Alrighty folks, we are just weeks from finals and at this point I imagine that your stress levels are skyrocketing as classes begin wrapping things up and your professors are starting to assign final projects. During this hectic time it’s super easy to concentrate all of your energy into your classes and forget about taking care of yourself. However, it is something that can be avoided with these self care ideas. Practicing self care isn’t very hard to do and should be incorporated into your daily routine to ensure that you are both mentally and physically ready to tackle finals.
Organize and Plan a Schedule
Keep track of any and all due dates for upcoming homework assignments, projects, quizzes and tests! Mark them down on a calendar or planner and compare them all so that you can efficiently plan work days, study times, and stay on track so you aren’t scrambling to write a four page paper the night before (because we’ve all been there). Also, organizing a schedule is a great stress reliever as you won’t be worried about trying to remember important dates so you’ll be doing yourself a favor!
Follow a Healthy Sleep Schedule
This idea is a little continuation of the previous one: plan a bedtime/wake up time and stick to it. You need your beauty sleep and your brain needs a good 6-8 hours of rest to refresh itself for the day. Follow a daily schedule that coordinates with bedtime and a good night’s rest.
Stay Hydrated and Don’t Forget to Eat!
This may seem more like a basic need more so than ‘self care’ but you’d be surprised at what you forget to do when you’re in study mode. Plus, when you do decide to eat, its either really late or you don’t have much time to make anything healthy. Plan or seek out nutritious and wholesome meals that will leave you feeling good, invest in a good water bottle and start packing study snacks in your backpack.
Take Time Out of Your Day to Relax
When you’ve got a lot on your plate, sometimes it’s hard to take a step back and actually breathe. Plan 15-20 minute breaks into your study routine and do something to release the tension that’s been building up. Follow a quick yoga video on YouTube, meditate, step outside for a bit, or even nap.
Find Stress Relief in Creative Activities
After you finish one major task, take some time to relieve any stress or anxiety that you have through creative activities such as painting, journaling, crafting, etc. Such activities are not only fun to complete, but they get the creative juices flowing and your mind ready for the next challenge.
Best of luck in these last few weeks!