It’s that time of the year, my college friends… the era in which we cry walking to the library, knowing we are most likely going to spend the night arched over a textbook and thousands of notes. It’s also the era in which we are the most stressed, eat the worst, and hardly spend any time moving our bodies… except walking to the library and our finals, of course. This article is your reminder to essentially get your butt in gear. I’m sure you don’t need any more prompts to study, but maybe consider your health in a higher regard. More often than not, during finals season, students place their physical and mental health on the backburner in order to focus purely on academics. While the focus on academics is incredibly helpful for letter grades, it can destroy your health in other aspects. I’m incredibly guilty of this; I know how hard it is to study when you eat unhealthy and feel like you have no energy. With that being said, here are my tips to improve your study skills through focusing on your mental and physical health!
1. EAT WELL.
I cannot stress this enough- the food you put into your body is your energy source. When you eat bad foods, you feel bad. That’s the simplest way to put it. Yes, you’ll be tempted to eat out of the snack machine at the library when it’s 3 a.m., and you’re stuck there studying. Instead, bring healthier choices to munch on, such as almonds (any kind of nuts), cheese sticks, protein bars, fruit, etc.
2. WORK OUT.
I know it seems like there is no time to do anything other than study. However, when you work out, your brain functions better and you have more energy to do the things you need to do. Even fitting in a quick 15 or 30 minute workout can make all the difference in your studying habits; you pay more attention to what you’re reviewing.
3. STRETCH.
Sounds weird, doesn’t it? When you’re studying, your back is probably arched and you sit for long periods of time, only to walk home and pass out in bed. My recommendation to fix the sore neck/back you get the next day is to stretch before you go to bed! Do some yoga, meditation, or simple stretches to relax your muscles.
4. DO ONE THING YOU ENJOY.
I know time is limited, but you will feel burnt out if all you do is study. You need to fill your time with something you actually enjoy doing. For example, I love painting and drawing. When I feel burnt out and mentally exhausted, I take about 30 minutes to just have fun with my watercolor pencils. It helps to get your mind off of things and feed into your creativity.
With all of this being said, good luck to everyone on your finals! I hope that you can take some time to build your mental and physical health up during finals season.