Now that midterm season at BU is finally winding down for most students, it’s time to ask yourself an important question—are you taking care of yourself? If you’re like me, the answer is probably not as well as you should be. If a constant stream of exams, papers, and projects have seriously derailed your routine and left you little time to check in with yourself, here are some things you can do to get back on track.
- GET SOME SLEEP.
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All of that sleep deprivation during late-night study sessions can SERIOUSLY add up, so start holding yourself to an earlier bedtime. This might mean shutting off Netflix a little sooner (unless you’re also binging Friends again before it leaves Netflix in December, in which case this might not be an option). Or it might mean skipping out on weekend plans to turn in early. Either way, make some time to catch up on rest. You can only pull so many almost all-nighters before your night’s sleep starts to feel more like a nap, so take this lull in your coursework to catch some much-needed zzz’s.
- Cut back on the caffeine.
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It can be easy to justify those four coffees a day when you’re struggling through assignments, but you should probably cut back on your caffeine intake before that becomes the new norm. Start by ordering a smaller size, or switch to tea or hot chocolate! However you choose to do so, making this adjustment will limit your stress-levels, help you sleep, and overall help your body recover from the last few weeks.
- Drink water.
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I know you’ve heard this one way too many times lately, but hydrate or diedrate guys! It can be really easy to forget to drink water when you’re stressed, especially when you’re swapping out your water bottle for caffeinated drinks (which will further dehydrate you!). Do a quick check-in with yourself—are you feeling a little run down, dizzy, nauseous, or anxious? Maybe a combination of these and a headache as well? You’re probably dehydrated. Make it a point to be more conscious of how much water you’re consuming. Your body will thank you.
- Clean your dorm.
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With all of the stressors of midterms seasons, keeping your room neat tends to fall pretty low on the list of priorities. Use this time to do a deep clean of your dorm room. Start making your bed again, reorganize, wash your dishes, maybe even…vacuum? You’ll feel a lot better once your space stops feeling so chaotic. If you can’t quite get a hold of anything else on this list, this one is a simple task that will help give you the motivation to get everything else in order.
- Take a day to yourself.
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Whether this means curling up with a warm drink and a book, exploring the city with your friends, or laying in bed all day watching Vine compilations, take a day to recharge and think about something other than school. You can’t expect yourself to continue to be productive with no breaks, so spend a day doing whatever you constitute as “rest.” Break out the face masks, start that new show you didn’t have time for before, go to that brunch spot you’ve been dying to try. Get out of your head for a second and come back refreshed and focused.
My last piece of advice is to keep everything in perspective. Midterms are crazy stressful, but remember that you’re doing your best and that’s enough! Getting the grade is important, but it’s not everything. Take a deep breath, be kind to yourself, one bad assignment is not the end of the world. We are all going to be okay. Appreciate this break before we do it all again for finals!
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