If you're anything like me, finals week (on top of your hundred pre-existing responsibilities) can hit you like a train at times, and sometimes, you can get lost in the stress and it can be so overwhelming that you forget to take care of yourself sometimes because you might be caught up in taking care of your GPA instead. As important as a good GPA and a good work ethic is, what's even more important is a good balance between studying and self-care. With that said, here are some tips for de-stressing and treating yourself during 'dead week' (and some of them are honestly basic self-care, but we all need a reminder every once in a while).

1. Take a walk.
2. Take study breaks.
3. Set a bedtime for yourself and stick to it.
4. Stop studying at least an hour before your self-imposed bedtime.
5. Do a face mask.
6. Take a coffee break with a friend and talk about anything BUT school.
7. Call your family. They miss you.
8. Draw something, even if it kind of sucks.
9. Binge watch cooking videos on YouTube.
10. Binge watch your favorite show on Netflix/Hulu/HBO (Jake Peralta from B99 makes all of my stress melt away instantly and that's just a fact).
11. Read a book for fun, not for class.
12. Eat your favorite comfort food.
13. Stalk "#studyspot" accounts on Instagram/Tumblr/whatever you use.
14. Make a really happy Spotify playlist and listen to it on repeat.
15. Breathe. Your grades don't define you. You got this.