Hey, girls, it’s Sarah and Lizzie, the Best Friend Beauty Reporters, with our best-ever tips for chilling out around exam time!
The lead-up to exams can be a really daunting time – just thinking about them can be scary enough, letting alone taking the actual test on the day! A million thoughts are running through your head … Will you get all your notes done in time? Will you run out of time to finish that geography essay? Will the last questions on your maths paper be impossible as usual?
To help you de-stress, we’ve come up with 10 ideas for chilling out when you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed … try these:
1) Zone out to music. Lie down on your bed or the couch and listen to your iPod. Just let your thoughts drift away (dream about that post-exams party!) and have a power nap if your brain is feeling overloaded with info.
2) Give yourself time out. Head down to the beach or the park and just relax, especially in the late afternoon when the weather’s cooled off. Just sit there and enjoy the fresh air and surroundings for half an hour.
3) Snack right. Instead of heading for the junk food when you’re having a study break, go for some nutritious snacks that’ll give you energy to power through and help you study more effectively. Think nuts, a piece of fruit, some yoghurt, or a dip like hummus with a few carrot or celery sticks to go with it. Of course, the odd bit of chocolate or a few lollies are always good incentive when you’re studying too – just don’t overload on those sugary treats!
4) Take a mini-break. If it’s the day before your exam, and you’re starting to get restless or lose your focus (like you’ve read the same paragraph three times over and it still hasn’t sunk in!), you might not have time to head out of the house, but you still need to take a mini-break. Get up and stretch your legs around the house and grab a drink or quick snack, then settle back down when you’ve refocused.
5) Plan your time. Don't leave everything to the last minute. The more time you set aside to finish assignments and to complete your study notes, the less stressed you will be when it comes to the assignment’s due date or the exam day itself.
6) Get moving. Get out and do some exercise after a long session at your desk. Try going for a run, walk or swim with a friend and talk about stuff other than the exams so your mind and body both get a break – it’ll really help clear your thoughts.
7) Reward yourself. If you’re embarking on a long morning study session, having something to look forward to later on in the day will motivate you to work more effectively. So plan a visit to a friend’s house, meet up with your bestie for a milkshake at a local cafe, or head to the shops for a mini-shopping session!
8) Rest well. Go to bed early the night before an exam. Finish your study at a reasonable hour, then have dinner and hit the hay – studying until the wee small hours probably won’t make a difference to the mark you get … in fact, you risk exhausting yourself, leading to a poor performance on the actual exam day.
9) Prep your exam gear. Get all your exam equipment ready well in advance of the day. Pack your pencil case with extra pens and pencils (don’t risk your pen running out!), calculator batteries, your geometry set, plus anything else you might need. Having a water bottle chilled and ready to grab from the fridge is also handy so you can sip during your exam.
10) Pamper yourself. Take time to look after your body – try having a long bath with oils, popping on a headband and cleansing and moisturising your skin at a leisurely pace, or booking a massage for the day after your last exam. Hey, you’ll definitely deserve it by then. Oh, and good luck!
