When it comes to trying to destress during finals week and get things done, start now! It is never a good option to leave a paper for the night before. Procrastination is difficult to overcome but try to plan assignments out in bite sized chunks, so you are not overwhelmed. A calendar, agenda book, or phone alert is good to have to organize due dates of different assignments.
Finals week, believe it or not, should not be filled with never-ending studying; you still need time for yourself. After some studying, try and take a walk or treat yourself in some way. Walk or drive over to an ice cream shop or grocery store and get your favorite snack. Finals week shouldn’t leave you crammed inside trying to absorb information 24/7.
A lot of college students, myself included, have a problem with getting a good night’s sleep. Try to get into a rhythm that is good for you, and put your phone away a few minutes before you sleep so the blue light doesn’t make it harder to doze off. Alternatively, get a blue light filter so it doesn’t disrupt natural melatonin production. Harvard Health says that “while light of any kind can suppress the secretion of melatonin, blue light at night does so more powerfully.”
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Your professors and fellow students don’t mind helping or sharing information. If your notes aren’t the best to study from, try and ask another student to look at theirs. In the future, it may be best to color code notes if possible if you are more of a visual learner. On the topic of notes, try to make them fun. Talking about ancient Egypt? Maybe draw a mummy or hieroglyphics to help you remember the information and make it pop instead of walls of written words.
It’s always best to stay organized, especially if you need to refer back to your notes in the future for papers or tests. Besides notes, try and take a few minutes to clean your space around you. Decluttering has been proven to help moods and motivation.
If you have room in your busy schedule, maybe you can dance your worries away. It may seem silly but The Telegraph, in their article “Why dancing feels so good” writes, “Dancing also improves spatial awareness, as well as raising the heart rate and causing a release of feel-good endorphins into the bloodstream. One more benefit is that it helps reduce levels of cortisol – a stress hormone.” So, putting on some “SexyBack” by Justin Timberlake or “Dancing Queen” by ABBA could help take you out of the tension of work and release some happy chemicals.
If music isn’t your thing or you want to more passively chill out, try a comedy special or movie. All of John Mulaney’s comedy shows are on Netflix and they are all about an hour long. If you have more time I’d suggest watching “The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let’s Do the Time Warp Again,” which is a horror/comedy on Hulu that is two hours long.
Lastly, maintain Covid guidelines. While it is tempting to hang out with a large group of friends to study, it is not the safest activity to do now. If you want to stay connected, try a Zoom or Instagram room. It’s not the same as in person but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a fun and productive time. You can also find game rooms online. The popular game ‘Cards Against Humanity’ has online playability and sites where you can create a game just for you and your friends.