By CHLOE GRUSING
Editorial Editor
Finals week is happening soon at Northwestern and with that comes a heap of stress.
From making sure you attend the correct final to studying for your exams, this upcoming finals season has many stressors.
I feel it is important to relax and take care of yourself during a time where everyone is struggling. Here are some ways to achieve a lower stress level:
For starters, a good way to reduce stress would be breathing and taking breaks during studying. This can be a small thirty second break between math problems, or thirty minutes in between each assignment.
This method is whatever works for you. Personally, I like to do two assignments or write two pages of a paper, and then I take a fifteen minute break. Sometimes during the break I will walk around, eat a snack, or simply scroll on Tik Tok.
I think that taking a break during a stressful task is a wonderful way to reduce stress and calm yourself down.
A second way to reduce stress would be talking to classmates, teachers, or friends about what is causing tension in your life.
Something that could reduce stress would be to create a study group with your classmates, talk to your professor about the assignment or final or just simply vent to your friends about the homework.
When I had a major midterm this semester I talked to classmates about what was stressing me out and they were able to offer feedback and advice on how to solve the issue.
This is a great way to handle stress because it gives you an outside perspective on your situation.
Thirdly, an important thing to remember is to continue to eat healthy through finals. When I am stressed I tend to eat junk food and sweets as a way to cope.
This habit is not a good one, and I find myself fighting the urge to indulge. I will admit that a sweet treat here and there is normal and healthy but when it becomes all that you eat, there may be an issue.
When eating in the cafeteria during finals try to choose healthier options, or when shopping for groceries buy baby carrots instead of hot fries.
Limiting food with high sugars and dyes is much better for your health in the long run and will greatly benefit you later in life.
Again, sweet treats are fine in moderation, but try to aim for a more well rounded diet during times of high stress.
Lastly, and most importantly, value your sleep. Sleep is the most important thing a student can do during finals week because it gives your brain time to rest and reset for the next day.
The brain is a muscle, just like a bicep, that requires rest after use. Giving your brain time to rest after a stressful day will help your cognitive skills and keep you sharp for the day. Adults should be sleeping eight hours or more a day, to give the body penalty of time to rest and reset.
Lack of sleep can cause more stress, anxiety and cause issues with processing new information. The body and the brain need sleep everyday to function properly.
Students should be maintaining a healthy and regular sleep schedule during finals to remain present during the test.
Finals week is one of the most stressful times as a college student. Taking care of your mind and body during this week is mandatory for maintaining good grades with low stress.
Each student should make sure they are eating healthy, sleeping well, taking breaks and talking through their stress with others. Doing these simple things can help a student tremendously when trying to remember all the material that goes on a final.
Make sure you are taking inventory of your mental health and seek help if it becomes too much to manage on your own.
The campus has many great resources for students including free counseling, self assessments and if you are uncomfortable talking to someone on campus there are many places in the community willing to help.
A few places to reach out are:
Taylor Wilson: tawilson@nwosu.edu
Northwest Center for Behavorial Health:
(580) 327-1112
Northwest Family Services:
(580) 327-2900
