Tips to Maintain Your Mental Wellness During Final Exams
Even as a mom far beyond taking final exams, I remember the feeling like it was yesterday.
Final exams are stressful, exhausting, and often feel like the stakes are way too high, if we’re being honest.
So if we can’t make them go away, how can you manage the stress and emotion of the entire ordeal?
Let’s talk about it.
First: accept that you’re going to have some challenging emotions.
By knowing ahead of time that this is a time of the year that can cause anxiety, overwhelm, and even burn out, it can help to normalize the feelings when they show up. In other words: you’re not alone. Many if not all of those who are going through finals (at least those who care and are invested and want to do well) are feeling all those same feelings.
Try: telling yourself that stress is natural, and it doesn’t mean you can’t handle it. It means you’re a student, coping with student things.
Set goals that are realistic but also compassionate.
You want to feel like you’ve done your best work, which means putting in enough time to know you studied as well as you possibly could have. To do that, you’ll want to plan ahead and block your time.
What are realistic but also compassionate goals? It simple means knowing what, under ideal circumstances, you should be capable of, and aiming there.
That means that if you’ve currently got a C+ and it’s impossible to get to an A with the final exam, you take the time to figure out what is in fact possible- and then put in the work to do what you can to get yourself there.
If a B is the best you know you can do, then make peace with that- and aim there!
And then block the time to put in the work!
Set achievable goals for each day, and celebrate small wins. Every time you put in the time, you are working towards your goals. Every hour of note taking or practice exam complete is a win, and worth recognizing.
Limit comparing yourself to others
This is an important priority every week of the year, and so it is equally important during finals season.
Think of it as “staying in your own lane.” Do what you can, what you are capable of, and then do your best to not spend too much time looking left or right at what others are doing. Their journey is theirs, let yours be yours and keep your focus there.
Everyone learns differently, everyone has different gifts. Do your best with your gifts and know that it’s okay if some areas don’t come easily to you. Do your best in those areas, and then treat yourself with kindness no matter the outcome.
Practice regular stress relief techniques
Hopefully you already have a few stress-relief techniques in your toolbox that you can rely on, but if not here are a couple suggestions we’ve shared in the past here on the blog:
Pet therapy (and general snuggles)
What else are your favorites? Add them to your toolbox!
Prioritize self-compassion over perfection
Finals are just one step in your entire academic journey. Some finals weeks will be harder than others, but if you can focus on being kind to yourself no matter the outcome, it may be easier to keep a balanced perspective.
If you find yourself being overly self-critical, see if you can shift and speak to yourself as you would a friend in your situation.
Perfection is a myth! Simply staying in the game is the win- and if you want to stay in the game, it is important to do what you can to stay focused on the bigger picture, which will always be your mental and emotional well-being.
And finally: Reach out for support
The greatest likelihood is that there are people all around you feeling some level of stress or anxiety or overwhelm, and at Ready to Hope we know for certain that sharing the struggle is a way to connect, build meaningful bonds, and relieve some of the challenging feelings.
Sometimes it is as simple as saying “I am stressed and need to just talk about it.” You never know where that opening can take you!
And if you’re feeling like your stress is interfering with your ability to do good work despite trying all these tips, talking to a mental health professional is a healthy next step. Most schools have some sort of counseling services, and those professionals know the stress of finals season!
Finally, remember that here at Ready to Hope, our goal is to normalize the conversations about stress, anxiety, sadness, and all the feelings!
Find out about upcoming workshops by joining our email list below, or don’t ever hesitate to just email us here- we get those emails and we respond, and we want to be here for you!
