Winter break is almost upon us, but we have to get over one seemingly insurmountable hurdle first, finals week. Although this time in the semester is inevitably stressful, there are ways to lessen the load a little bit and make these 5 days from hell seem a little less impossible. Here are 7 super effective ones:

1. Stretch

Often times when we're studying, we sit in the same position for long periods of time without realizing it. This makes your muscles extremely tense and tight which can affect your concentration as well. So take a little break from the books, put on some relaxing music, and take a few minutes to work out all the kinks in your body so you can return to your studies feeling refreshed.

2. Eat nourishing food

It can be tempting to save time and resort to Ramen Noodles and peanut butter toast during finals, but your brain needs even more nutrients than usual to power you through all the studying. Make a hearty breakfast of eggs, toast, and fruit to fuel you up for the busy day ahead - you'll actually save time in the long run because you'll have more energy to be productive and finish your work faster than you would've with unhealthy food in your system.

3. Exercise

Sweat and endorphins are practically medicine for stress - and finals week is the epitome of stress. So put those headphones in, blast your favorite pump-up song, and hit the ground running (or hit the weights, in my case). You'd be surprised at how rejuvenated and clear-headed you'll feel afterwards.

4. Take a bubble bath

Your body could use some extra pampering after all the end-of-semester angst you've been feeling lately. Light some candles, turn on some chill tunes, throw your favorite bath bomb in the water, and soak away all your problems. Plus, the warm water will make you sleepy, and a better night's rest means you'll be ready to take on the day tomorrow.

5. Hang out with a friend

It's easy to obsess over grades, so spending quality time with a good friend reminds you that even if you don't do as well on one of your tests as you would've liked to, you're still an awesome person and have people who genuinely care about you as a person. College only lasts a few years, but some of the friendships you make there last forever. (And a few tenths of a point on your GPA won't matter much anyway).

6. Meditate

You don't have to be some spiritual yoga guru to reap the benefits of meditating. It doesn't have to be for a long time, either. Even 30 seconds of sitting in silence is enough to destress and make the things you need to accomplish seem less impossible.

7. Call your mom (or another family member you're close with)

Whenever I'm stressed, my first instinct is to call my mom. She always knows what to say, and talking to her reminds me that no matter what happens, I have a family who loves me unconditionally. She makes even finals week seem like something I can take on with ease, so I highly recommend calling a family member who you have that type of relationship with.

I hope these tips helped and made you a little less terrified for next week. Good luck, everyone!