Finals time is here, and it’s a stressful time for most students. Students look to be successful with finals and, at times, may engage in behaviors that lead to more stress in the process. So, let’s talk about ways to manage our stress with finals, engage in healthy self-care behaviors and most importantly, engage in specific ways to de-stress.
When managing stress with finals, some keys to success include setting up a routine, mapping out your finals, developing a study plan and coordinating with peers to review coursework and material on the finals. Setting up a routine will help you maintain balance and predictability during this unique time of year. After creating your routine, pick when and which order course finals and papers are reviewed/completed. Also, make sure you do not prep and study for every final on your own. Seek out peers for support, questions and focus.
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Create a healthy sleep schedule and know when you are most effective with studying.
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Engage in healthy eating behaviors. Remember, food is your energy and is important to your success.
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Get active. Find time to be active and healthy with friends and family in whatever way fits you. It is also a good way to add breaks during your studying.
Make sure you stay aware of your stress levels. During this time when your stress levels are high, attempt to engage in some specific de-stressing behaviors. For example, if you notice that you are holding tension or respond to stress in a physical way, do something physical. If you are feeling emotional or isolated, be social with others. If your mind is racing, do something mindfully. The take-home is to match your type of stress response (physical, emotional or cognitive) with a de-stressor that matches.
Overall, finals time can be very stressful for many students. However, if you can effectively plan for finals, engage in healthy self-care behaviors and utilize specific de-stressing activities, you can have a more relaxed finals week. This will allow you to better focus while studying and, hopefully, see positive results in your classes after a semester of hard work.