We all have a story about stress. The way stress manifests within us, influences us, hinders us, and takes its toll on us may vary from person to person, but we can all agree that we would like to be less stressed. However, that goal can feel impossible in the midst of final exams for college students. For me, and many of my fellow peers, the pressure to get good grades dramatically triggers our stress. Female college students are particularly vulnerable to this stress, as “90 percent of female college students reported feeling overwhelmed by all they had to do in the previous 12 months” based on a finding by the American College Health Association. To make matters worse, according to a finding at John’s Hopkins School of Education, “unmanaged stress shuts down much of the thinking brain [and creates] chaos in our brain’s ability to process information.” So, all the additional stress that comes from our desire to get an A on an exam is actually creating a major obstacle in attaining that grade. Furthermore, I know in the peak of my stress, self-care suffers. Sleep gets sacrificed for a few more hours of studying, eating is either mindlessly done or satisfied with convenience over quality, and workouts get skipped. However, these are things that become even more important to do in a time like finals week because they can actually combat some of the negative effects of stress.
While everyone knows sleep is essential to our health, it can be so easy to feel like its not as high of a priority as doing school work. But, this mind-frame only creates more problems than solutions. The American Psychological Association warns that, “even slight sleep deprivation or poor sleep can affect memory, judgment and mood.” On the contrary, Dartmouth’s Student Wellness Center says quality sleep “helps the brain commit new information to memory through a process called memory consolidation.” Therefore, when exams roll around make sure you know when to put the books down and the hit pillow instead.
Ensuring you get a healthy and nutritious meal can also help in managing stress. Fox News reported that according to a study from the University of Sydney, participants that “ate three or four servings of vegetables had a 12 percent lower risk of feeling stressed than those who didn’t.” Additionally, it was found that “women, especially, were shown to benefit from the veggie-heavy diet. According to researchers, “women who ate three to four servings of veggies lowered their risk of stress by 18 percent.” So, before the craziness of exams starts up, meal prep some dishes for the week that contain all your favorite fruits and vegetables in order to help keep stress levels at bay.
Allotting time for physical activity is also crucial in stress management. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, “Studies show that [exercise] is very effective at reducing fatigue, improving alertness and concentration, and at enhancing overall cognitive function.” These are all benefits that would be of dramatic use for a successful performance on final exams, and would counteract the mental impairment posed by extreme stress. Additionally, exercise offers a great opportunity to pry yourself away from stressful study environments and to do something fun for an hour. Whether it be running, spinning, yoga, walking, kick-boxing, or whatever else your favorite workout is, be sure to make time for it.
There might not be a way to make finals week the best week of our lives, and there will be inevitable stress, but that doesn’t mean we can’t handle it. By taking care of ourselves with adequate sleep, healthy food, and physical activity we can manage the stress to ensure that we have the most successful finals week possible.