Being a college student is rough, especially as the semester is coming to an end and you realize you have four papers, five finals, and three group projects to finish, along with all of your normal activities. It can be a super stressful time of year for all of us and it’s often hard to take time for ourselves. However, since about one in four American adults suffer from mental health issues, it is extremely important to know ways of coping with the feelings of stress, hopelessness, and doubt that may come along with your finals week. Here are some actionable, everyday things that you can do to try to reduce the impact stress may be having on you!

Do something social.

When looking at your workload, you may be inclined to forget about friends or family to try to get as much study time in as possible. It is important to interact with others, and doing so can help relieve stress. Talking to a friend or family member can allow you to let out a little about how you are feeling and it lets you take a break from your work. Humans are a naturally social species, so talking to another person will allow you to release some of the hormones causing your stress, and it can make your body return to normal instead of a heightened, defensive state.

Make sure to eat right.

Your diet is an important part to help you manage stress. It is easy to forget to eat when you are halfway done with a term paper, but forgetting to eat is not healthy and will only heighten your stress levels. If anything, make sure to eat how you normally would any other week. There are also various foods like carbs, black tea, certain nuts, oranges, etc. that can help to lower your stress when you eat them. Also, don’t forget to drink water to stay hydrated! Not only will taking the time to eat reduce your stress, but it will help you focus more when you go back to studying for your finals.

Get a good amount of sleep.

One of the things that is most often neglected by college students is rest and sleep. Everyone has heard that we are supposed to get around 8 hours of sleep per night on average. This may be hard to accomplish for many of us with our busy schedules, but getting as close to that amount as possible is very important. Skipping sleep makes it harder to focus and will only wear you out over time. Aim for five to six hours of sleep a night or take a nap during the day to accumulate some more time on top of what you had the night before. Sleep is extremely important for mental functions, so try not to neglect it.

Visit the gym.

Exercising can be intimidating for anyone who hasn’t tried to do it before. However, working out actually increases your endorphin levels and your self-esteem. Both of these things can help you feel the effects of stress even less. The best schedule for exercising is five times each week for 30 minutes, but really any amount of exercise can help lower your stress. Even just walking around your campus for a few minutes if you have free time can be a start to exercising regularly, so you can get in the habit. Working out is a beneficial activity for both your mental and physical health.

Look forward to something.

One of the best ways to escape from the stress of finals week is to have something in the near future to look forward to. Whether it is a plan to go to the movies with your family on the upcoming break or a trip to the tropics with friends, these plans can help you forget about your current troubles. Knowing that you will be enjoying yourself can help you push through the stressful day you are having now because you can recognize that a better day is coming.

As finals week approaches, prepare yourself for the stress that is most likely coming. There are many different things that you can do to reduce your stress. Not all of the things I mentioned will work for everyone, so definitely experiment to see what works for you. Just remember to take care of yourself mentally during finals week because you and your health are worth more than any grade or assignment.