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How to Relax While Studying for Midterms

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Toronto MU chapter.

Midterms – the exhausting time of the school year, filled with emotions of uneasiness and stress. In the urge to give up and accept the burden of failure, your mind quickly becomes a foggy cloud of misery. It’s a lot to handle and the considerable amount of studying can make you forget about your overall health. You need to breathe and do some things that you enjoy in order to maintain a healthy mind.

Here are six tips to help you figure out your own unique version of self-care:

Study efficiently

Don’t try to cram half a semester’s worth of information into your head the night before your midterm. The outcome of this will only lead to a bad grade and overwhelming worry about your GPA. Begin studying in advance so you have plenty of time to learn the course information thoroughly and with no rush. That way you’ll be really prepared to write your midterm with confidence, and in turn, receive satisfying results.  

Listen to music

Music is a great way to soothe and relax your muscles while beating anxiety during studying. It’s argued that music helps with memorization, especially classical instrumentals. The harmonious peacefulness of it can help improve mental performance. It makes you more focused, and having less distractions will let you endure long study sessions and calm you down significantly.  

Exercise

Physical activity can actually help in enhancing your mental process. You will recall information, while also relieving any muscle tensions that your brain is putting onto your body. Exercise is known as an effective strategy to release stress. It also improves self-esteem and energy levels. The benefits of exercise goes beyond just physical health, it’s also linked to helping one to sleep better. 

Get plenty of sleep

There’s no point in studying if you don’t get enough sleep. Sleep has many benefits when it comes to studying new material, once again assisting you with memorization. A sleep deprived brain will be dysfunctional, and all-nighters will be useless when it comes to getting a good outcome.

Take it easy on the caffeine

You don’t want to rely on caffeinated drinks to stay alert. You should probably switch over to something more healthy, like lemon water or peppermint tea. These won’t make you dependable on unhealthy drinks that don’t have any health benefits except for keeping you awake. Coffee also steals money from your pockets, so opt for some homemade smoothies instead. 

Eat healthy

Having a nutritious diet can also have benefits when it comes to studying. Food choices are likely to affect your mood and mental performance, so consider changing your eating habits. Junk food will not help you cognitively and doesn’t give you the nutrients your brain needs to function properly. So leave McDonald’s out and give fruits and vegetables a try and see a change in the way you feel, not only in school but in the long run. 

These six tips are your tools to reach better academic performance. Generally speaking, these strategies could help you change your overall well-being. If you follow this advice, you are most likely going to feel more self-assured, not only in university, but your everyday life.

Dararrtu Abdullahi

Toronto MU '22

I'm a third-year student at Ryerson University majoring in English. I've always loved and had an interest in reading and creative writing, especially poetry. I'm excited to be writing for Her Campus, and I hope to enhance my writing skills while making a positive impact on readers.
Sarah is a fourth-year journalism student at Ryerson University. As Ryerson's Campus Correspondent, Sarah is a self-proclaimed grammar nerd. In her spare time, Sarah is either buried in a book, trying to figure out how to be a functioning adult, or enjoying a glass of wine - hopefully all at once.