Stress causes us to feel as if we were suffocating with all the thinking and things we have to do. It’s inevitable to feel this emotion—it can happen in any situation, at any time. But as students, we can all relate that we feel stress the most as we get closer to finals week. Unfortunately, that week is quickly approaching; where did the time go? If I’m honest, I feel like I’m done with this quarter and I’m sure some of you can relate! Most of us are probably stressed trying to turn in our assignments on time as well as have enough time to study for finals. Not only that, but we all have lives outside of school! This can be a lot to handle, but I’m here to walk you through five things I do to keep myself going while making sure to not overwhelm myself:
- Take a break from homework
-
Now I know this is the most obvious one, but it’s important to remember that it’s okay to take a break from assignments. What’s not okay is trying to take a break ten minutes before the assignment is due because at that moment you have to do your best to finish what you can. I consider this method a bit dangerous because putting off an assignment can lead to procrastination and leaving everything to the very last minute. The point of this is to get enough time to recharge your batteries. We all get stuck at one point and need to stop so new ideas can start flowing inside our beautiful minds. Some of the things that help me relax my mind are:
- Going to work (weird, but it’s a place where I don’t have homework and get to see my friends)
- Hanging out with friends
- Going to eat
- Going to the movies
- Going to the park with my pet bunny
- Taking a nap
- talk about what classes are stressing you out
-
Sometimes talking with others about what is stressing us can be really helpful. Venting can sometimes help in realizing where exactly you’re stuck. Another good thing about venting to a peer is you end up finding someone who shares the same concerns and feelings with you, and from this can arise a study buddy or simply a buddy to talk to! Having a study buddy is helpful because you can both cheer each other on and motivate one another to continue doing your work. Recently, I was debating whether or not to do a worksheet because we only have to do seven in my class, and I had already completed all seven. But, my friend and study buddy helped motivate me to keep going because we would get extra credit. It’s this kind of support that made me determined to continue and finish that extra worksheet. My tip? Find a study buddy in every class, that way you have someone you can always talk to about that specific class!
- take a self-care day
-
Take a day for yourself, where it’s all about you! This can mean just staying home, sleeping all day, binge-watching your favorite show and many other things. It’s important to treat ourselves because we all need to love and appreciate what we have done. We don’t always know it, but we do a lot even if we don’t see it. So, be proud of yourself because you are awesome!
- use a stress ball to relieve tension
-
Another helpful tip is having a stress ball or a fidget spinner when studying. Sometimes we can feel frustrated because we’re not understanding a concept, assignments have piled up, or we have back-to-back exams. We want to take our anger out in the safest way, not like how they do it in movies, where they punch a wall to release their stress. Being able to apply pressure to the stress ball can help relieve some tension.
- listen to music
-
Listening to relaxing music can be extremely helpful. The sound of waves or rain can help you concentrate. When I am feeling stressed I tend to go on Spotify and look for stress relief or instrumental study albums and it helps me. So next time you are stressed, make sure to try putting on some soft music to help ease your thoughts.
Remember that it’s normal to feel stress, but don’t let it get out of hand. There are different ways to deal with it and everyone has different methods. Try new things until you find your groove! Treat yourself with kindness and love and appreciate yourself!