Do you ever get that feeling like the exams just won’t stop? Professors just don’t know when to quit. If they haven’t assigned a midterm (worth 30% of your grade or more) then they’ve definitely given you a paper or project to do. And all four (or five) of your classes have something due. With all of this on your plate, it can be hard to fit studying or writing onto your to-do list. Here’s some ways you can de-stress before tackling those Quizlets and page minimums before the semester swallows you whole:
1. Practice Mindfulness
This is something that can easily become a part of your everyday routine. Take a few minutes to remind yourself about the here and now, focus only on what you are currently doing, stay present in the moment, and clear your mind. This definitely takes loads of practice before you’ve mastered the skill, but there are plenty of ways to get started. Try only having one assignment open in front of you. This way you’re not focused on more than one thing at a time. Multitasking is the enemy of mindfulness. That being said, if you need some low, instrumental music to set the tone of being mindful and to clear your mind, go right ahead. Being mindful and in the moment of your work can allow you to finish one task at a time and be present within studying. You’ll retain more information and have an overall grasp of the subject at hand. If you’re writing a paper, it can help you choose a topic, find your quotes and/or do the research needed, and even meet your page/word minimum!
2. Get a Good Night’s Sleep
This may seem like something your mom tells you, but it’s true. Instead of staying up until 3am cramming, study a little each night and try to go to bed at least 7 hours before you have to be awake. Maintaining a normal sleep schedule is helpful for when you have other requirements than class. If you make the habit now to stay up late and sleep until noon, it will be hard to break that when you need to be up at 6 or 7 for work. Additionally, when you sleep, your brain can condense the days knowledge attained and store it in your memory. But if you’re dozing while you study because you’re up so late, your brain won’t have much to store because you’ll have a hard time remembering it unless you’re in the half-asleep state.
3. Set a Schedule for Studying
This is useful because you can divvy up the load you have for all of midterms over the course of a week or more. Then you won’t feel as rushed to cram everything. Pacing yourself allows you to better remember what is learned and allows your brain to store it better during sleep. This is because you are committing less to memory at once, and therefore it is more readily accessible. A schedule also allows you to see when you have free time because self care is important too. Make sure to keep up your healthy hygiene habits, and make the time to see your friends and decompress. A schedule can help you plan those times where you need to take a break. But understand, a schedule can be modified at any time! So if you haven’t made it to your “scheduled” break but still need one, take it. Self care is of utmost importance.
4. Muscle Tensing Relaxation
This technique is something you can do on your own to help release the tension is your muscles. For this technique you will tense certain muscles, one at a time, and take deep breaths. When you release each breath, you let go of the muscle and remedy to get everything super relaxed. The order I’ve always been taught is bottom to top. Start with your toes (both feet) . Curl them up tightly. Breath in deeply, hold your breath and count to 5 (it’s okay if you can make it to 5), then exhale and release your toes. Next you move on to your calves, thighs, butt, lower back, upper back, shoulders, hands, forearm, upper arm, shoulders again, and finally, your face (furrow your brow). This exercise should be done bilaterally, meaning that both sides of the body done at the same time! Repeat this exercise as much as needed. The more often you do it, the better you’ll get at controlling individual muscles (like the lower back).
Best of luck on midterms from HCWM!