As finals week quickly approaches, it's difficult to see past those dreaded five days. It seems as if the rest of your life depends on how well you do on those four or five tests. Trust me, I have been one of those people who have cried over receiving a B in a course. However, it is vital to keep your life in perspective. Finals week or course grades do not define your life.

I am always amazed – and not in a good way – when I hear people say they haven't slept in three days and how much Redbull they've consumed in the past 24 hours. I see people in the library until 5 a.m. and I don't buy that studying that late is really helping them that much. With that being said, this is an important week and it shouldn't be taken lightly.

Here are five ways that will help you during this daunting week and aid you in keeping your life in perspective.

1. Yoga, meditate, chakra balance and other Buddhist Stuff

What a surprise. I told you to meditate and do yoga to de-stress. Before you stop reading because you've heard this before, hear me out. I do not practice yoga or meditate as much as I would like to, but when I do, I truly feel 10 times more energized and optimistic. Even if you just lay on the floor with your eyes closed in your "happy place," that can boost your happiness exponentially, perhaps giving your brain a "reboot" and motivation to keep studying. You can look up yoga poses and meditation techniques easily online or in books. In addition, research says that 30 minutes of yoga before bed makes you feel as if you got double the sleep. Who doesn't want that during finals week? Before I go to bed, I also practice balancing my chakras. This might be a little far out for some people, but I have found it to be very helpful in my life. If you don't know what chakras are, read a book about it or Google it. Even if you don't believe in that spiritual stuff, you may read something useful. When stressed and feeling like you can't read one more word about Freud's Psychosexual Development theory, take a 15-30 minute break to meditate in a relaxing, dimly lit room.

2. Don't rely on your final's grade.

I'm about to sound like your professors so brace yourselves. Not to sound like I am the perfect student, because I am far from it, but I have never actually been that stressed during finals week believe it or not. The reason for that is I work hard during the semester and am able to almost "coast" toward the end. It may be hard to be super motivated at the beginning of the semester, but it makes it so much easier when you don't have to calculate the grade you have to get on your final in order to pass the class. Just work hard all year and I promise you, you won't have to rely on your test grade to do well in the class.

3. Sleep.

There is no reason you should be pulling all nighters every night of finals week. It has been proven time and time again that sleep is more beneficial than cramming. Try to stay off electronics and not watch TV before bed, this helps you get better sleep and fall asleep faster. Instead, this is a good time to practice your yoga and meditation! Drinking lots of caffeine to keep you up is also unhealthy and messes up your sleep cycle. If you are going to consume caffeine, however, try drinking green tea. It's delicious, is healthier, and costs less than your $5 lattes.

4. Hang out with friends.

It always irks me when people say they don't have time to give themselves a little segment of their day to relax, because I know they are not studying literally all hours of the day. If you feel like going out for a quick drink or bite to eat with a friend will help you get back on track and focus when you come back, do it! Or better yet, use hanging out with your friends or significant other as motivation to get your studying done. There's nothing better than the feeling of knowing you did productive work and then rewarding yourself with fun! And let's be honest, if you start studying throughout the day and evening instead of waiting until late at night, you shouldn't have to still be studying at 10 or 11 p.m. Study little by little weeks before the exam, study during the day in between classes and during free time, and reward yourself with a glass of wine – or ice cream in my case – and romcoms with your BFFs.

5. Don't sweat the small stuff.

As the title of this article suggests, it's so important to realize that one week of your life does not define you. I promise, future employers are more worried about your work ethic, leadership roles and involvement more than your GPA – to an extent. This may sounds cheesy, but when I feel overwhelmed, I literally walk outside and look up into the stars. Do you realize how many galaxies there are and how ginormous our universe is? When you think about that, it makes our anxieties seem so small. Life is awesome and we are so blessed to be here, so stop worrying about exams. If you do college right, get involved, work as hard as you can and live positively, success will follow. The universe has a plan for you, so be patient and let it come to you.

Now go take a deep breath, run around your dorm or apartment and get hyped up for finals week! Because after this week is over and you kick ass on your exams, it's a whole month of watching Elf in your pajamas and wondering when the last time you washed your hair was. And not even caring.