As the end of the semester rolls around, one thing is looming before Winter Break — finals. Whether you have an exam, a project or maybe even both, the end of the semester is one of the most stressful times of the year. Finals make up a large portion of final grades in classes, which makes them even more daunting. Many students are incredibly stressed this time of year due to the heavy workload and hours of studying they endure.
Even though the stress before an exam can’t magically go away, there are some ways to manage it and de-stress instead of falling into a massive spiral. Here are several ways to de-stress during finals week:
Get enough sleep
Getting a good night’s sleep is a cure-all for many things, including stress. Your body needs plenty of sleep in order to regulate itself and reset for the next day.
As tempting as it may be to stay up super late studying, sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself is go to bed. Also, there is a good chance your brain doesn’t retain the information you study right before bed.
Check out this Ted-Ed for more:
Time management
As unrealistic as it sounds, it’s very important to try and manage your time at the end of the semester. While everyone wishes that they didn’t procrastinate, getting a head start on at least one task will help you later on.
Try writing down everything you have to do or study for first. Seeing it all in a list can give you a better idea of how much time it will take to complete the tasks. Then, assign different tasks to a different day of the week. Spreading out your work will help you finish it earlier and not leave it piled up on the day that it’s due.
Breathing techniques
Focusing on your breathing is more of a short-term way to relieve stress, but important nonetheless. By focusing on your breath, you are able to feel more connected with yourself and more level-headed.
This blissful feeling can be only temporary in times of stress, but it allows you to take a step back and focus on what is really important instead of stressing over things you can’t control.
If you Google “breathing exercise,” Google will offer a one-minute exercise for you to complete. Most breathing exercises take up very little time and have amazing benefits, which makes them perfect for finals week.
Exercise
Physical activity is another thing that can help your mental well-being. If you worry about not having time to exercise, it can be something as simple as walking across campus.
A great form of exercise in order to de-stress is yoga. Yoga can help relieve tension in your body and help you focus on your breathing.
Getting your body moving can help you clear your head for your next study session.
Drink something warm
A warm beverage can do wonders when you need to relax. However, in times of high stress coffee is not the greatest idea. Caffeine can make you even more anxious, so opt for a nice cup of decaffeinated tea or hot chocolate instead.
Surround yourself with positivity
As humans, we have a tendency to feed off of each others’ energy. If you are surrounded by other stressed-out people, you might feel more stressed and start to spiral.
It can be easy to fall into the negative patterns of others, so that’s why it is beneficial to surround yourself with people who have a positive mindset going into finals.
While this may be difficult to find on a college campus, you can try to create a positive mindset among your friends. You can go on walks or take a yoga class together. Or, maybe even meet at a coffee shop for some tea and a break from studying. It’s good to have a support system this time of year.
If you find the stress becoming too much, Ohio University offers several counseling resources to those who are struggling this time of year. Other easy ways to relieve stress can also be found here.
Good luck and study hard!
