The dark abyss of deadlines and exams is finally behind us and we’ve hopefully made it through to the other side with a trace of our sanity still intact. Our physical and mental wellbeing may have fallen victim to countless late night Hallward sessions but it’s not too late for some serious damage control. Lack of sleep, sugary revision snacks and a constant supply of stress and caffeine has done us no favours. Some people manage to keep it all together during these weeks, like the housemate who manages to hand everything in a week before the deadline or the course friend who comes to the library fresh as a daisy without an eyebag in sight. Others, on the other hand, haven’t seen their bedroom floor since November and can’t remember the last time they washed their hair. If you belong to the latter, this is a judgement free zone. So here is Her Campus’ 5 step guide to help you get back to feeling human again…
Step 1: Clean.
This may not be the most relaxing task in the world but decluttering your living space does wonders for your stress levels. Wash your bedding, hoover your floor and burn anything resembling revision notes or essay plans. Ah, much better.
Step 2: Eat a vegetable.
Or a bucket of vegetables. Now’s a time of retribution for the 17 packets of crisps you inhaled in the last two weeks. Do a healthy food shop full of vitamin-filled goodies that’ll combat how worn down you feel, and celebrate making food that’s going on a plate instead of into a Tupperware box!
Step 3: (Dare I say “pamper”?)
Let’s face it – the exam period is not exactly a time when hygiene or beauty is a priority. You may have been treating yourself to the occasional shower but your skin, hair and eyebrows now deserve a little extra affection. Pull out all the smellies you got from distant relatives at Christmas and go mental. Wash and deep condition your hair. Use a scrub to buff away dead skin. Marinate yourself in your fave moisturiser. Treat yourself to a face mask. You might end up smelling like Lush threw up on you but you will feel reborn.
Step 4: Duvet day.
Duvet day like you’ve never duvet day’d before. Crawl into your freshly washed sheets in some comfies and watch an entire season of your guilty pleasure TV show of choice – simply because you can. Or alternatively plan a movie night with your friends, with lots of wine for good measure, and learn how to socialise again.
(Option B is only for when you feel ready to leave your room and be reinstated into society. This might not be for a long time, but baby steps.)
Step 5: Sleep.
Now that the week-long caffeine buzz has finally worn off you’re ready to shut down. Go to sleep and don’t set an alarm. By the time you wake up, deadlines and exams will have been a nightmare of your past.