Finals week can be one of the most stressful times of the school year, so it’s important to make it a priority to take care of your mental health. In the long run, your mental health is more important than academic perfection. That’s coming from someone who finds herself seeking academic validation. We all want to excel for our futures, but is it worth exploiting our mental health? I hope not.
Finding a way to destress doesn’t necessarily interfere with your studying. You can alleviate stress as you study. Here are a couple of things I like to do as a UCSC student with finals just around the corner:
Treat Myself
At your own expense, of course, treat yourself to a little something of your choosing. You deserve to reward yourself for all of your hard work! Maybe that can be with an iced coffee from a local café or a personal pizza from Woodstock’s Pizza.
In a world of final exams and final projects, I know I like to go downtown to the Pacific Cookie Company for half a dozen cookies as an incentive for studying. My go-to flavors are Chocolate Chip and Mint Condition. This little treat puts me in a better mood and effectively stimulates my motivation to study.
We all might function differently, but a little treat can’t hurt us.
Unwind with a Movie or TV Show
One of my favorite things to do with my roommates is dropping whatever we are doing for about two hours in the evening to watch a movie together. We don’t only get to distract ourselves from our stress, but we get to use this time to bond. It might not be every night that we get to do this, but we try to set time aside to enjoy something as a household. This includes what used to be our dedicated Euphoria hour on recent Sundays and our Halloween movies marathon for the month of October.
This tactic for conquering stress has been an idea that we unanimously can agree has helped us all. We would think: what’s better than watching Criminal Minds on a spontaneous Thursday night while we color portraits to add to our apartment decor?
We’ve learned to enjoy simple nights like these, especially around midterm and finals season. It allows us to step back and give ourselves ‘me time.’
Sunbathe
Natural Bridges is a beautiful beach to explore aside from the attraction that is the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. A nice sunny day at the beach is a must. I’ll say, there’s something peaceful about sitting on the beach and listening to music under the sun.
Sunbathing is great for obtaining your Vitamin D and it doesn’t only have to take place on a beach. There are great places around the UCSC campus for students to set up. I personally enjoy Oakes Lower Lawn. There’s a breathtaking view of the Monterey Bay from the field. Another great spot if you’re on the west side of campus is the Porter Squiggle, or the Porter Meadows. There’s a giant field to absorb the sun from. On the east side of campus is OPERS. You can bask in the sun there too!
Overall, I know finals season can feel like a burden at times. That’s why it’s nice to put yourself first. You can prioritize your mental health as much as your studies by finding your silver lining.