You did it, you conquered your finals. For students, this is both the best and worst feeling. It's the best because all of those long hours spent studying into the morning is over. Yet, it can also be the worst feeling because now you're awaiting your final results. You're worried about how you did on the exam and you're also worried about what your final grade will be. Perhaps, you're not worried, but for those of us who are, we are dealing with some leftover stress from finals. If you are, try some of these ideas to de-stress and put those formulas out of your mind for good.
1. Take a bubble bath
Bubble baths are a great way to relax, no matter what the occasion. My favorite scents to use are baths with hints of lavender, chamomile, or eucalyptus. However, if you want to go crazy on bubbles and loose yourself in them, Mr. Bubble is also a great option too.
2. Make a cup of tea
I love tea and I drink it everyday as sort of a daily ritual kind of thing. However, tea can be great for relaxing and calming the soul. I personally like green tea, orange spice, earl grey, ginger, or mint teas, but there are so many flavors out there for you to try. There are classics, like I mentioned and some other fun flavors like Lemon Zinger or Caramel Apple Spice.
3. Play an instrument
If you've read my article on why you should play an instrument, then you'll know that I'm a guitar, piano, violin, and organ player. Personally, I feel that playing an instrument can be a great way to destress from an event through self expression. Whether you like Classical or Rock n' Roll, everyone can find something loose themselves in.
4. Listen to a soothing playlist
Maybe you don't play an instrument or don't want to play one. That's okay, because you can also listen to soothing playlists instead. Spotify, Pandora, and other radio apps have plenty of playlists for any mood. Just search in key words for how you're feeling and playlists will show up for your enjoyment.
5. Go out with friends
Going out with friends is a great way to relax and destress from finals. Friends are great for making you stop stressing over small matters and just relax for once. Go out to a club, go shopping, just go and do something fun with your friends and embrace being young, wild, and free.
6. Baking
In truth, I'm not the best cook in the world, but I do love baking. However, I always end up with half of my ingredients missing because my sweet tooth gets in my way. Try some new recipes that you find online or try your hand at some of your grandmas barely legible recipes written on index cards.
7. Binge-watch Netflix
Believe me, I plan on doing this one as soon as possible. I've got a long list of shows that I need to watch and shows that I need to finish. Now that I have plenty of time on my hands since finals are done, I definitely plan to make that list grow much shorter.
8. Go shopping
I'm a big believer in retail therapy. When I have cash to spare there's a good chance if you can't find me I'll be at the mall. With Christmas around the corner and finals over, I have a long shopping list of presents to get everyone.
9.Try yoga/meditation
I never wanted to do yoga or meditation, but I took a class during midterms and loved it. Afterwards I felt refreshed, energized, and renewed. You can either take a class from a professional or there are plenty of guided videos available on Youtube.
10. Cuddle with some animals
My pets were my biggest help for dealing with my post-finals stress. As soon as I saw all of them, I cuddled them and instantly felt much better. If you don't have pets but still want to do this, check with your local animal shelters. Many have volunteer options where you can interact with the animals so that they can be socialized for adoption.
