The dreaded time of year has arrived-our friends begin to disappear into the stacks of Alderman, and late nights at Clemens leave us with unwanted bags under our eyes – Finals. But let’s take this opportunity to grow, not only intellectually, but also personally in the way we deal with the stress of finals. Optimism is key in times like this and there is a whole heap of ways to keep your mind fresh, happy and motivated to press on through your exams.
Food!
Of course this is the most obvious way to keep you happy during stressful time, every girl loves her comfort food. However, sometimes stress eating can cause girls to become even more overwhelmed because they will start to worry about the quantitative qualities of their bodies more than their calculus exam. So for this exam season, try to find foods that are comforting to you but hold back on over indulging. Too much of a good thing make it a bad thing. Eat “smart foods” such as blueberries or salmon, and treat yourself to some warm hot chocolate.
Exercise:
“Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands” – Elle Woods was right, and I would go even further to say that happy people do a stellar job handling stress and acing their finals! Finals time is the best time to hit the gym. Classes are out of session, which frees up scheduled time that may have normally cut into your workout. There is always time to do even a little exercise to get your heart rate up, so go to the gym and get rid of all that stress.
Get Away:
If you feel yourself completely overwhelmed, going off grounds may help you deal with stress. With everyone around you looking like they are about to rip their hair out, others stress will quickly be thrown on you giving you a bigger load than you asked for. The downtown mall has great little coffee shops that welcome any studious individual…and hey! You can window shop and engage in some retail therapy while you’re at it.
Just Dance:
Yes, that’s right, get a group of you girl friends, pump up the music and kiss your worries goodbye. Let yourself be goofy, fun and carefree! Allowing yourself to forget about your tests even for just a few minutes will help you focus better when you go back to studying. Sometimes too much concentration is counter productive because you don’t allow yourself to see the bigger picture and stress will soon take over any productivity.
photo cred: http://gen-one.blogspot.