Well, it’s that time of the semester again…finals. While it’s exciting that the semester is coming to an end, it’s still an extremely stressful time for most college students, as we are all worrying about that one final assignment or test that is going to make or break our grades in our courses. However, being a senior and having gone through this crazy stressful time multiple times, I’ve picked up some habits and activities that seem to be extremely helpful during finals week. Listed below I have my favorite self-care activities that help to reduce stress during finals week!
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Listening to Music
The first thing I always like to do before I head into finals week is to make sure that I have a playlist ready to go with all of my favorite songs to listen to. For me, I find it easier to concentrate when I have music on in the background at a lower volume because it stops me from getting distracted by other smaller noises I can hear around me. It’s also a lot of fun to take five to ten-minute breaks in between studying to have mini dance parties to your music as well!
Cleaning Your Room
Something I learned as a freshman in college is that having a clean room always promotes better study habits and a more calming environment. Whenever my room is messy or cluttered, I feel as though I am suffocating and drowning in even more things on top of just my school work. It’s always best to organize your room before sitting down to study and working on your homework, that way your undivided attention is on that rather than the thought of how messy and distracting your room is.
Creating a Schedule
For me, I’ve noticed I am more productive and get more work done when I give myself a schedule of when to do things and how much to accomplish. Sometimes, the workload we are given can feel overwhelming, causing us more stress and anxiety, making it harder for us to complete those tasks to the high standards our teachers expect from us. By creating a schedule of what day and time to finish certain assignments and study for certain classes, helps block out enough time in our schedules for each class and helps ensure that you do not forget to study or complete any assignments.
Watching Movies/TV Shows
During finals week, I always make sure to take out about an hour to an hour-and-a-half of the day to dedicate it to watching one of my favorite movies or tv shows. It’s always good to give your brain a break from staring at a computer screen or notebook all day by doing something you enjoy. During the end of the fall semester, I’ll typically turn on a Christmas movie that I really like, such as The Grinch, and I’ll use the hour or so that I blocked out in my schedule for the movie to eat my dinner. This makes me feel as though I don’t have to rush to finish eating my dinner and I know that I have enough time in my day to watch the movie because I blocked it out in my schedule.
Starbucks with Classmates
Another helpful activity to do during finals week is to go out for coffee with your classmates at a Starbucks and study together. Sometimes there are things that we may not individually understand, so meeting up with classmates to go over the material that will be on your final or is part of your final assignment is always helpful because you can explain to one another the things you may not understand.
Taking Walks/Runs
Going out for walks and runs is also extremely beneficial, in my opinion, during finals week as well. Being able to get some fresh air, while moving your body around after sitting down helps take away from the antsy-ness that we tend to feel after staring at our computers and books all day while sitting down at a desk. Going for runs or walks also gives us a chance to reset our minds and feel proud of ourselves for exercising for that day as well.
Night-time Skincare Routine
Finally, before going to bed, I’ve always found that creating a night-time skincare routine is always beneficial and relieves stress. Something about taking 20 minutes out of your day before going to sleep to pamper yourself helps calm your body and mind. It’s almost like rewarding yourself for all of the hard work you did that day, and makes it so much easier to fall asleep!
Above I only listed a few ways to help relieve some of the stress and anxiety that can build up from finals week. There are so many other fantastic ways to treat and calm yourself during finals week besides those that I listed. However, I find that these activities are the best way for me to de-stress myself and think everyone should give them a chance too!