1. Ignore All of the Sh*t You Have to Do
To get through stressful times such as exam week, my motto is always: “Deny, deny, deny.” Some may recommend making to-do lists and prioritizing the items by importance, but that’s never worked for me. It just makes me hyperventilate. So I choose denial. Others call this method “unhealthy,” and will recommend that you “seek help,” but trust me, it is the most convenient route to less stress.
2. Do Something Cathartic Every Day
You can’t study every single hour, especially if you’re following my first tidbit of advice. So take a break every once in a while, and do something to relieve the stress. For example, if you see someone who looks incredibly put together and cute in the library during exam week, feel free to “accidentally” stomp on their foot. Voila: stress-relieving catharsis.
3. Take a Lot of Naps
I don’t know about everyone else, but whenever I think about the suffocating amount of work to do, my first instinct is to fall into my bed and take a nap. It’s proven very successful for me in terms of stress relief. I wake up a mere 3 hours later feeling confused and not knowing what day it is. But once I wake myself up, drink some tea, and go through a 30 minute process in which I tell everyone in my hall how long I just slept and they proceed to glare at me for some reason, I feel ready to take on the night. Well, usually I’ll go to dinner first, but then I feel ready to really hunker down.
4. Bust Out Your Best Groutfit
None of this “Dress for Success” bullsh*t! During exam week, you should be wearing sweats, preferably in all gray so you can call it a proper groutfit. It’s okay to look like you’re on your deathbed during finals week, I’ll even go as far as to say that it’s expected. Don’t even worry about that sauce you spilled on your shirt during dinner, or how many days ago that dinner was; wear it proudly.
5. When All Else Fails, Go to Bed
After a three hour nap and a couple hours of work, I’m feeling exhausted. If you’re exhausted to the point where you can’t work anymore, don’t drink a coffee or Five Hour Energy, go to bed, wake up after a healthy twelve hours of sleep feeling refreshed.