It’s the final crunch time! Roughly three weeks left on campus and not only are you bursting to get back home for holiday festivities, but you have finals looming and a massive amount of work that just doesn’t seem to end. All of this tends to pile up and sometimes the pressure is just too overwhelming. It’s important to keep up with your studies, but it’s never healthy to keep working when you’re too stressed and exhausted. Take study breaks!
While it’s tempting to plop down and turn on ABC Family’s 25 Days of Christmas (don’t lie, you keep track of the movies on that marathon), this will result in a lazy attitude setting in, making it hard to get BACK to your work. There are many things you can do to take your mind off the workload for some time but still be able to get back to your workload in a timely fashion. The key is to keep your body moving!
Trip to the Gym
Okay, so some of you may do this already on a regular basis. Some of you may not even be able to point out where Concannon is. However a quick visit to the gym is a good way to de-stress. Here are some tips to remember:
1. Don’t make it a hard-core trip. If you’re there for a quick study break, don’t turn it into a full-fledged workout; you’ll tire yourself out and crash once you get back to the room. Instead do a simple set of exercises that barely gets you sweating.
2. If you want to get your blood going for a bit do 15-20 minutes of cardio (HINT: If you’re doing treadmill, bike or elliptical, time it so that you can go when one of your favorite shows or movie is playing on TV. It’ll make the exercise more relaxing and fun!).
3. Pick up one of the blue stability balls and do a set of crunches and push-ups with your feet on the ball (however many you feel comfortable doing of each!). Don’t forget to stretch a little bit!
These types of exercises are good for loosening your muscles, especially if you’ve been sitting in your room for a while.
Yoga: Not Just for the Flexible
A few cleansing breaths go a long way! If you’re not up for a trip to the gym (let’s face it, the walk is so much longer the darker and colder it gets outside), do some simple exercises in your own room. Yoga is definitely one of the easiest exercises to do in the convenience (and privacy) of your own room. Here is a sample routine (you can also mix up the movements and form your own relaxing yoga routine):
Dance Party
Dead serious. Put together and throw on a 10 minute or so playlist and go nuts! You can get all your stress and energy out simply by dancing around the room to your favorite songs. Also go around and see if you can get others to join; chances are people are not going to turn down a quickie dance party.
Taking study breaks is definitely encouraged when you’re feeling overwhelmed; they key is just make sure that you keep your energy level up and make it quick mental getaway. Good luck and don’t stress out too much!