As finals come around, it can be challenging to find time for yourself. However, you shouldn't let these busy times get the best of you. Read on as we'll show you tips on keeping balance during finals as a college student.
Prioritizing All Parts of Yourself
How do you balance everything in your college life? Here’s a guide to help you:
A. Physical
Do you know where you stand physically? A healthy body is a healthy mind, so it's important to take care of both during finals season. Follow these tips:
1. Schedule Time for Exercise and Study
Don’t use up all your energy on one thing at the expense of another. Physical exercise is an easy way to de-stress while focusing on wellness.
A simple walk around campus or a jog around the housing complex can help clear your head. It can also get you in a better state of mind for studying.
Additionally, exercise releases endorphins which can help keep you happy. Aside from that, it relieves anxiety.
2. Eat Healthy Foods
You’ll be amazed by how much better you feel when you become intentional with your health. Don’t forget to drink your water as well!
3. Take Breaks
Don’t force yourself to stay at your desk for long hours. Immediately stop if it’s causing stress or anxiety.
4. Get Enough Sleep
It’s tempting to stay up all night studying and cramming for tests, but your body needs sleep. It can help you focus better. Get at least 7-8 hours of sleep.
Doing so allows your body to recover and prepare itself for the next day. If you need to finish something, try to do it early in the day rather than late at night.
B. Mental
Be careful not to lose sight of your mental health in all the chaos. All-nighters, cram sessions, and coffee runs are a lot less fun when they start to take a toll on your mental health.
Taking care of your mental health will make it easier for you to succeed academically. Here are some tips to keep your mental health in check during the finals:
1. Take a Step Back
Start by taking a step back from your busy schedule and asking yourself what you really need.
Do you need more sleep? A break from studying? More time with friends or family? When you know what you need, try setting aside time each day or week to spend doing just that thing.
2. Practice Meditation
If stress is getting to be too much, try meditation. Meditation is a practice that involves training the mind to focus on the present moment while acknowledging and letting go of distracting thoughts or emotions.
It can be a valuable tool for college students to improve not only their mental state, but also their emotional and physical health.
You can download apps that can guide you through meditation exercises that are designed specifically for college students.
3. Ask for Help
Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you find yourself feeling overwhelmed or stressed out.
C. Emotional
Your emotional health will affect how effectively you can handle your responsibilities. It also affects your decisions and could have a lasting impact on your future.
1. Be Kind and Compassionate to Yourself.
Avoid negative self-talk, and practice positive affirmations and self-care activities.
2. Do Something that Makes You Happy.
Whether it's listening to music or reading a book, doing so will help keep your stress levels down.
3. Learn Stress-Management Techniques.
Aside from meditation, deep breathing and mindfulness can also help you manage stress and anxiety.
D. Social
Now let’s make sure your social life doesn’t suffer during this crucial time of year. Here’s how:
1. Schedule
Do your social activities before or after class so that you don't have to miss out on studying time.
2. Study with a Friend
Find a friend to study with. You can motivate each other and stay focused on the task at hand.
3. Set Healthy Boundaries
A healthy social life also means setting healthy boundaries. Establish boundaries with your peers, professors, and other commitments.
This may mean saying no to social events that aren't aligned with your values. Taking a break from social media is another example. Healthy boundaries ensure you have enough time to take care of yourself.
E. Spiritual: BYU-Idaho is Guided by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Most importantly, keep your spiritual health in mind. As a BYU-Idaho student, you are guided by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
The university has plenty of resources to help students figure out how to balance their lives and stay on track academically.
A healthy spiritual life can help you navigate challenges. Find greater fulfillment and purpose in your personal and academic pursuits.
Remember Your Worth is More Than Grades
As a college student, you’re working hard to keep up with your classes and do well on your exams. Don’t forget that there are more than just grades that make you valuable. You have worth beyond your academic accomplishments.
Don’t let your grades define who you are! Don’t let the pressure of college get to you. Remember that you’re an amazing person. No matter what happens in life, you’ll always be enough.
Create a Plan to Fit it All In
Figure out when you have time for each thing you need to do, then set aside blocks of time for each activity. Keep these in mind:
Make Sure Your Plan is Realistic
If something is too much work for one sitting, break it down into smaller chunks. You may also set aside two or three days to focus on just one thing.
Let Go of Perfectionism
You won't be able to get everything done perfectly, so don't worry about it! Instead of focusing on achieving perfection, celebrate your small successes along the way. Remember that progress is more important than achieving perfection. You got this!
If you’re looking for a housing complex in Rexburg, ID, where keeping balance during finals is simple, we’d love to help! We've designed a living space where you can be stress-free so that you can focus on your education.
We make sure that everything you need is right at your fingertips. Contact us today!