Use the Destress Fest to Survive Finals Week

Finals week can be a daunting and stressful time for all students. As I write this, I have a million things racing through my head that I am anxious about when it comes to these last few weeks of the fall semester. But fear not: there’s a way to take a breather and overcome this stress. You need to stop what you’re doing and take a look at the Office of Health Advancement’s DeStress Fest.

Put on by the Office of Health Advancement, the De-stress Fest is meant to help students calm down a bit during the most intense week of the semester. The events include plate smashing, a movie night, paws to de-stress, and others. These events begin on Thursday, Dec 8.

But I get it. You might not have the time to fit these in your schedule, and there are many ways to help you take some time for yourself during the most stressful week of the semester.

Some of the most popular ways to do so are to practice meditation, do calming breathing exercises, physical exercise, or take some time to do some of your favorite hobbies. Some popular meditation apps and websites include the Calm app, HeadSpace, or the Mindfulness App. While these all sound easy to do, it can be difficult to get yourself to pull away from the things that are stressing you out and to get yourself to focus on something else. The important thing about getting yourself to de-stress is to just let yourself have a break. That’s the main thing to remember during this time of final exams, projects and pending due dates. Succeeding in the academic field while keeping a healthy mental wellbeing is not something that you can do without taking some time for yourself.

Another thing that we can find quite difficult to do is to unplug from the screens in your life. Screens and the constant stimuli that we receive from them can cause our brains to be overstimulated and not be able to “turn off” when we want it to. When you’re stressed out, one of the best things you can do is tap that power button on your phone and put it away (yes, even if it means shelving this article for later).

Finals are quickly on their way; do not let them take you out and let’s finish the semester strong, Bobcats!