Brace yourselves, Mid-terms are here, and with that comes a heap load of homework, incredible amounts of caffeine and sleepless nights. As we all trudge through Mid-terms and gradually plunge into the dark void of Finals week, we may be finding ourselves awake late at night, slouched over a desk, eating up a textbook attempting to cram in as much information as we can for our next exam.
We as students stress out immensely about acing our exams and maintaining an above average student reputation. Our minds may fill up with thoughts such as “Am I doing my best?” or “Am I doing enough?”
This time of the school year is very stressful, but the most important thing that we need as students to succeed and to maintain a healthy mindset is the one thing we all tend to neglect the most – sleep.
However, taking time to put away your study materials and lying in bed at an earlier time will not magically change the way you sleep. Stress keeps people up at night, resulting in poor quality of sleep. And in turn, poor quality of sleep causes stress to increase; it’s a vicious cycle.
So how do we stressed-out students cut this problem down to improve our physical/mental health and ability to function? It starts with getting organized and creating a de-stress routine.
I’ve come to realize that I cannot go to sleep until I make a to-do list; if I don’t make this list all my thoughts and worries about getting what I need to get down cloud my brain and keep me up. If you experience the same thing try making lists – in the morning and before you go to bed – of important things you need to get done. This will help put your mind at ease and decrease the feeling of being overwhelmed by stress.
Next is creating a de-stress routine.
This part is all about practicing self-care, for example: taking a hot shower, create a skin-care routine, drink some chamomile tea, turn off all electronic screens, rub some aromatherapeutic scented lotion on your hands, and think about the positives in your life as you slowly drift off to sleep.
These next couple of months are going to be difficult, but we can push through if we find solutions to ease our stress and improve our quality of sleep. If you’ve found that nothing works, talk to a counselor at the Health and Wellness Center.