It's that time of year, finals are getting closer, the homework load is increasing and the weather is getting nicer. After 11 weeks of hard work, it can get very difficult to sit down and push through — so don't.
Instead of sitting down in a chair scrambling to study and cram those papers in, take a minute (or 30 minutes) and be a human. Here are some ideas that can take as long as you want to remind yourself that you're a human who needs to move around, see the sun, breathe fresh air and push the stress away.
1. Take A Walk
The weather is warming up, so you don't need to put in eight thousand layers of clothing (yes I'm talking to you Central New York) to go outside. Grab some sun glasses and / or a light coat and just enjoy the walk. Walking can be a great stress reliever and releases endorphins which make you feel great. A short walk can really help you refocus on that term paper.
2. Meditate
So many people think that mediation involves of hours of deep self reflection sitting in a dark room in the lotus pose. But mediation can be as simple as you sitting on your bed, in a chair, on the floor and anywhere. Just close your eyes and don't think of anything except your breathing, which should be smooth and even. The best part is you can do this for whatever length of time you have, whether it be five minutes or 45 minutes. And it will seriously make you feel better. I promise.
3. Read A Fun Book
Not that organic chemistry book or the history textbook, like a real book that normal humans read. Find a nice and comfy place and enjoy! Whether a quick 10 minutes or an hour, you'll feel refreshed and can jump back into doing that paper.
4. Sit On A Bench In The Nice Weather
Sometimes watching simple things like birds or the clouds can make you relax. This can be enhanced with a nice book or magazine.
5. Study Outside
Just because the semester is ending and the work is piling up doesn't mean that you have a one way pass to the library, only to emerge when the finals are over.
6. Socialize
Go visit your friends! Get them to brake away from the studying vortex! They’re experiencing everything that you are, so get them to take a brake! You can also pick any of these activities or find some of your own!
So there you have it! Now log off of any and all of the devices, and pick which activity you want to do and enjoy it! The final weeks of classes and the finals will come to an end and if you relax during it, the crash at the end won’t be as drastic and you’ll be a happier and healthier human for it! Your grades might even thank you for it.
