In college, it seems to be so simple to push yourself to your limits and spread yourself too thin; especially around finals week.If anything we are only hurting ourselves more than bettering ourselves. I found myself guilty of living every day overwhelmed when I reflected on my days when I laid in bed at night. I would be exhausted all the time and that made me believe I was being productive, yet have little to show for my work. And I know I am not alone because I hear every other college student complaining about the crushing stress of finals week.
My solution is to take a step back from the time crunch and the pressure to perform. You should also reflect on your day-to-day actions and determine which changes to make to make you healthier and more productive. I’m not trying to convince you to procrastinate studying, but here are some ideas to encourage you to take a much-needed study break for the sake of your physical and mental health. The first step is we have to accept that we are only humans, none of us are capable of perfection, and we need to accept our limitations. So if you do get a poor grade on the calculus exam, please remember it is not the end of the world and you are still awesome!
I believe that another important action to take is to workout. I am basically on the opposite side of the spectrum from the health nut, but even I know that working out at least a few times a week does wonders for my attitude. I’ll come out of the gym feeling strong and the “I can do anything” mentality sticks with me for the rest of the day. Working out—even if it is a 30-minute walk in fresh air or some quick yoga poses—is crucial for you. If you are intimidated by the gym, there are so many ways to be active without going to the gym. Do anything that will allow your brain to refresh after studying and burn off some of the caffeine from the late night coffees.
The next action I try to make, but don’t often succeed at, is putting away technology for a few minutes a day. We all know that our world is moving constantly at a face pace because of technology. I love technology, but it is demanding for us to keep up with it which can be a lot of extra pressure added to your day. So I take a break from reading emails or scrolling through social media, and I try to read for a moment in my spare time. I feel much more relaxed while reading. Other things you could try while you are away from your technology include spending time with friends or picking up a new hobby.Asking a friend out on a friend date is a great way to step away from the stress of studying and have some fun.
Lastly, if you are anything like me, you try your best to remain as organized as possible, or perhaps you want to become more organized. Organization essentially means simplicity. My best solution is to write everything down. Think of how much information you take in, in a day. All that information can create so much clutter in your mind causing you to be more overwhelmed than you need to be. Whether it is in a pretty day planner, in a phone, or a plain spiral notebook, I write everything from events, homework assignments, to do lists, to ideas down. As an added bonus, when I write down my daily schedule in the morning I can set aside free time to relax.
I could go on and on with tips and tricks to help ease the stress of the end of semester. I hope you try some of these tips and find them useful for your last days at school before winter break.Just remember not to procrastinate too much!
