Self-Care During Finals

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With finals upon us, it is often a time of year, where college students can get stressed out, overwhelmed, and overworked. Part of that is just being in college and learning how to navigate the craziness of final tests and papers that are due! However, I believe it is extremely important to practice self-care during finals week, even more than normal. I am a firm advocate of self-care all the time, but in times of stress and last minute papers and exams, I think it is time to double up!

Self-care looks different for each person. I would challenge you to figure what it looks like for you. I recently read an article, where the author talked about how self-care is not just salt baths and chocolate cake (check out that article here! https://thoughtcatalog.com/brianna-wiest/2017/11/this-is-what-self-care-really-means-because-its-not-all-salt-baths-and-chocolate-cake/). Brianna Wiest, the author, talks about how self-care looks like creating a life you don’t have to escape from. During finals week, I remember wanting to escape and sometimes a little extra indulgence is necessary. However, perhaps self-care during finals week looks like meeting your basic needs (you know: sleep, food, water) so that you are more prepared to deal with the stress that the last week of the semester can bring.

For me, during college and graduate school, I remember being constantly stressed, especially during the final weeks of the semester. I was so anxious that my entire back would ache with tension. I gave myself half-hearted attempts at massage but didn’t really change how I approached until after I finished my till after I finished all of my academic career. I wish I had known then what I know now. Even just this fall, I have realized the need to slow down, say no to certain activities so that I can be more present with in my life in the daily moments.


Saying no to certain activities for me, has meant saying yes to the things that give me joy: writing and reading in coffee-shops weekly, mentoring my high-school girls from church one on one, playing the piano, cooking for my husband, running and doing yoga. I think during the end of the semester it can get easy to get caught up in all of the assignments that are rapidly due. However, I would challenge you to find something each day you can do to take care of yourself in addition to your basic needs. Self-care could look like getting a yummy coffee drink while you study, taking a short study break with some friends, lighting a candle or diffusing a relaxing essential oil, or putting on your favorite playlist or artist. What will energize you and give you joy even in the midst of the chaos of finals week?

By Melody Kruse, WRC Faculty 

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