BLOG: End of semester stress woes

This semester I fell victim to the false belief that my workload would ease up a bit after midterms. Naturally, the opposite has been true, and the resulting stress has made itself evident not only in sleepless nights and sour moods, but also on my face.

Take, for example, this all-too-true anecdote from a week ago. After class, I walked up to a friend to catch up on each other’s lives. The first thing he said at the sight of me was, “What punched you in the chin?” Unaware that I’d had any recent violent encounters, I brought an investigative hand to my face and discovered quite the impressive congregation of swollen pimples — enough to theoretically look like a wound from far enough away. Once I saw my friend’s question was not rhetorical, I answered with, “Uh, my life!” and left in a hurry, pondering the fact that stress had rendered my face so disfigured that someone thought I’d literally been hit in the face.

Keeping both our bodies and GPAs in good condition is definitely a challenge as stress levels rise. We stay up late to study or unwind with friends, then wake up early for class, grab a sugary Javalanche or soda to pull us through the day, snatch whatever food is readily available and a little tasty, lather, rinse and repeat. Granted, my mantra in such times of trouble has typically been “Just get through it,” but I’m sure there is a better way to live these magical years of my youth than trudging zombie-like between my dorm room and the library. Everyone knows a good night’s sleep, healthy diet and fitness routine is important, but trying to live up to these standards of wellness feels just as much like homework.

However, it is this blogger’s personal opinion that a healthy perspective can lead to a healthy lifestyle — or at least a little less of a gag reflex while filling out your student planner. Here are a few helpful ideas that have assisted in fending off more than a few panic attacks:

1. “You won’t die if this paper isn’t perfect.” Of course, it’s always a good idea to try your best, but sometimes there’s just too much to do in a short amount of time and mistakes will be made. That’s OK. Give yourself permission to not be perfect. It’s allowed.
2. “Back in 30 minutes.” If after working for hours, you find yourself reading the same sentence over and over again, for goodness sake, take a nap. Or watch an episode of “30 Rock” on Netflix. Or call your mom. Reward systems can always get out of hand, but when you reach a point of diminishing returns during your study marathon a break is certainly in order. Don’t feel guilty! All work and no play makes Jackie pretty useless in discussing the relation of Terror Management Theory to self-esteem, so power down for half an hour or so to get refreshed.
3. “The Golden Rule applies to your body, too.” You don’t need to spend four hours in the gym and survive on lettuce to be healthy. Just try to remember to be nice to your body. Sleep when you’re tired and eat when you’re hungry. Drink lots of water. Get some fresh air and go for a walk if you’ve been sitting in a chair in the library for five hours, and don’t sacrifice hygiene for study time. I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s gotten a great idea for a thesis statement in the shower, and you’ll feel much more refreshed if you’re nice and clean.

If all else fails, here’s one last tip: look at the calendar and take heart. With one week until Thanksgiving and then only three until the end of the semester, it won’t be long until the student body can breathe a collective sigh of relief.