Cut the BS short. If you’re reading this during finals’ week, it’s already too late. Preparing mentally for finals requires some good ten days prior to falling into the deep chaotic vibe of finals’ week. Everyone around you gets really stressed out either because they have their own share of burdens or because they’re worried about yours. In both cases, they’re not doing your stress levels any favors and you need to learn how to overcome stress, in the following ways:

 

Dealing with stress as described by many psychologists, is like holding a cup of water; you won’t feel its weight unless you hold it for too long. The same applies to stress. The more you worry, the more stress you would feel, and the more stress you feel, according to studies, the worse your performance turns out to be. The question is how to deal with such amount of stress? Everyone has his way. Psychologists, however, advise that one tries new ways, different from those they’re used to, to radically reduce the burden. If one is used to smoking to reduce his stress levels, he should try jogging for instance; it really works. Yoga, reading (favorably my articles) and listening to Fayrouz are major key alerts that instantly open up your stress-free world.2005

 

Dealing with stress alone is not enough; you need to study, hard. Study hard but don’t kill yourself. Don’t pull an all nighter just to finish a chapter and remember, the more sleep deprived you are, the more stressful you become. Divide your studies 10 days before hell week. Trust me, procrastination in this case only makes everything worse. Students are used to it, but just try for once to plan your studies forward. Time management is a major key to success; ask anyone.2006

 

Interrupt your studies with happy moments. Would it hurt if you had a large Margarita from Papa John’s or ate an entire bowl of ice cream? Trust me; the pleasure you get is worth your entire summer body. Interruptions like these are stress-killers and energy-boosters to your body. And if you fall off the wagon, don’t be so harsh on yourself. If you were planning on finishing a chapter today and you didn’t because you had a happy interrupt, it’s okay. We are all human.

200

Trust me on this one. If you don’t have a pet, stop reading or you will need to get one. If you have a dog or a cat or any other pet, this is when you really need them. Studies have shown and proved that petting your pet and spending time with them reduces stress levels by digits. How could you feel stressed when you look into those cute golden eyes of your Retriever? Watching your turtle finally reach its home after weeks of effort, gives you the motivation to finish the chapter that you missed out earlier.2007