Everyone knows that feeling when you step out of your final midterm. All of the things that had become a routine during your midterms can go to rest now, and so can you. These are a few suggestions of things that will help you recover from the strain and stress of exams.
- Sleep, sleep, sleep.
Get some well-deserved rest! It’s easy to find yourself staying up into the early hours of the morning because you hit a stride in studying or because you were crunching for a midterm that day. If your sleep schedule is fragile like mine, and a late night suddenly ruins your ability to fall asleep before 3am, then this part is for you.
First, make sure you don’t have any real responsibilities soon. Pushing things off for a day won’t kill you but not getting enough sleep could. If you’re in the clear, follow these instructions: Go into your room, make your bed nice and comfortable, shut off the lights, and climb IN. THOSE. COVERS. Go nuts, and by go nuts I mean pass out and don’t wake up until the next morning.
- Do something mindless!
When I say mindless, I mean something that you are truly just doing for the hell of it. We, as college students, are often constantly going places because we have something to do, or a deadline to hit. We never just go somewhere to relax and think about nothing.
My favorite mindless activity in New York City is going to parks and feeding the squirrels. There are so many areas of nature tucked into the city to just sit on a bench and breathe. It’s also great for people-watching and it’s calm and quiet to call your family or relatives and truly catch up.
- Treat yo’ self.
In the words of Donna and Tom from Parks and Recreation, “What do we treat ourselves to? Clothes. Treat yo’ self. Fragrances. Treat yo’ self. Massages. Treat yo’ self. Mimosas. Treat yo’ self. Fine leather goods. Treat yo’ self.”
Have you had your eye on something that you wanted to buy for a long time? Go out and buy it. You deserve a treat after how hard you’ve been working.
- Host a self-spa day.
In the heat of exams, it’s easy to rush your hygiene routines. Showers become further spread apart, your hair needs some tender love and care, and your body is aching.
So sit down and go through your routine slowly. Wash your hair, put in a treatment, style it in a way that’s usually time-consuming but beautiful. Lotion every inch of your body until you feel like a newborn baby. Exfoliate and wear facial masks. Treat yourself as if you were at a spa and were being given the utmost attention to detail and pampering.
- Hang out with your friends, because they just finished their midterms too.
Go out to a nice dinner or lunch and eat food that isn’t ramen noodles or cafeteria food. Pick a place with comfort food or try something new and exciting. You, along with your friends, probably haven’t had the chance to sit down and really talk about anything other than midterms, homework, or stress.
This is just a few things you could do to detox. There’s obviously a thousand other things you could do if you choose to. I personally like to binge-watch a new show on Netflix or watch a couple of movies. Do something that you love to do, do something that calms you down, or do something exciting and new!