With finals week right around the corner it’s no secret that there’s more stress going around these days. And when it gets late at night, and that second brownie looks oh so tempting, what’s a girl to do but eat it and keep her energy buzz going?
Every so often, it’s okay to do something like that. But how do you know when to draw the line? Take our quiz and find out, and keep on reading for some helpful tips during finals week!
1. It’s 3 am and you’re feverishly writing an essay due tomorrow. How many times have you hit the vending machines?
a. Not a single time. I have a snack by my side and a cup of coffee and that’s all I need.
b. Maybe once or twice… But just to grab some granola bars.
c. Help me, I’m drowning in plastic bags and wrappers.
2. You come out of a test and didn’t feel so good about it. Your first instinct is to…
a. Stop thinking about it and move right along. You’ll see how you actually did eventually, but right now it’s time to prepare for the future.
b. Sit on your thoughts about it for some time, then shake it off, relax, and grab lunch with friends
c. Grab a red bull and a candy bar and munch away
3. You’re anxious about the quiz you have tomorrow and your friend offers you a cookie. You…
a. Smile and thank her for the thought. Then turn around and go back to studying.
b. Take the cookie and thank her, then finish it off while you finish looking through your notes
c. Grab the cookie from her hand as well as the two others cookies that she had in her bag
If you answered mostly As, you’re on the right track! You cope with stress in a healthy way, rationalizing it and not letting it take over your feelings.
If you answered mostly Bs, you’re doing pretty well! You’re being healthy about your choices. Sometimes you give in to temptations but let’s face it… we’re only human.
If you answered mostly Cs, you may be a stress eater! Learn to deal with your stress in a more productive way and enforce healthy eating habits by reading the following…
Cut out the sugar
It may be all you want these days, but it’s the last thing you should have. Your body is in high alert and any sugar you eat will just feed your stress, which then triggers more sugar cravings, and… well you get the idea. Stress also produces hormones that make you retain fat easily, adding inches to your waistline that you definitely don’t want. As if you needed one more thing to stress about!
Stash on healthier snacks
Keep fruit around you at all times. Oranges in particular are good because they have natural chemicals that help alleviate stress. These will keep you full, keep you sharp, and keep you away from the cravings.
Recognize that you DON’T have to be influenced
You will be surrounded by hoards of people. Many college kids will be stress eating, maybe including the people that you study with. That doesn’t mean that you should join in! Instead, sit at the table and sip on your tea or coffee, focusing on your work as the rest of the group makes the trip to get more goodies.
Take a walk
Recognize that your cravings are often just because you’re stressed, not because you actually need sugar. When it gets to that point it might be time to take a breather from all the work and get out for a while. Going for a run or working out are both great ways to de-stress, but if it’s late at night or if you’re just way too busy you can take a walk instead. That’ll cool your head, get you right back on track, and keep you fit!
And Remember…
If you indulge once in a while during final’s week it’s not the end of the world! The whole point is that you should be thinking about ways to get rid of stressful thoughts in the first place and not let it ruin your week. That being said, healthy behavior is the best way to fuel healthy goals. So take the finals week health challenge with me – I’m committing myself to healthy choices and healthy behavior during the rest of the semester, but finals week in particular. Let’s do this so we can get a real jump-start on the holiday season!