Posts published on December 18, 2017
6 Ideas to Take Your Mind Off Exams
BY GORDON SCHORR
One of the most stressful times of anyone’s life has got to be exam time. You are under so much pressure to remember everything, write papers, and more, and it’s no wonder that so many students become particularly stressed out during this time. What you need to do is find ways that you can lower your stress levels, and still do everything you need to do. If you have upcoming exams, check out these tips that will help you to keep your cool, even in the middle of chaos.
Create Something
If you love arts and crafts, get yourself some supplies and make something. You don’t have to go crazy and start a project that is going to take months to complete. There are plenty of projects that take an hour or less. Make some holiday ornaments, do some scrapbooking, go out and take photos, etc. Whatever your hobby is, use it as a distraction from the exam preparations that are causing you to be so stressed out at the moment.
Read a Book
Go to the book store and pick up a great fiction novel, or at least something that has nothing to do with what you are studying. Take an hour or so each evening to read a few chapters, and let the story take your mind off your studies. Find a place where you can read quietly, or put in your headphones and play your favorite music while you get lost in the story. This is also going to help you to relax before falling asleep.
Get some Exercise
You need to take regular mental breaks, and your body needs exercise. It doesn’t matter if you go to the gym for an hour or so to work out, try salsa lessons, or if you take a long walk around campus. Just get out and do something physical, and get your mind completely off your exams, if only for a little while. You are going to do your body and your mind a world of good, and you will feel refreshed and ready to hit the books again.
Play with Animals
If you love animals, visit your local shelter and play with the puppies and kittens. There are very few things in the world that can help a person to destress more than playing with a baby animal. They are so soft, cuddly, and cute, they are pretty much irresistible to most people, and there is no way that you can feel stressed out or uptight when you are snuggling with a puppy or a kitten.
Listen to Music
Tune out the world around you and tune into your favorite music. Take an hour or so to listen to the music that helps you to relax. Classical music is recommended, but it may just be that the music that relaxes you is heavy metal. It is all a matter of preference, and studies show that people are much more relaxed while they are listening to the music that makes them happy, and afterwards. Keep the music on low while you are studying to give you momentum.
Watch a Movie
Another way to give your brain a break for a couple of hours is to watch a movie. Now, we don’t mean that you should sit down and watch several movies, or binge watch a season of your favorite show. You do need to spend more time studying than you do having fun. But, you need to take mental breaks for an hour or two here and there, and watching a movie that is completely unrelated to your studies is a great way to do it.
Gordon Schorr is an online educator and creative writer.
