We’ve (almost) done it. With 2 of the 3 worst academic weeks done, the only things standing between us and Christmas break are finals. Between professors telling you that there should be no reason to study if you kept up with the material and cramming to refresh/relearn the material, there’s a lot to worry about -- especially when your professors say that there won’t be any surprises on the exam, but you open your first exam and SURPRISE! There’s that “gotcha” moment you weren’t expecting. Anyway, finals week is one of the most tiring and stressful weeks of the entire semester. However, there is one simple solution to making not only finals but also busy lives more bearable.

I am the type of person who is literally always busy. Between running to meetings, studying and extracurriculars, there are days where it’s hard to find time to eat and nights where it’s even harder to get a solid seven hours of sleep. Even though I’m exhausted at the end of the day, I thrive off of this non-stop, productive lifestyle. I get overly involved, but I am too dedicated to drop anything and too driven to turn in uncompleted work or not study for an upcoming test.

I have a love-hate relationship with this lifestyle. I love being productive and completing all of my tasks for the day, but like I previously mentioned, it’s tiresome. When I don’t eat enough or don’t get enough sleep, I can get moody and irritable. I envy people who take naps throughout the days and watch a couple episodes on Netflix. These are the daily activities that I want to do, but I just can’t bring myself to it when I know there are other things to be done. I knew that unless I changed something, the negative side effects of never taking a spare moment to take a break would become more inevitable and apparent than they already were.

With finals this week, I have never felt busier. The extracurriculars have winded down, but, instead, I have to prepare for tests that are supposed reflections of my performance this semester. I found that the best way for me to unwind and somewhat relax was to simply take a break. Was this something people had been telling me to do for years? Yes. Was this something I had thought about doing all throughout high school and part of college but could not bring myself to actually do? Yes.

Now that I have seen the positive impacts brought about by taking a break, I am more relaxed to move into the next week. I have convinced myself that it’s OK to chill out and relax for 20 minutes. It’s OK to put up the books and watch a movie. If you’re like me, doing absolutely nothing is counterproductive, because it gives you more time to worry about what you have to do later. For your break, do something that completely takes your mind off of your never-ending To-Do list.

Taking a break can work wonders, and I hate that it took me almost six years of rigorous schooling to figure out. Taking a break can mean so much more than simply sitting and doing nothing. It means going out with your best friends and not having any worries. It means taking the time to relax. It means taking the time to take care of yourself -- finding the time to eat, go to the gym and sleep. Taking a break is all about YOU and what makes you relax and feel better. Life can get overwhelming, especially when we feel like we have to do everything, but it is during these moments where we have to remember to simply sit down and take a break. This one simple solution can help us gain the energy and motivation to conquer any challenge.