This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Toronto chapter.
Edited by: Jina Aryaan
With midterms hitting us at a crazy pace, it’s important to take care of your mental health. While exercise and regular sleep help to keep your anxiety at bay, it’s also vital that you intake the right foodstuffs for your soon-to-be-anxiety-driven-life.
Here is a list of some food items that can help calm down your brain working solely on coffee and irregular sleep pattern.
- Spinach – there is a reason Popeye was both physically and mentally strong, he consumed a proper amount of spinach daily. Rich in magnesium and proteins, it is essential for muscle building as well as treating anxiety whose general symptom is a deficiency of magnesium. Add it to your smoothies, sandwich or add it in your salads.
- Watermelon – rich in water content, watermelons help reduce headaches that accompany anxiety and keep your body hydrated.
- Oats – they increase serotonin production in your brain, and make the anxiety symptoms less severe. Make oatmeal your go-to breakfast food and add in some blueberries to feel better.
- Mushrooms – with their high vitamin D content, they help alleviate anxiety symptoms.
- Salmon – it is rich in omega-3 fatty acids which work wonders in reducing stress and anxiety by 20%. Also, omega-3 reduces inflammation and helps in treating anxiety disorders.
Teas
- Chamomile tea – relives the body of stress, anxiety and insomnia.
- Clove tea – boosts immunity and helps with sinus infection so they don’t bother you during your study period.
- Ginger tea – ginger has anti-inflammatory properties that help reducing headaches.
- Matcha tea – helps in improving memory and concentration so you don’t lose focus and procrastinate your exam preparation period.
- Nettle tea – in addition to its great detoxifying properties, nettle tea reduces menstrual cramps.
With this, I wish you all best of luck for your midterms!
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