APU students share their favorite self care tips
It’s that time of the semester that every college student dreads: finals month. As APU students start preparing themselves with their final projects, papers and exams, they find themselves getting worn out. Most college students deal with this stress in unhealthy ways such as consuming high amounts of energy drinks, pulling all-nighters and waiting until the last minute to get work done.
For the next three weeks I will be providing some of my best health self-care tips and include fellow APU student opinions on how to nurture your emotional, physical and spiritual well-being to help with finals.
Worship/Listen to Uplifting Music
For some people, listening to music helps them do homework, and for others, music is distracting. It’s up to you to see what your mind can work best with, but in general, music does help uplift one’s spirit. Listening to worship music when I’m stressed about an essay always gives me strength.
“One way that I have been able to cope and survive with my stress is by listening to worship music,” said senior allied health major David Chang. “It’s a necessity to find that one song that brings tranquility during a time like finals.”
Read for Inspiration
After reading so many academic research articles, my brain becomes fatigued. So in order to revive it again to keep reading, I like to read something creative and exciting. I choose either self-help books to give me insight on how to grow, or I look at scripture for guidance.
“I focus on the word a little bit more and pull out some verses that help motivate me,” said Edwards. “It always leaves me feeling like a better person and it makes my mindset stronger.”
Meditate or Pray for Tranquility
I am an overthinker; my mind is constantly worrying and thinking about all the things that can go wrong. That is why I pray to God when I meditate to try to clear up my mind. It’s a nice way to get out of the regular routine of always thinking about what I have to do.
“If I know I’m going to have a busy day I meditate for an hour,” said senior psychology major Caleb Shaw. “It helps reset my mind when I’m burnt out.”
Listen to Motivational Podcasts
There is at least one point in studying where you start to become hopeless and discouraged to keep going, resulting in negative thoughts. If you resonate with this, try listening to an uplifting podcast. Sometimes all you need is to hear someone say something inspiring.
“Podcasts always leave me empowered to keep going in school,” said sophomore exploring major Diana Lopez. “I listen to ‘The Positive Mindset Podcast’ every time I’m about to study as a pep talk to keep me going.”
Everyone is different when it comes to finding ways to destress, but I hope that my list has provided you with a few additional tools on how to keep calm during finals season. Remember that no matter what happens during these stressful times, you are trying your best and that is all that matters.