No Need to Freak About Finals Week

While Mother's Day come and gone it only means that finals week is just around the corner for some students--and even though it's one step closer to finishing the semester, the stress of studying, finishing up the last bit of papers and projects and gasp- taking the exam-only appears to be a giant reason to stress rather than a cause for relief.

That's why I have offered a list of tips to get those remaining students, myself included, through this painful time.

1. Find time to take a break: ask your roommates if they want to watch a funny movie or play a video game with you.

According to the Stress nstitute, taking time to laugh and spend time with friends, having fun, reduces stress, and increases endorphins, with cause you to feel happy and more relaxed. Because your stress level has decreased, your immune system will also be in a high productive mode as well.

2. The healthier you are, the better you'll do.

The Stress institute suggests taking a walk around campus or your dorm whenever you get a break from studying, as exercise also helps raise your endorphin level, thus reducing stress.

Eating healthier also helps to improve focus during study time. Eating junk food like chips, cookies, or candy while studying can cause your energy level to crash, and therefore create more stress. So, the Stress Institute recommends eating foods rich in Vitamin B6, such as sweet potatoes, sunflower seeds, rice, or tuna, which will help raise serotonin levels in the brain. Foods rich in Omega3 fatty acids, such as white fish are also useful in preventing feelings of depression and anxiety as well.

3.  Talk to someone

If you still feel stressed about your upcoming exams, the next best thing to do is to talk it out with your professor. They can make accommodation's for your test anxiety so you'll feel more confident and prepared for the exam.  The Stress Institute also suggests joining an online community of others with test anxiety to avoid feeling alone, as you're probably not the only one with this problem.

4. Don't forget to breathe!

As long as you studied the material several days beforehand rather than the night before, there should be no problem with taking the actual test. Dr. Daniel K. Hall-Flavin, a psychiatrist with the Mayo Clinic, suggests writing up practice exams once you figure out the material covered and the test's format and taking it in the same time frame that you would with the actual exam. This will help you become familiar and more comfortable once you reach the actual exam.

Taking a deep breath before starting the exam also helps lessen tension and increase focus, according to the Stress Institute, as people tend to breathe rapidly when stressed. The brain is then deprived of oxygen, making  it harder to think clearly.

As long as you keep all of these tips in mind and remember to relax, you're  definitely going to ace those exams. Best of luck!