With finals week rapidly approaching, all of us are feeling the heat of the fire, so to speak. Professors are piling on the work and one project is beginning to conflict with another. Sleep becomes an option and coffee is taken intravenously through an IV. There are more consequences to this stress than grey hair though (don’t worry you won’t get grey hair!). Stress is really unhealthy for your body and your mind. It’s important to take a few minutes to decompress before jumping right back into the fray know as studying. Here are some ways to keep you healthy and happy!
1. Identify your stress
OK, so this one sounds kind of silly because it’s obvious, isn’t it? But take a minute and think. Are you only worried about getting that paper done for psychology or is it that you are also fighting with your roommate? Is that art project what is keeping you up at night or did you say something to your boyfriend that you regret? It is a more complex issue than you think. So sit back for a second and think about what is going on in the world around you rather than what is just right in front of you. You may feel better once you confront something that you have pushed to the back burner in order to get something else accomplished.
2. Take a deep breath
Breathe! It will all be okay. Everyone goes through this time. You are not alone. Everyone handles stress differently as well, so if your bestie has been acting short with you, take a breath and realize that she has just as much on her plate as you do on yours, though it may not seem like it to you. Also, be sure that you realize that this too shall pass. You are going to get through it. The world is not going to collapse if you get a C rather than a B, or even if you fail. It will feel like it, but the sun will still rise tomorrow morning. So when you are feeling stressed, just put everything aside for a moment and breathe!
3. Take a break
This comes from the last point. If you are looking at math equations for hours on end or editing photos all night, your eyes are going to get exhausted, as is your mind. This will just lead to frustration and you guessed it, more stress. Take a break every hour or so, go for walk, go to the gym, watch a TV show, anything to clear your mind after hours of studying. But your body can’t take extremely extended periods of time absorbing information, eventually it will just shut down. You’ll think you are storing away everything, but your mind will be so focused on sleep that it will forget how to spell “the” and you’ll wind up staring at a blank page for hours. This happens more than you think.
4. Be sure to eat AND sleep
This again seems obvious, but you’d be surprised at how many people forget about these things when they are cramming for an exam. Your body needs certain things to function properly. You need food, water and sleep. Not only will you be extremely hungry, but you’re actually lowering your immune system and making yourself more susceptible to illness by doing this. Wouldn’t getting sick for two weeks be worse than making sure you get six hours of sleep tonight? You’d lose a lot more time by being sick. Think about that for a minute. Studies have also shown that eating a light meal before exams can help with memory and cognition functions!
5. Talk to someone
If you are really stressed out, take the time to talk to someone. They may not be able to help, but ranting is sometimes all you need. Call your friend, e-mail mom, text your significant other and just talk for a while. Tell them the source of your stress, and then just talk about other things. This goes back to the whole break thing. Just remember that if you tell someone what is going on with you, you should be open to hear about what is going on with them too. It’s only fair! If you want to talk to someone who is not so personally involved, seek out a school councilor at the counseling services at Mary Walker Health Center.
6. Meditate
To just get away from everything for a while, sit down and cross your legs or fold them under you, close your eyes and clear your head. Breathe evenly in and out through your nose and just relax for a while. Don’t think about what you were just doing, but rather something happy. Some people prefer to think about nothing at all, being completely disconnected from their environment. You can put on some calming music if you’d like or be in silence, but be sure that you are in an environment that you are comfortable and relaxed in. Meditation is connecting your body and your mind, and can be very refreshing for some people.
7. Pamper yourself
Give yourself a face mask or a manicure. If you have the money, buy that cute shirt you’ve been eyeing on Forever 21’s website for weeks! Do something that makes you feel good. When you feel good, you’ll exude positive energy and others will be happier to be around you and you’ll be happier, too. Go see puppies or do some yoga. Everyone has their own thing, so go be you and be happy!Unfortunately stress won’t just go away, but there are so many ways to get through it. The worst thing you can do is suffer in silence and do nothing to help yourself. Enjoy college and don’t worry so much. Just remember, “Take a breath and step into the light, everything will be all right”. Good luck! You all have this in the bag.