Methods to Improve Well-Being During Finals

With finals fast approaching and the added stress of the state of the world around us, our sanities are definitely hanging on by a thread. It can seem hard to find ways to maintain and even improve your well-being, especially now when the work you have to do continues to pile up. But to ensure your success this “finals season”, here are a couple of different methods you could incorporate into your day-to-day life to ace your finals.

One way to improve your well-being is to engage in some type of physical activity or exercise to not only distract you from your work but give your mind and body and much needed and well-deserved break. So go for a run or bike ride or turn on a video from your favorite fitness influencer and get your sweat on! It doesn’t have to be for very long, but taking breaks to do some cardiovascular activity, yoga, or even strength training for at least 30 minutes a day is said to improve one’s mental health as well as contribute to better sleep and higher metabolism.

As a junior, I’ve experienced my fair share of final exams, papers, and projects over the course of my college career and one thing I can tell you is that when you’re in that mode (you know the one I’m talking about) eating can be put on the back burner. It is important to eat at least somewhat healthy during finals season, no matter how difficult it might be because this food is what’s going to fuel you in the long run and give you the energy you need to succeed on your finals. So make sure you take breaks to put some food into your body because it will help you stay awake for those long hours and give you the energy you need to motivate you to complete all of your assignments on time. Now to naps and pretty much all sleeping in general. I know it can be hard to find the time to sleep during finals, but trust me, if you get somewhere between 6-8 hours a night while preparing, taking, and submitting finals, you will thank me. Sleep serves as your body’s reset button and if you don’t get the necessary hours for your REM cycle to occur, then important bodily functions such as your metabolism and memory formation will be thrown all out of sync and thus make it difficult for you to succeed simply because you didn’t get enough sleep. Just remember, you are only human and you need essential things like food, sleep, and water to function properly, so give your body the things it needs to help you succeed!

Another way to help improve your well-being not just during finals, but in general is to take “mental health breaks”. These are different from all of the other methods I’ve mentioned earlier in that these are a) longer and b) can be considered anything you do that makes you happy. So if you begin to feel the stress of writing yet another final paper or from staring at your notes as you cram for yet another final exam starting to get to you, take a “mental health break” and go play with your pet or watch cute videos of animals online, watch a mindless TV show or call and talk to one of your friends. Basically do anything that takes your mind off of the material you’re reviewing to get a new, fresh perspective on it when you come back to it.

I know that a lot of these things are easier said than done and it can seem impossible to try and pull yourself away from your studies when deadlines and finals continue to pile up, but you have to remember that your health(physical and mental) is your number one priority. To decrease some of the additional stress and anxiety surrounding finals, try to find ways of studying that are effective for you when trying to memorize certain topics; remember, what works best for one person might not always be the best option for you. Try to give yourself enough time in advance to get projects, papers, and studying done to avoid having to do everything at the last minute and risk burning out; doing a little bit each day will improve your retention of the subject and ease the stress of having to rush through assignments to keep your sanity in check during finals season. The state of the world we are currently living in right now has not made academics any easier (in fact probably a lot more difficult) for most of us, but attempting to maintain a positive outlook and implementing these strategies are just several ways that you can improve your well-being during finals and hopefully knock your finals out of the park!