With ongoing and impending finals, it’s important to remember that taking time to relax is also a key component to the process.
Eating, hygiene maintenance and sleep also take precedence, but if you can’t manage to do all that, at least remember the importance of taking time to relax.
Professors are constantly reminding us that for each hour of credit time spent in class, we need to be spending an equal amount of time outside of class studying and completing assignments — like we really needed the reminder.
You would think that I’m buying stock in coffee just by assessing how much of it I use on a daily basis to get by.
Between class, outside activities and work, there’s just no time to relax.
Forget about sleep, eating right, exercise or spending time with friends.
That’s the attitude I’ve been having lately, but it’s not a healthy one.
If we really want to put our full potential into our coursework, then we need to take adequate time to let our brains rest.
“How do we make time for ourselves,” you may ask.
Well, here are a few things you can do. You could give yourself a mini-break, by jumping on your smartphone for a game of Trivia Crack or Solitaire, but that’s almost as mind-numbing as staring at your computer screen while you write that ethics paper.
Avoid getting on Facebook or Twitter because — let’s be real — most of the time the things you find on there are just going to make you irritated and more stressed out.
I really didn’t need to know that another one of my friends is getting married or see another article about how the job market for our generation is less than promising.
Instead, try incorporating personal hygiene with your relaxation.
It will make you and everyone else around you a little happier.
Get some Dr. Teal’s De-Stress and Relaxing Bubble Bath, listen to some smooth jazz and feel your shoulder muscles loosening.
It’s amazing how much a gentle cleanse can change your outlook on life.
There’s no need to rush; that classwork is still going to be there after you dry off.
Personally, when I need to take a break I arm-knit.
I watch an episode of “How I Met Your Mother” while I do it and I can typically get a scarf done before the end of the episode.
It’s a pretty great tactic for me because it’s just enough time to get my heart rate down to a normal speed after stressing about exams.
Plus, I enjoy knitting and the product of my de-stressing moment could turn into a Christmas gift for one of my girlfriends or more fashionable guy friends.
If you’re really in need of a break, take a moment to bake some cookies. No one can be upset while making Snickerdoodles.
Maybe you can give them to your professors as an incentive to boost your final grade. It’s not bribery — it’s a snack.
The really great thing is if you lose motivation halfway through, you still have delicious cookie dough: the official sponsor of finals week.
Find whatever works for you this finals week and be sure to make time for yourself.
It may seem silly, but those few minutes can give you the refreshed perspective you need and help you to avoid an ulcer.
BRIANNA WOODS
