It’s the end of the semester, so we all know what that means—FINALS. If you’re anything like me, this time of the year calls for high levels of stress, hours in the library and in the midst of it all, self-destruction. Wouldn’t it be great if there were certain things that could help you through this rough, trying time? Believe it or not, there are! Whether it be food, songs, habits or even the people you surround yourself with, here are some tips that will keep you from pulling out all of your hair and keep you a little bit more relaxed during finals week.
1. Get plenty of rest
The best thing you can do during this time, and probably everyone’s favorite thing to do is sleep! Try to get a full eight hours of sleep each night and try to go to bed a little earlier, too. It will help ease your mind, calm your nerves, and you get several hours to not think about all of the things you have going on and tests you have coming up. Besides, we all know how we tend to get when we’re both tired and stressed out…not a very good combination!
2. Eat dark chocolate
If you want to help yourself and treat yourself, dark chocolate is a great snack while you’re studying for finals. The flavanoids, antioxidants, and small amount of caffeine in dark chocolate make you happy, reduce stress levels and give you a slight energy boost.
3. Help yourself to some dairyBoth milk and yogurt contain all the right vitamins and nutrients that help relieve stress. If you don’t like drinking plain milk, you can pair it with cereal, cookies, brownies or even a muffin. Yogurt, on the other hand, can be eaten plain, with fruit, or even in the form of frozen yogurt. Pinkberry is right on campus, or if you’d prefer regular yogurt, McDonald’s has a great yogurt parfait for only a dollar!
4. Drink some hot tea
Hot tea is really helpful during finals week, not to mention it’s delicious! Teas such as mint, chamomile, ginseng and lemon help to soothe your nerves, believe it or not. Teas can sometimes taste a little bitter if nothing is added to them. To spruce up your hot tea a bit, you can add lemon juice, honey or sugar. Hot tea tastes great and it’ll help you wind down while studying or after a long night in the library, right before bed.
5. Listen to “Let it Go”
We all know this song from Frozen, but have you heard Demi Lovato’s version of the song? Whether you prefer her version or the original version from the movie, the lyrics will make you feel empowered and literally let it go—of the stress that is!
6. Listen to “Keep Your Head Up”
Andy Grammar’s song is both inspiring and the perfect pick-me-up song. Listening to the song on it’s own will instantly put you in a better mood and put a smile on your face just when you feel like you can’t take another second and want to give up. Remember: “You gotta keep your head up, ooooh. And you can let your hair down, ayyyyye.”
HCXO!