Top 10 Ways To Avoid Stress During Finals

1. Create a daily and weekly detailed calendar

Post a calendar on your wall that includes exam dates, paper and assignment deadlines, and any other activities that you need to take care of during this time period. This will allow you to make room for all that needs to be done each day, as well as set daily and weekly goals which will make these activities more achievable. If you can visualize your tasks and deadlines they become more accessible.

2. Exercise

Go for a run or go to the gym. Exercising before you begin studying will release endorphins in your body that will make you feel more relaxed and boost your mood. Exercise is a very good way to calm and quiet an overactive mind. Running, walking, or jogging outside in the fresh air is also a great way to wake you up, and get the blood flowing throughout your body. This will allow you to think more clearly, focus, and avoid distractions.

3. Express your anxieties and stress to another person

Keeping your anxieties and stress levels bottled up inside can create more anxiety and worries that will distract you from getting the most out of the time you are actually studying. Verbalizing these anxieties can release them from your thoughts, and help you think more clearly and focus on the matters at hand. This will help you get the most out of your studying, as well as retain more information. And it can help you relax as well.

4. Take a short 20 minute break, and do something fun

Give your brain a break, and go do something enjoyable. It can be helpful to just put the books down and go do something to take your mind off your studies. This can prove to be a great relief from the pressure and anxiety associated with final exams.

5. Spend some time away from school and others involved in exams

If you are surrounded by other students and faculty caught up in the stress of finals week, a good idea may be to take a walk off campus and just separate yourself from the general chaos of the environment. Do something alone, take deep breaths, relax, and/or treat yourself to something relaxing and non-stressful. Think about your non-academic life and things that are comforting to you.

6. Take advantage of study groups

Find yourself a study partner or group that is focused on the same tasks as you. Study groups can be both supportive and motivating before and during finals. Group studies can be an effective way of both asking and answering questions. It also can be very supportive to see others in the same situation as yourself helping one another to succeed. Study groups will help you keep your stress and anxiety levels down.

7. Stay organized

Gather up all of the notes and books you need for each class or exam, and keep them together in their respective areas/zones/etc. That way, when it’s time to study or find items that you need to complete, they’ll be close by and thus easily accessible. This will save you both time and unnecessary stress in searching endlessly for items you may have randomly misplaced.

8. Eat healthy

Try to eat healthy food during finals week. This will keep your energy level up and stress level down. Foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals will help you stay alert and focused on a consistent level, and your body and mind well balanced as a result.

9. Don’t forget to sleep

Get enough rest. It is a fact that the less you sleep, the more stressful you become. Pulling all-nighters will leave you drained the following day, and your focus will be terrible. So plan to use the most of your days to get things accomplished in order to keep you sharp and on top of your game, both physically and mentally.

10. Listen to music or other soothing sounds that keep your focus where it needs to be

Music can be both motivating and relaxing depending on the task at hand. Listening to music can keep your attention focused on your goals and inspire you to push forward and continue on with your studies. It can also provide a release of unnecessary stress and take your mind off otherwise distracting thoughts or ulterior motivations.