Lately, I’ve been so stressed that my blood pressure was affected by it: I literally went to the ER. And while I am not pre-med, I knew I fucked up somewhere along the line in order to get to that level of stress, and I have a feeling that my Intro to Artificial Intelligence final has something to do with it. Here are a few things that might help you out when you’re stressed over finals!
- Slime
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This is my very favorite way. Slime has a reputation for being the stuff you made with Elmer’s glue in elementary school but the world of slime has expanded. Experimenting with the textures and smells gives you something to literally tug on and focuses your attention on something besides the week we’re all dreading.
- Aromatherapy
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Having a clear head is important during finals and an easy way to calm down is aromatherapy! Whether you’re using candles, essential oil diffusers, or just using a hand soap that smells good, it’s easy to incorporate aromatherapy into your daily life. According to Mayo Clinic, aromatherapy “send(s) messages through the nervous system to the limbic system — the part of the brain that controls emotions”.
- Worry stones
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I’m not exactly a crystal girl or anything but tactile stimulation is proven to work. A worry stone is any stone that has a small dent in it that you can rub your thumbs on. When I’m worried I just kind of rub my worries into the rock! It’s also nice to carry around. If you’re someone who has other fidgets to destress, nothing wrong with that! Nothing’s off-limits during finals week.
- Hanging out with friends
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Everyone’s super busy but getting lunch on the hill or having a study session at Norlin is easy to put into your schedule. Friends and family are a great stress reduction technique! Humans are social creatures and I know isolation makes me depressed so taking my mind off of the worst week of the year definitely helps out!
- Cute stationEry
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I think we’ve all heard that writing things down on paper is better than typing them. And even if you don’t remember anything you write down (is that a me thing?), it’s at least nice to lift your mood a little bit. If Elle Woods got into Harvard Law using cute stationery, I have a feeling it doesn’t hurt. Color-code your notes or use pink ink instead!
While these are fun to do, nothing beats professional help. If you have a therapist and psychiatrist please keep up with the appointments. And if you’re being stressed and don’t know where to start, it might be good to reach out! CU has a pretty great Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) program.