Mason Counseling and Psychological Services, located on the third floor of SUB I, offers counseling and therapy services for students in need. (Nathan Ferraro / Fourth Estate)

A short guide to stress management during finals using science-backed methods

BY ANISA FOX, STAFF WRITER

I recently spoke to a friend who got her first-ever nosebleed as a result of finals stress. 

Her stress came to a peak while studying for her German final, which would count for a large part of her semester grade. Naturally, she studied hard and worried about achieving a good grade. This stressed her out, ate up time and altered her sleep and eating habits. Ultimately, she gave up striving for a higher grade in favor of her health.

Research from the American Psychological Association supports her choice and shows that stress can have long-term health effects on most major body systems. Despite this, stress can be managed, and proper stress management often leads to better health and academic results. 

As an off-campus transfer student who works full-time and commutes by public transportation, I understand the challenge of balancing work requirements, school expectations and a social life while also making time for hobbies and rest. 

My experience is not unique. Many of us at George Mason have career commitments, family obligations, religious requirements, kids in our care and all the typical ups and downs of life to manage. Finals season piles on additional work and the looming, all-encompassing grades, often only add to our stress. 

While stress isn’t always avoidable, managing it is important to long-term health and success. 

Seek Connection 

Whether you are connecting with friends, a paid therapist or a professional at Counseling and Psychological Services, it is important to seek connection. Form a study group, phone a friend while you work or take a “brain break” to have dinner with family. Finding others to talk to about stress or share in your relaxation can be a great way to manage unavoidable stress. 

Sleep 

Falling asleep when tomorrow’s 11:59 p.m. deadline is circling your thoughts isn’t easy. Sometimes it is important to power through and submit your work. Other times, it is more important to ask for an extension, take a warm shower, enjoy a hot cup of tea and stretch to get ready for bed. Sleep is essential for a healthy body, stable mood, brain function and performance: You can not perform your best if you don’t sleep.

Exercise 

Some of us are self-proclaimed “gym bros;” others are much less enthusiastic about working out. Regardless of where you fall on that spectrum, finding ways to move your body that work for you is important: doing yoga, walking, weightlifting, running and swimming are all good options. 

According to the American Psychological Association, “preliminary evidence suggests that physically active people have lower rates of anxiety and depression than sedentary people. One theory is that physical activity triggers a release of dopamine and serotonin, which can improve mood.” 

A good mood is essential to a successful finals season.

Eat Well 

Stress can often make us reach for comfort foods. Finding ways to reduce your intake of processed foods and sugar while increasing healthy foods such as unprocessed meats, grains, fruits and vegetables (with some celebratory cake post-finals) is a key way to manage stress and maintain energy levels and health. 

Be mindful of caffeine intake from coffee, energy drinks, soda and chocolate — over-consuming caffeine (400mg or more a day, or about 2 energy drinks) can actually increase stress.

Adjust Your Workload 

It is important to know when you have taken on more than you can handle. Dropping certain programs or extracurriculars, asking professors for extensions, avoiding perfectionism or asking others for help with work (when appropriate to do so) can help free up time for other work or rest. 

Pushing through when you have too many things to do and not enough time to do them can lead to burnout. Burnout is an extreme form of stress that can be debilitating. This is why it’s important to combat stress before burnout occurs.

Time Management 

The golden key to stress management is time management. Digital reminders, calendars, alarms, an accountability partner or a physical journal can be great ways to plan your day hour by hour. 

It is also important to prioritize effectively — sometimes it is more important to see your out-of-state friend, and other times it’s more important to finish your work. Striking a balance that meets your needs is important to meeting your deadlines. 

Additionally, articles from the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard offer some great examples of time management strategies. 

Using campus resources such as the Career Services and Learning Services  is a great way to access additional time management support. 

Regardless of how your finals go, it’s important to remember that in order to remain healthy, do well academically and be resilient, you must remain calm. That said, you’re going to do great!