Finals week can be a troubling time for all students, and with it only being a week away, it is time to discuss how to deal with stress.
Learning new skills may aid in high stress moments in this high stress week, such as getting plenty of sleep. Sleep is the rejuvenation of the body and it heals the mind by giving it a break from all the thoughts that tend to swirl around. Sleep especially helps with memory recall for when you finally get to those finals early in the morning.
“Sleep has been proven to improve memory recall, regulate metabolism, and reduce mental fatigue. A minimum of 7 hours of daily sleep seems to be necessary for proper cognitive and behavioral function,” Andy Eugene and Jolanta Masiak said in “The Neuroprotective Aspects of Sleep.”
Another important thing to reduce stress is keeping in touch with people to vocalize feelings and experiences. Sharing with trusted others can ease stress.
“Think of one person you really trust and like to talk to—friend, parent, teacher, coach, school counselor—and plan to check in with them each week to share ups and downs and trouble-shoot challenges as they come up,” the JED Foundation said in article, “8 ways to lower stress in high school.”
A personal thing you can do is listen to your favorite music. Listening to something you enjoy can take your mind off things.
“No matter what the song, sometimes belting out the lyrics to a favorite tune makes everything seem alright. If you’re in a public place, just listening to music can be a quick fix for a bad mood. Classical music can be especially relaxing right before bedtime,” The University of Colorado said in their article, “25 Quick Ways to Reduce Stress.”
Staying active is another way you can lower your stress. Simple things like running, doing sit ups on the back porch, or jumping jacks in your bedroom, can improve how productive you may feel and give you an outlet for stress.
“Stress is the leading cause of illnesses and can be addressed through lifestyle changes. Don’t let stress take over your life. Breathe, move, and get plenty of rest,” Director of the Texas Yoga Association, Jennifer Buergermeister, said.