It’s finally spring, which means sunshine, flowers, and…finals. You would love to go on hikes and enjoy the warm weather, but the library has you chained inside its cold walls. Your anxiety and stress levels have hit the roof and you’re trying to just function like a regular human. Here are some ways to help you thrive during the most stressful week of the year.
1. Self-Affirmations
It may sound cheesy, but they genuinely work. Look yourself in the eye, repeat a positive mantra that resonates with you, and you’ll be surprised at just how much more confident and happy you feel throughout your day.
2. Forgive Yourself
Whether it was failing your calculus final, forgetting to respond to that one work email, sleeping in late, or procrastinating everything, you need to forgive yourself. In the immortal words of Hannah Montana, “verybody makes mistakes.”
3. Treat Yourself
Take time for a pedicure, watch the latest episode of Riverdale, fit in a Zumba session, or just read that book that isn’t a textbook for once. If it helps, schedule the time in your planner each day just to make sure that you get it.
4. Eat Healthier
Cutting back on pizza and coffee may not seem like a very kind gesture towards yourself, but the long-term benefits are definitely kind. You’ll have more energy for studying and your self-esteem will soar.
5. Sleep
I can feel you scoffing at this suggestion through the screen – the hope for more sleep during finals is about as futile as the hope for more One Direction albums. But while sleep is elusive, it is possible. Even if it means taking that time for a fifteen-minute nap in between study sessions, make sure you take time to catch some Z’s.
6. Recognize Your Successes
At the end of the day – or the beginning – think about your mini victories. Maybe you got through the day without two double-shots, or maybe you completed your monster 15-page paper. Acknowledging your success helps propel you to more success and decreases the likelihood of an end-of-the-semester breakdown.