1. Spend time in nature

Unplug from the stress of studying by walking around your neighborhood, going to the beach, or exploring a trail like Griffith Park or Temescal Canyon. The benefits of taking walks outdoors include a decrease in anxiety, an increasing ability to concentrate, receiving necessary Vitamin D, and more. Plus, if you've been hunched over at your desk all day, walking is great for your circulation and gives you a chance to stretch your body.

2. Rest more deeply

The reality of midterms week might be that you aren't getting an ideal 8 hours of sleep, but there are tools you can use to rest more deeply in the limited time you might have.

Using a weighted blanket has benefits for individuals with ADHD, anxiety, stress, and more. Additionally, you can wear a sleep mask to block out extra light and earplugs to block out any noise.

If guided meditations are your thing, yoga nidra ("yogic sleep") can be key to relaxing deeply. Yoga nidra meditations slowly bring awareness to all parts of your body (each finger, each toe, etc.). While listening to yoga nidra is not a replacement for sleep, it is said that every 30 minutes of yoga nidra brings the effects of approximately two hours of sleep. There are endless options for yoga nidra videos on YouTube - give a few a try and see if any of them resonate with you.

3. Refresh with essential oils

You can use essential oils by diffusing them in your room, putting a couple of drops on a cotton pad and inhaling deeply, or applying them directly to your skin with a carrier oil like coconut oil. You can apply them to the soles of your feet before bed or on your palms/wrists before studying. Essential oils can wake us up, calm us down, and everything in between. Energizing and uplifting oils to use before studying include peppermint, rosemary, and citrus oils like tangerine or lemon. Relaxing oils to use before bed include lavender, vetiver, and frankincense.

4. Journal without judgment 

Writing during a study break, especially if you've been working on papers all day, might seem counter-intuitive. However, free-writing for even five or 10 minutes can relieve stress by putting pen to paper and getting out everything and anything on your mind. It is a writing exercise that doesn't need to be structured in any specific way, and won't be graded. Writing all of your anxieties and worries down can not only help you notice just how much you are carrying, but it can help take the power away from whatever is weighing you down. I highly encourage also doing this before bed if you find yourself with racing thoughts at the end of the night. It is a simple, yet impactful, exercise that can leave you feeling more prepared to tackle the rest of your week.