With Fall Break behind us, everyone's favorite time of the semester is here: Midterm Season! While you're underneath a big pile of textbooks trying to catch up on the studying and readings that you should've done sooner, it's important to keep in mind that self-care is just as important as studying. Here are some self-care tips that you can do even when you barely have time to breath.
1. Sleep
If you must pull an all-nighter, find some time to sleep, even it's just some power naps. If you can't focus on what you're studying on because you're so tired, aren't you just better off sleeping?
2. Stretch
One of the nicest things you can do for your body is to stretch, and it's also something that you can do while still studying, or it can be a quick study break that helps you feel more focused afterward. There are many different stretching videos on Youtube and also many pre-made stretching routines on Pinterest.
3. Eat
One of the things that gets forgotten about when studying is eating, either because it takes too much time or people don't want to leave their dorms in order to eat. Some people don't recommend it, but one of the things that I do frequently is that I eat while studying because I feel like I'm not wasting my time by just eating; it also gives me the opportunity to change up where I'm studying.
4. Talk to the people you care about
It's important to not just shut down and focus only on getting through all your classwork. One easy way to take a break is to talk with those who care about you, either your family or friends. The people that care about you will always want to hear about your day and how you're doing, or even listen to you vent if that's what you need.
5. Drink Water
It's such a simple tip, but between drinking tons of coffee to stay awake while studying, and going out with your friends drinking anything but water to relax, it's easy to forget. Drinking water helps your body feel healthy, and it's a simple thing you can do to make yourself feel better while studying.
6. Keep in mind the good things
One of the things that I've done this year is to keep a "Three Good Things" Journal, where I reflect on the day with the good things that have happened. It's a good way to decompress and to end the day on a positive note. Taking 5 minutes at the end of the day to reflect is something that can really help your mental health when you're stressed out.
7. Reward yourself
No matter what your technique is, whether it's putting treats on your textbook for reaching a certain point in the reading that you need to, or spending time with your friends during a study break, it's important to remember to not just focus on your studies and not do anything to reward yourself for your hard work. It also gives you a goal to look forward to in order to motivate you to work harder.
8. Take a walk
Whether you just need to step out from behind the laptop or if your brain just can't think straight anymore, it's important to change up your scenery. A walk is one of the most personalized ways to take care of yourself. You can take anything from a 5-minute walk to an hour long walk, depending on what you need and how much time you have. Breathing fresh air and moving around are good ways to relax and let your mind drift.
9. Prioritize
A helpful way to organize your studies and your mind is making a to-do list; it is something that can really help people organize their studies. It's important to make sure the things that you're working on are the items that require your attention the soonest. It can also be a visual of success when you complete tasks and can cross them off.
