“I’m sorry, I’m so stressed;” the excuse that everyone gives when they have 800 exams to study for before they can even start thinking about the holiday season.
After all, can you honestly expect a college student to be decking the halls with boughs of holly and singing “Jingle Bell Rock” when their GPA and future career is on the line?!
While a majority of people understand this challenging academic predicament and sympathize for those that have to muddle through final exams in the days leading up to their tests, it is still important to make sure that final exam stress doesn’t turn you into a Scrooge.
So, what are some things you can do to prevent becoming the most miserable college student on campus this holiday season? Here are some simple suggestions to keep you merry and bright:
SLEEP
We know that you are tired. Everyone is tired. In fact, Santa is tired. While you may say “I have no time to sleep. I have so much work to do,” trust me, you will get more done if you take a 20 minute power nap than if you stay up, attempt to focus, but then find yourself staring at the same Facebook newsfeed you were looking at five minutes ago. Sleep deprivation is NEVER a good look.
DANCE
Yep, dance. While studying. No, this does NOT have to be to Christmas music, but getting up and going a little crazy for approximately four minutes isn’t going to kill you. In fact, if you can pressure your roommates or study buddies into joining you, you’re in for a sweet study break treat where you can laugh, let loose and recharge. Dance cardio: good for the heart, good for the soul, and apparently good for the finals week. (Recommendations: J. Bieb’s "Sorry." Duh.)
BREATHE
To live. To stay sane. When you get caught up in the “I have to finish this, I have to study for that,” mentality, this simple task is so easy to forget. Take things one day (or assignment) at a time and just BREATHE. Everything will be okay. If it’s not OK, put your friends on speed dial so they can talk you down. Mine are practically counselors at this point (love you guys, hehe).
WATCH
A holiday movie. Or Netflix. Or whatever floats your boat. If you need to let the waterworks happen, be my guest ("P.S. I Love You" and every other episode of "Grey's Anatomy" gets me every time). You need to get your mind off school and onto something that entertains you -- even if only in small time intervals. Get some work done and reward yourself with “one” movie or Netflix episode…[insert smirking face here].
TALK
We are humans. Human interaction is a good thing. Spend time with friends (while studying counts) or even give your family and hometown friends a call. It helps to talk to people that know what you are going through, but it also helps to talk to people that are removed from the situation (AKA your mom), because there must be someone in that crowd that is drinking the holiday Kool-Aid and bursting with cheer. Let it rub off on you… or at least drive you to knock these final exams out of the park so you can go home and be drunk on the holiday festivities like they are.
All things considered, the above list can be used any time of year. Sure, you don’t want to be a Scrooge for the holidays, but you also don’t want to be a Scrooge… ever. Right? Sleep, dance, breathe, watch and talk. All basic tasks on making sure you’re a happy little human.
In times of struggle (AKA this upcoming finals week) the most important thing you can do is simply take care of yourself. Give yourself the gift of self-care this holiday season. Your mind, body and GPA will thank you.
