Exam Week Stress Busters!

By Christine Johnson

“Stress is when you wake up screaming and you realize you haven’t fallen asleep yet.”
Anonymous

Take a deep breath.  The semester is almost over!  All you have to do is get through finals.  Here are a few ways to de-stress as you prepare and work your way through the stress of finals and the end of yet another semester. 

Take a Break:  Sitting and staring at your notes, or worse, a computer screen for hours at a time will wear you down.  Take a few minutes to rest your eyes.  Stand up and stretch your muscles.  Take a quick walk, even if it is just into another room of your house or to the end of your residence hall.  Taking a few minutes to let your mind relax can make all the difference when you feel your focus start to slip.

Laugh a Little:  Laughter is the best medicine.  It helps to relax your body, and science has shown that your body can stay relaxed for up to 45 minutes after you stop laughing.  So call a friend, watch some Tom and Jerry, or look up the Peanuts comic strips online and giggle a little bit before you get back to the books.

Take Small Bites:  I know your mother told you not to stuff your mouth.  Look at studying for your finals in the same light.  Don’t sit down to cram for finals.  Study a little each day and eat the elephant of finals one small bite at a time.

Now go forth and don’t stress.  You will be fine!