It’s that point of the semester that we all dread- finals week. It’s that time when your midday naps become more frequent, stalking our professors during their office hours becomes second nature to us, and trying to not throw out all of our GB textbooks out the window is too hard to resist. It’s easy to get stressed during this overwhelming period, so here are some tips to try and help you de-stress so you can be mentally prepared for all of your finals!
1. Taking a warm shower/ bubble bath
As tempting as it is to rush and even skip your showers during this time of the semester, you should make an effort to take a nice warm shower. It will help you feel relaxed and will help you wake up and get ready for what your day has to offer. If you can take take a bubble bath then I highly suggest doing that as well!
2. Drinking Tea
Tea is a great drink to have during finals week! Lemon balm tea is meant to help you relax when you are stressed while chamomile tea is great to have if you are having trouble sleeping. If you want to spice up the flavor in your tea, then I suggest adding a fresh lemon and honey.
3. Make a studying music playlist
For me personally, music is great way to block out surrounding noise and focus on what I am studying. Make a playlist that will soothe you and allow you concentrate (classical music, slow ballads, etc.). Try to avoid music that will make you want to get up and dance unless you are able to concentrate no matter what you are listening to.
4. Make a snack
Proper studying can’t be accomplished on an empty stomach! During finals week you probably will not be in the mood to sit down for a full meal so most of your food will be taken on-the-go. Here are 2 healthy but tasty snack ideas that will energize you while you prep for exams.
Yogurt and Granola Fruit Kabobs (from fingerprickingood.com)
Ingredients
· Fresh fruit chunks of choice (apples, pineapple, bananas, strawberries, etc.)
· Vanilla yogurt
· Granola
· Toothpicks or popsicle sticks
Instructions
1. Thread a piece of fruit onto a toothpick or popsicle stick.
2. Dip the bottom half of the fruit piece into yogurt.
3. Roll the yogurt coated piece of fruit in granola, to evenly coat.
Apple Nachos w. melted Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chips (from trialandeater.com)
Ingredients
· 1 Apple of choice (I recommend Fiji or Gala apples) cut into thin slices
· ¼ cup of your peanut butter of choice to melt
· ¼ cup of chocolate chips to melt
· 1 handful of chocolate chips to sprinkle on top
Instructions
1. Arrange apple slices on a plate.
2. Drizzle melted peanut butter over apple slices with a spoon, and do the same with the melted chocolate.
3. Sprinkle handful of chocolate chips over the plate as topping.
4. Serve immediately.
5. Exercise
You can’t spend all of your time seated at your desk, which is why exercise is important. Whether you are going for a 30-minute walk, a jog around campus, doing yoga, going for a swim, or doing a 1-hour work out at the gym, you should try to engage in physical activity! This will help decrease your stress level but also help you get out and change your scenery.
I hope these tips are helpful and will make studying for finals more bearable for you! Good luck to everyone and happy holidays!