Finals week is arguably one of the most stressful weeks throughout the entire semester. You are either crammed up in a library trying to study for that 8am test or you are still in your room watching Netflix, trying to avoid the fact that you have a 10-page paper due tomorrow. All of this stress in one single week can take a large toll on one's mental health. So here's my advice on how you can tackle these anxious feelings and conquer finals week.
One of the biggest problems that most students run into is procrastination. This is obviously much easier said than done. Coming from someone who has on multiple occasions written 10-paged papers in a single night, I understand how tempting waiting until the last minute may be. Yet, procrastinating causes stress and stress causes anxiety. Also, by waiting until the last minute, there is high probability that you'll do poorly on the test the next day or poorly write the paper. So start working on assignments at least a few days in advance!
However, it is also important not to completely burn yourself out. An important thing to do is take mental breaks throughout the day. By mental breaks, I mean taking a 30 minute break tops. It is important when working for several hours at a time to give your brain some time to relax, but this doesn't mean you should go binge watch an entire Netflix series or stalk every single person you know on Instagram for a few hours. But by giving your mind a mental break, you are letting some of the stress go away for 10-15 minutes.
One of the most important things to do to make sure you don't get yourself overly stressed is to take care of yourself. That means GET SOME SLEEP. Perhaps some people are able to function on a few hours of sleep, but for myself personally, I know a mental break down will occur if I don't get at least 4-6 hours of sleep. By not getting enough sleep, you are causing your body to stress out and produce feelings of anxiety, which is not healthy. In order to get some sleep, this means you cannot procrastinate to extreme hours. So, take some time before finals week to plan out a schedule that guarantees you get at least six hours of sleep each night.
Also, as an avid coffee lover, I know that caffeine can be dangerous. During this week, be careful with how much caffeine you are consuming. A cup or two of coffee is alright and even recommended during this stressful week, but do not go overboard. Drinking caffeine is linked to feelings of anxiety, and also, if you drink too much of it, you are ensuring that you will have a sleepless night. If you are feeling low on energy, try to exercise! Going for a quick run will create endorphins and make you feel much more awake. Additionally, doing a quick workout or stretching when you wake up is a great way to jump start your day. Overall, it is important during a time of high volumes of stress to remind yourself that you should be taking care of your mind and your body!
During stressful times, it is very easy to become negative and beat yourself down, which only causes you to feel more stressed. So, it is crucial that you stay positive and remind yourself that you are capable of anything. Remember that YOU can conquer anything put in front of you. Do not let the stress of finals week allow you to create thoughts of negativity in your head. During this week, try to leave yourself (and even your friends) little reminders that they are strong and important and fully capable of conquering this week.
Remember, finals week is just one week of tests and papers and then it's over! So stay strong and get your work done!
