Finals can be the most stressful time for everyone- even the family members who have to be around students. Whether you are writing an abundance of papers, taking a million tests or preparing for presentations you are going to have an overload of work on your hands. It’s during times like these where people forget the most important piece in life and that is mental health. Whether you end up getting a good grade or a bad grade the copious amounts of stress you put yourself through can be very harmful but with these five steps you can help take care of yourself through stressful times.
- Prepare Your Backpack or Bag
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You probably prep your backpack with new pencils or supplies to make sure you’re geared up for your classes. Another way to prep your bag is to fill it with small to go self care items. These items can range from affordable to more expensive but all are worth investing in if you find them beneficial. Some portable self care items can include lavender essential oil, CBD edibles, fidget cubes or stress balls. Everyone is very different with what they use so make sure you know which is the most beneficial to you before making your backpack too heavy.
- Schedule Your Time
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College students are known for being terrible at organizing the time within their day. We stay up all night studying just because we didn’t feel like it during the day. But this is another way your mental health can really suffer. Lack of sleep can make anxiety and depression increasingly worse. The best way to organize your time is to grab yourself a planner or a simple scheduling app. Make sure within your day there is ample time to yourself, it doesn’t have to be hours long, it can be little breaks here and there but it is necessary in minimizing stress and maximizing getting your work done within scheduled time sessions.
- Always Plan Something Fun
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The number one thing a therapist will always ask you during a stressful time is are you making time to do the things you enjoy. If your week has been extra stressful take a second to think if you took time to watch your favorite movie, read a book or even go to the gym. Making sure you allow yourself the things you love will give you more relaxation time than you think. Doing these things you love won’t be successful in helping your stress if you don’t completely put your mind to it. Watching your favorite movie won’t help you relax if you are thinking about how many tests you have next week.
- Talk About Your Feelings
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Going through rough times should never be done alone. By making yourself go through it alone you won’t be able to process your feelings correctly. If you don’t have the money or correct resources for a licensed professional maybe try talking to a friend or family member you feel most comfortable with. You could even try writing your feelings down in a journal or on a blog. Talking through things doesn’t mean they need to give you valuable advice on your life it just means they are open to listening to you.
There are ample amounts of resources online for you to get help or even guidance about finding affordable help.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): (800) 662-4357
- Stop Catastrophizing
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When a situation becomes stressful it is mostly because we put way more pressure on it than we should be. Feeling like failing your test would be the worst thing in the world is an example of catastrophizing. The best way to stop this is to retrain your brain. When you find yourself catastrophizing, take a second to name a few objects around you, this is a grounding technique used to calm down someone having a panic attack. Then play out the scenario in your head, failing the test probably won’t bring down your grade that much anyway so there is no need to waste time worrying so much.