7 Tips From the Pros to Stay Healthy During Final Exams
While preparing for final exams, you must take care of yourself.
Why is that?
Well, besides the obvious, which is that it’s essential for your well-being, how much emphasis you put on self-care affects your health. A healthy mind needs a healthy body.
Brock Education researchers recently discovered that just five minutes of exercise could improve a student’s focus in math. The researchers also shared that exercise can improve students’ behavior. It sounds like we all could exercise more, even if it’s just for five minutes!
Of course, it would be ideal to allow the healing of dogs to take all of life’s stressors away. However, truth be known, dogs aren’t a cure-all (as cute as they are).
That’s why you must figure out methods to not only lower your stress but to stay healthy both physically and mentally.
Check out these 7 tips from the pros on how to stay healthy and excel during final exams!
1. Select healthy food
We all know that certain foods will enhance learning and brainpower as opposed to other foods.
So the next time you head to the grocery store (or cafeteria), make smart food selections.
If you’re craving something sweet, dark chocolate may be a better option. Instead of grabbing a candy bar (and other sugary foods) that have far less nutritional benefits, eat dark chocolate instead. It turns out that dark chocolate has a lot of antioxidants and vitamins such as iron, magnesium, selenium, and more.
Of course, you should also choose fruits, nuts, avocados, and leafy greens.
To back up our claims, let’s hear it from the professionals. In particular, Harvard Medical School tells us that eating for a better brain includes eating the same foods that lead to a healthy heart.
It seems like a no brainer to us why eating food rich in B vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants are the way to go!
Keep your brain healthy, and ultimately you’ll be more likely to perform well during exams.
2. Get some cardio in
You’ve probably heard a time or two that exercise improves your well-being.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, even small amounts of exercise can improve your health!
Keeping fit can also prevent you from getting diseases in the future.
And did you know that taking the time to get your heart rate up before a big exam can make you more productive?
A study by the International Journal of Workplace Health Management had some interesting findings. Results state that 23% of people who exercised before working were more productive than on the days when they didn’t work out!
That’s pretty cool if you ask us!
Now, we realize you’re not a working professional yet. But if working out can lead to productivity, we can conclude that being active can result in more productive study.
Another study, this time by Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, found that people who had intense work outs had a huge benefit.
Wait until you hear this: they learned vocabulary words up to 20% faster!
So, if you want to boost your productivity, stay healthy, and have better recall, might we suggest you head to the gym (or go for a jog) pronto.
3. Get enough zzz’s
We shouldn’t have to remind you how important it is to rest before exams.
Despite that, we get that sometimes sleep goes out the window when you’re cramming in a ton of knowledge.
But, you might want to think twice before shaving off a few hours of precious sleep.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute found that if you sleep well, it’ll improve your attention, learning, and problem-solving skills.
So, if you’re not getting in between seven to nine hours every night, you may want to up your sleep time.
Even though we know it’s hard, try to avoid those all-nighters. Study far in advance for an exam during normal waking hours!
4. Take a breather
Dealing with burnout while studying is a big dilemma, but you can prevent that by taking breaks periodically.
Taking a break isn’t a bad thing.
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did a study on their students’ mental stamina based on how many breaks they took.
It turns out that the more study breaks students took, the better mental stamina they had when a task that required a lot of focus ended.
No, we’re not suggesting you take so many breaks that you don’t get any studying done.
But now you know that experts suggest that taking breaks will aid in studying!
5. Wash your hands
It’s more common than you may think for students to come down with something right before final exams.
That’s why you should not only be eating right and getting enough sleep, but you should also pay close attention to your hygiene and cleaning habits.
We realize you may not have time to do a thorough dorm or apartment cleanup in the midst of studying for finals.
But, one way to prevent yourself from getting sick is by washing your hands.
Experts say that by washing hands more often, there’s less chance of contracting an illness.
In case we need to remind you, if you touch your mouth, nose, or eyes (which we all do without even realizing it), germs can get into your body.
The CDC reports that people who don’t wash their hands transfer germs to various objects.
Examples of these objects include handrails and tabletops. Yikes! Now, don’t become a germaphobe, but DO wash your hands more frequently!
6. Manage your stress
Studying for multiple exams can take its toll on you. That’s why it’s essential to learn how to manage stress.
A 2013 survey by the Nightline Association revealed that 65% of students experience stress.
On a positive note (quite literally), The International Journal of Stress Management found that if students choose to stay positive when faced with difficult exams, they perform better.
So, the more motivated and positive you are, the more likely you are to succeed.
Here are a few ways to manage stress:
- Come up with a study schedule based on the day and time of each exam
- Take more breaks
- Go outside and enjoy nature
- Talk to a friend to clear your mind
- Read a non-study related book
- Keep your space and apartment organized
7. Stay organized
You’re probably wondering what organization has to do with staying healthy but hold on — we’re getting there.
As we just discussed, part of staying healthy is dealing with stress. Which is why keeping things organized can help.
According to SCMS Journal of Indian Management, if you keep things organized, you’ll be better equipped to deal with stress and thus, stay healthy.
Here are a few ways you can stay organized while studying for exams:
- Give yourself enough time to study in advance
- Keep track of deadlines
- Organize your notes
- Keep your study space organized
So there you have it. We just revealed seven ways to stay healthy during final exams. That means you should be well on your way to acing those tests!
As a quick recap:
- Get 7–9 hours of sleep each night
- Eat the right foods such as berries and greens
- Wash your hands more frequently
- Make time for at least short bouts of physical activity
- Stay positive to manage stress
Now that you have tons of knowledge on how to stay healthy during finals spread the word. You have it within your power to help a friend or two remain healthy too.
It’ll be exciting knowing that you did all that you could to stay healthy and do well on your finals!
Author Bio:
Bobbie Peterson is the regional manager for Affinity 56 and has over 12 years of experience in multifamily. She is so excited to see this community thrive!
