As finals week approaches, stress levels are shooting through the roof. Hours upon hours are being spent studying at the library and insane amounts of caffeine are being consumed. Listed below are some of the ways I de-stress; I hope at least one of them will come in handy for you as well.
1. Take naps
Naps are extremely crucial, especially in college. I'm a huge nap taker myself and it's pretty rare when I have a day where a nap is not included since I hardly get a decent amount of sleep when it's actually time for bed. Not only are naps refreshing, they're also known to improve peoples moods, alertness and performance. So go ahead and take one now, you definitely deserve it.
2. Eating
Grab some of your favorite snacks and go ham. People often times seem happier after they consume something that really gets their taste buds feeling some type of way. It doesn't matter if all of your snacks are unhealthy or not, you deserve that brain food. Treat yo self.
3. Working Out
When studying has turned your brain into mush and you feel like throwing your textbooks out of a window, go to the gym and blow off some of that steam. Anything as simple as a run will help get your mind off of whatever's stressing you out.
4. Take baths
Light a few candles, put on some of your favorite music, use a nice bath bomb and you're all set. There's nothing more relaxing than being warm while having some of your favorite sounds and scents surrounding you.
5. Listen to music
To me, music is such a lovely stress reliever. Put on some of your favorite tunes and take a break from studying. Listening to my favorite music always helps boost my mood and sometimes even helps to motivate me.
6. Cry
Everyone deserves a good cry every now and then. Finals week is one of those times where nobody will be judged or looked down upon if they're seen shedding a tear or two at the library. If anything, people will probably join you and you can cry together. Sometimes you just have to get those tears flowing in order to make yourself feel a little better, and that's perfectly okay.
7. Hang out with Friends
Of course studying is a main priority during the dreaded time of finals, but a little fun with some friends will never do any harm. Surround yourself with people who will make you laugh and smile to help get your mind out of what seems like the never ending black hole that is finals week. You're almost guaranteed to be in a much better mood after spending time with people who make you the happiest.
Other than the listed ideas above, of course there are definitely many other ways to de-stress, such as watching videos of cute puppies on YouTube, drinking tea or doing yoga. Find a mechanism that helps you cope with stress the best and I'm sure finals week will be a lot less hectic than it seems.
