A Girls Guide to Managing Stress during Midterms 

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Sacred Heart chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Stressed before midterms? Me too. But there are so many ways to relieve that stress, and it might actually help improve your performance on those exams. Don’t get me wrong, you should definitely study, but you should always make sure that you have time to do these too: 

Watch your favorite show while eating your favorite snacks:

Right now, my go to is “My Life With the Walter Boys,” plus a Kit-Kat bar!

Do a face mask:

I recently did one the night before my Philosophy exam, which eased my stress. Taking care of myself made me feel cuter, and motivated me to study a little more before going to bed. P.S. I used The Ordinary peeling mask (It makes my skin so smooth and shiny).

Read:

Literally read any genre of your choice. Whether it’s romance, dystopian, historical, mystery etc., reading can ease the mind. If you have trouble falling asleep try reading before bed. You need to get all the hours of sleep that you can! Right now, I am reading “The Housemaid” by Freida McFadden, and I find it very interesting. I am trying to finish it before the movie comes out in December! 

Hang out with your friends:

Sometimes the best way to relieve stress is by laughing with your besties. 

Exercise:

Whether it’s a walk around our beautiful campus, attending a yoga class, or going to the main gym and doing whatever you’d like, exercise helps. I know it is hard to get yourself to go to the gym, and I struggle with motivating myself to go too. But, whenever I don’t feel like going, I remember how good I feel after. It does not have to be intense either. When I am stressed, a good thirty minute walk on the treadmill will do the trick!  

Nutrition:

Eat something other than the packs of ramen in your room (this is directed at myself too). It’s alright to have ramen and other junk foods from time to time, but don’t rely on it. You need to fuel your body with nutritious foods, or else you won’t have the motivation to do any of these self care tips. Some of my favorite foods on our campus are Linda’s burgers, acai bowls and salads. Can you tell Linda’s is my favorite dining hall on campus? 

Facetime a friend or family member back at home:

Being away at college can be tough at times, especially when all you want to do is speak to a loved one. But, that’s the amazing thing about FaceTime. FaceTiming my parents, sisters, and friends back home always helps. Especially when they show me my dogs! 

Moral of the story, do whatever makes YOU happy and at ease! These are just a few things that help me feel at peace. Find something that takes your mind off of these exams and midterms (at least for a little while).