With exam season fast approaching, it can be a exhausting and pressurising period for many students. A period of time where health ranks lower than that essay due next week, but here are some easy and manageable ways to keep your mental health in check to stay on top of your academic game this exam season:
- Catch some Zzz... - It's a well known fact that getting enough is enough sleep for your brain to function but it also highly impacts your mood and concentration levels. Yes, it may seem important to stay up to finish that essay but waking up the next morning with no energy to fully be productive leaves you with nada.
- Eat a healthier diet - Easier said than done! But, making simple healthy swaps with your revision snacks such as swapping those sugary snacks and drinks for oat bars and fruit is a better alternative to aid to your success. You will still be able to get some energy but avoid the crash down that leaves you sluggish when you opt for junk food snacks
- Get some fresh air in your revision breaks - It can be incredibly daunting studying in the library, right? But it doesn't make things any better for your brain if you spend your study breaks (or procrastinate) scrolling through social media. Taking a five-10 minute walk every 45 minutes to an hour can change your mindset by giving yourself a mental break and leave you feeling refreshed with a clearer perspective when you get back to studying.
- Stay organised - A beneficial way to stay on top of everything is to keep a diary/organiser and colour code all key exam dates, deadlines and plan when you are going to do your work. This includes planning downtime for extra-curricular activities so you can still have a small sense of your life when you need a break and have time for yourself. Physically seeing everything you have to do will make your workload seem a lot more manageable and less anxiety inducing.
- Break a sweat - Physical exercise is one of the most underrated remedies when it comes to handling anxiety. Simply taking out 30 minutes of your day to get a workout in can help you manage exam stress better by allowing you to take some quality time out to clear your head. Exercise increases serotonin and endorphin production which are those happy chemicals that help alleviate pain and stress. Prioritising your health may seem like the last thing on your mind, but when has anyone ever regretted working out?
- Inspire yourself- All great successful people whether being entrepreneurs to world leaders to the Kardashians have never got anywhere without a positive attitude and self-belief. So, whether you have to silently chant to yourself that you will get through that assignment in the middle of the silent study room in the library - DO IT! The only person who's going to help you make it happen and pass these exams is yourself and you can't get anywhere without believing you can make it. Or if you don't fancy attracting attention to yourself in the library (and possibly risk getting kicked out), you can watch motivational, inspirational talks into YouTube or TedXTalks in your revision breaks when you need something to help you keep going. Your mind believes what you tell it, so filling your mind with positive affirmations that you will achieve will give you some much-needed confidence.
- Don't forget how far you've come - It took some degree of effort to get to the point you've got so far, so don't forget to stop and pause at some point and give yourself a pat on the back for how far you've come. Exam time is not an easy time for anyone, and it's also counts as a success to be pursuing the path you're on to get to where you want to be even if you haven't achieved it yet. Don't forget to give yourself some credit from time to time.