You have two tests this week – both of which you don’t know the material for because you were finishing a group project for another class. Your club is doing an event that you want to participate in, but there’s also an essay due the same night that was assigned only 2 days ago.
Classic midterm season.
2021 has completely flown by; the semester is already halfway gone and fall co-ops are more than halfway finished. When the pandemic put a pause on people’s lives, self-care came to the forefront of many peoples’ minds. However, in this chaotic time it can become extremely difficult to be truly self aware of how we are treating ourselves – so this article serves as a reminder of the different ways that we can all walk away from difficult times feeling satisfied and proud of ourselves (which admittedly, is a lot harder than it seems).
First, when thinking about assignments that need to be completed, it becomes a lot easier to tackle deadlines when you prioritize tasks. Order of priority can be determined by due dates or by difficulty of work. If work is sorted into categories such as due dates, busy work and studying, it can be easier mentally to do work. A task from each category can be chosen and completed, and then crossed off the list. While this method may seem elementary, physically crossing tasks off a list can be extremely therapeutic in that one can feel and visualize the workload lessening. It can ultimately reduce stress levels and increase motivation to finish the work that needs to be completed faster. Increased anxiety that may arise as a consequence of these stressful situations will also be easier to resolve.
The second (and maybe most important) tip is to set reminders on your phone to drink water and have at least two big meals a day. It can become easy to put physical well-being on the back burner during midterm season, but food and water are simply necessary for students to have the energy to do work. We need to be able to fuel our bodies with the appropriate tools it needs to keep energy levels sustained for long hours of work and study. Some college students tend to ignore physical health during times when schoolwork is a priority, but mental exhaustion ultimately manifests itself in a physical way as well. So whether you heat up a frozen meal or have bubble tea while you study, make sure that you are getting the fuel that you need to sustain yourself.
The last tip is to separate study sessions with breaks. These breaks have to be periods where you are not thinking about the next assignment due, and instead stretches of time to just breathe and do something intentionally relaxing. Whether that is listening to music, reading a chapter from a book, or even watching 20 minutes of a TV show, these breaks have to be intentionally different from work so that there is separation between mental stressors. On that note, extended breaks are not necessarily a bad thing either! Again, mental exhaustion does take a physical toll on our bodies and if your body is telling you to take a break, it is most likely for a reason. You will be able to accomplish so much more when you are listening to what your body needs.
During stressful time periods like midterms, students don’t necessarily want to prioritize themselves. However, making a meal, having a plan of action, and following up with a reward is a simple process that can make stress a lot easier to handle. Self-care does not have to mean face masks and yoga (although skincare and physically moving the body can definitely alleviate stress). Instead, self-care can simply encompass being intentional with decisions that are beneficial to our mental sanity.