De-Stress During Finals Week

Finals week, especially for my fellow first-years, is becoming terrifying and dreadful. There’s over a week before finals begin, but between papers, quizzes, and last-minute projects, the stress is already overwhelming. As tempting as it is to drink our weight in Red Bull and cram all night before each test, this isn’t exactly the way to achieve a clear mind for exams. Here are three great tips to de-stress and keep yourself calm during the horrifying week(s) that will be beginning in barely over a week from now.
 
1.  Yoga. During finals week, there are very few of us who have the time or energy to trudge down to the rec to attend a yoga class at 7:00 in the morning. However, there are  thousands of videos and routines available online. There are videos available that take anywhere from 5-30 minutes, so you can do whatever you have time and energy for. There are also images and text versions of hundreds of poses available online. Yoga is great to take a few minutes, relax, and get rid of the negative stress of exams! If yoga isn’t your thing, do some
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2.  Eat (healthy) carbs. This may seem contradictory because carbs give you energy, but you will be much less stressed if you are running off healthy carbs rather than fast food. Carbs will give you the energy to study, which will leave you stressed in the end! In the union. try On Deck Deli bagels: the bagels have tons of protein and the carbs will get you ready for a day of studying. If you haven’t already discovered the greatness of IQ smoothies, definitely try one. The fresh fruit has great carbohydrates and it’s delicious! These restaurants take just as long as going to Burger King or Chick-Fil-A, so give them a shot!
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3.  Sleep. Seriously. Obviously, sleep is the greatest de-stresser of them all. But during finals week, it is far too easy to skip and sleep and use the time to study* (*get on Facebook and avoid studying) for hours at a time. Your body needs sleep, especially when you are cramming so much information in your mind in such a short period of time. If you don’t sleep enough, you may very well find yourself forgetting information during your test, or worse, falling asleep during it. Sleep does nothing but benefit you in the long run. It’s better to go to bed early and wake up early to study than it is to stay up all night and sleep for an hour before your final.
 
Good luck, collegiettes!