long as you’re laughing and keeping your mind off your stress, what you’re doing probably won’t matter. Your friends will appreciate this time just as much as you will, and you all will be grateful you took the time to see each other before finals come and go, and suddenly it’s summer.

10. Go to bed early

As we’ve covered, opportunities to sleep are few and far between during finals, and though you can’t stock up on sleep before finals (that would be nice), you can absolutely get yourself well-rested beforehand. Being well-rested going into finals week will substantially benefit you. In the end, it just makes sense. You wouldn’t race a car long distance on an empty tank of gas, so don’t do it to your mind and body. Fill up your tank before the race so that you don’t burn out halfway to the finish line.

Bottom line: before finals (and during), take care of yourself. Some nights, you will not have as much sleep as you need, and during the day, you’ll spend your time running around filling any free time hitting the books. Set the time aside in the weeks before finals to prepare your body and mind for the ensuing trials you will put them through. You will be so grateful that you did, and who knows, maybe it will even pay off in your grades. Best of luck to you all; we can do this!