I apologise in advance if this frightens you but alas, we have hit Week 11 and we are in the home stretch towards summer exams. We can almost smell end-of-exam ice cream and sleep in celebrations. I don’t know about all of you, but I tend to forget how to be healthy when studying and when exams are on my mind. It’s like my brain becomes a reservoir of words, numbers, library times, and nothing else. Sometimes, I forget to eat because study has consumed me and sometimes, I eat way too much because I’m starving and feel like I deserve it after a long day in college. Even though my brain doesn’t seem to believe it, it is possible to achieve a healthy balance! Here a few little tips you might find helpful in the next few weeks!

1. Don’t start your day with study immediately. Give yourself time for your mind to clear, whether it be a walk, yoga, meditation, or the mandatory scroll through Instagram or reddit.
2. Meal prep for a few days. Having your dinner already prepared will prevent you resorting to quick and unhealthy foods.
3. Have snacks at the ready! Personally, I love to munch on grapes while I’m trying to cram some bit of knowledge into my brain to prevent that painful hunger from setting in.
4. Give yourself sufficient break times. You can wear yourself out very fast by ‘powering through’ one day, and not having the ability to open a book the next day.
5. Know whether you work best at morning, afternoon, or night. Not everybody is going to wake up at 7am to work. Night owls need just as much admiration as morning people! Avail of when you work best and be that productive student you wish to be!

 

The most important thing to remember is that exams are not everything, and if you feel that your mental health is suffering, you need to priortise being happy. Not only do we need to look after our physical health during stressful times, our mental health is just as important.

Stay beautiful, stay smiling

Anna : )