This is it guys. Two more weeks and then FINALS! Wow, two sentences into a blog post and I’m already about to reach for the stress chocolate I have stashed in my desk right next to the stress tea. Admittedly, the rest of the semester is going to be non-stop GO, GO, GO, for me and a lot of y’all out there. We’ve all being kicking ass this year and nothing is stopping us now. Even that crippling fear of ending the semester in a horrific crash and burn finals extravaganza doesn’t stand a chance. Not going to happen, folks. Why? Because we are going to keep our stress in check. Rachel and I have both been through our fair share of finals weeks (not to mention Rachel’s COMPS are tomorrow! GO WISH HER LUCK) and we’ve gathered up our top tips for finishing the semester with minimal freak out moments.
- Hang on to your favorite mantras for dear life until it’s all over. My personal favorite currently is “Stay ahead of them game, or at least don’t fall behind”, while I’m pretty sure Rachel’s is “All my tasks are accomplishable”. I used to think mantras were a little silly, but I am a full fledged believer now. Sometimes just taking a moment to remind yourself that you are capable really helps.
- Plan Ahead. I have a lot of trouble with this one, even though I meticulously plan out my days via my iCal. My love for sleeping in always dashes my morning plans. So now, I’m trying to make my morning plans part of my evening plans. I really, really recommend Unfuck Your Habitat’s tumblr for further help on this issue. Tonight I’ve actually got my lunch for tomorrow ready and an outfit picked out for tomorrow!
- Lists, lists, lists. We’ve said it before and will say it again. We at STS love (need) our lists. Breaking things down. Crossing them off. I don’t know how people passed finals before lists were invented in 1873 by Baroness von Listenstein.
- Talk it out with friends. Sometimes you really just need to vent and complain and get all your frustrations out before you can go back to tackling everything. Even just a quick phone chat can put you in a better mood and chances are you’ll also brighten up your friend’s day as well!
- Or talk it out with a campus provided therapist. Maybe your friends are busy. Maybe you just want to discuss something with an unbiased third party. Maybe you really need to reach out for some extra advice. Whatever the reason, know that there are always services on campuses for counselling. Often these services also provide general relaxation workshops during finals. There’s a massage chair and stress ball somewhere waiting for you!
Prioritize yourself and your time. You can’t do it all, so don’t put too much unnecessary pressure on yourself to try for the impossible. You come first. Sometimes that means sacrificing in some areas. Maybe your room will be messy for a week or so. Don’t sweat it. Maybe you’ll go over a bit on your dining out budget. You need to each and you don’t have time for much more than campus food. So be it! But do try and get enough rest and mental downtime. You are worth it!
- Jam to some upbeat tunes! I maked it myself!
- Forget all the previous hints and just join Rachel at this website with all the David Tennent gifs and photos you could ever want.
STS Extra Credit: Let us know what your go-to destressing tips are!
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