With finals just around the corner I know the stress is starting to pile on. You're suddenly realizing that there's a lot of work to be done in not a lot of time and even having a plan doesn't help relieve the stress much. Honestly, the only thing that's really going to help is for it to be over. However, now more than ever it's important to make time to take care of yourself, both mentally and physically. I know how easy it is to forget to take care of yourself when you're focused on a million other things so here's a list of ways to practice self care during finals week.
1. Schedule in time for yourself
It's so much easier to get done what you need if you have a rough schedule of when you're going to get it all done. However, don't forget to schedule in times to eat, sleep and relax! Whether you're favorite thing to do to relieve some stress is to watch Netflix, or hang out with friends, or read a book make sure to schedule in some time for you! School is important but so are you.
2. Take breaks
This goes hand in hand with scheduling in time for yourself, but don't forget to take breaks while you're studying! Studying for 756384475 hours straight isn't as effective as studying for an hour and then taking a short break. I find the best way to do this is to set a timer for the amount of time I want to work and then to also set a timer for the amount of time I want to take a break for. A good app for this is 30/30.
3. Eat!!
Eating is so important but it can be pretty easy to forget to feed yourself when you're caught up trying to learn a semester's worth of material in a week. If you have to, set reminders in your phone so that you'll get a notification when it's about time to eat again.
4. Leave the library
Don't spend all your study time in one place. If you're determined to do all your studying in the library at least change locations within the library. A change of scenery can do wonders for your motivation and focus.
5. Get some fresh air
Even though it's cold and being outside isn't exactly ideal, take some time to just get some fresh air and breathe.
6. Sleep!
Even if you don't get a full eight hours of sleep, sleep as much as you can. Staying up all night won't do you any good in the long run and you'll just be exhausted during your exam. Plus if you have more exams to study for the next day your study time won't be productive if you were up all night.
7. Don't drink too much caffeine
As a caffeine addict myself I know how tempting it can be to drink latte after latte in an attempt to remain focused and get everything done. However, at a certain point the caffeine can become counter intuitive. Don't abuse it.
8. Breathe
It can be hard but remember to just take a few minutes to breathe. Calm yourself and remember that it will be over soon.
9. Remember that grades do not define you
I know it's easy to forget this, especially since we are taught from a young age that education and doing well in school is the only option, but at the end of the day, failing a test does not define you. Not getting an A will not be the end of the world and chances are that in the long run you won't even remember. So, remember, grades do not define your character and finals are not the end all be all.
