Not only does this time of year make us reach to the back of our closets to relive last year’s questionable knitwear, it also brings about dreaded exam stress. This isn’t a problem affecting a minority the Sun Life Financial Canada Survey found 90% of 18 to 24 year olds say they are excessively stressed (damn that smug 10%). It affects even the most laid back of students as deadlines creep up and although there are questionably helpful posters dotted around giving sage advice on how to conquer stress, with our full schedules some of the guidance given can seem a little unrealistic. So I’ve accumulated a couple tips from experience and excessive research done at 1:00 am whilst unable to sleep because of stress. (The irony is not lost on me.)
1. Exercise
Finding time to exercise is hard. Not only is it tough to justify not doing work but if you aren’t working you kind of just want to nap (totally normal btw). As someone who has only been to two of her dance classes since the beginning semester, I know this feeling all too well. So instead of beating myself up for my lack of enthusiasm to get sweaty, I have compromised and set myself a routine that I do as soon as I get out of bed. I put my yoga mat down and do 5-10 minute yoga workout, from memory or with YouTube. I then move onto squats, arm dips and end with crunches. This wakes me up, clears my head and keeps me engaged with my body. To keep this balanced, throwing in a few early morning swims, or getting off the bus/subway a stop earlier for a longer walk is a good way to keep cardio in the mix.
2. Cut Out the Caffeine
I also regularly (daily) fall victim to the attraction of a caffeine pick me up to start my day. A big “no no” on all of those helpful posters. Caffeine will obviously raise levels of anxiety as it heightens energy for a temporary amount of time, and with the vicious circle of stress leading to a lack of sleep, a coffee first thing seems like a quick fix. But maybe next time you are at Starbucks go for an herbal tea, or limit your coffee intake to one a day, before midday. This kind of time boundary may then help your sleep pattern. Cutting coffee out completely isn’t realistic mid exam period for many of us, so finding a compromise to lower intake to help your body is a more realistic alternative.
3. Diet
Energy levels also rely on your diet. We are all aware of the effects of high levels of sugar and fat in our diet; but trying to incorporate more vitamin B, which affects the nervous system, could be a good way to balance things out. Vitamin B is found in foods like, salmon, broccoli, eggs and nuts. So maybe getting salmon on a bagel, or picking up some nuts as a snack instead of chocolate could be an option.
The bottom-line is being a student at this time of year can be rough, and you don’t want to get to the holiday season feeling run down and sick, so look after yourself now and make simple adjustments as you go along, give yourself time to eat properly and get your body moving wherever possible. Stay strong everyone, Christmas markets, lazy days in front of the television and mandatory family visits are just around the corner!