This week is finals week at Drexel University! With that comes stress, tons of money spent on coffee and snacks, and many shenanigans stemming from sleep deprivation.
It's times like this where taking time for yourself and keeping your body running seems to be the least of our concerns - I have two finals and a presentation this week, who has the time to sleep and eat healthy?
However, something I'm starting to learn more and more everyday is that we have to keep tabs on what our needs are to keep us operating at our best.
"We wouldn't expect a car to run without gas, so why do we expect ourselves to work efficiently without food, sleep, or relaxation?"
I am the biggest of culprits here. It's not abnormal for me to stay up late to finish something or not eat until 3 pm without even realizing it. I used to relish in the idea of staying up late and then getting up early the next morning to get something done - isn't that the dream? We live in a culture that romanticizes the "grind" and the experience that comes with it.
But maybe we need to reexamine this idea. Am I really doing my best work on no sleep? Am I creating a premium product when I haven't eaten since yesterday?
The following are some things I'm trying to implement this finals week. I'll probably fail at some of them - but maybe looking at them as a whole will help reframe my thoughts.
1. Prioritize what's on my plate.
All too often, I have a long list of tasks that almost seem to need to be completed IMMEDIATELY. Staring at a long list of tasks with no direction makes me go INSANE. I'll start working on one task and then realize there are more to be done, and I end up half-completing the things on my list with nothing to show for it. I will take time to plan my time out and prioritize over these next couple days. Everything has a deadline, but not every deadline is urgent.
2. Listen to my body.
All to often, my body is telling me it is tired, hungry, in pain, or any other sort of distress signal. If possible, I should try to listen to what I need. If I'm hungry or have a headache, I can't be as productive as I need to be. It's better to sacrifice 30 minutes to get dinner or just turn off my brain to recharge and then return to my work afterwards with a fresh mind and body. Everything feels so urgent at all points, but taking a small break can make all of your work that much better in the end.
3. Figure out how to minimize anxiety.
This one is a little more vague by design. This can mean different things for different tasks. Sometimes, I will push off tasks that could be easy or take a couple minutes just because thinking about it stresses me out. However, when I send that email or make that outline, I feel instantly better. Minimizing anxiety in that situation simply means finishing this small task so it's off my mind and I can stop worrying about it.
This approach doesn't work for all things that cause me anxiety. For example, a larger task may not be able to be completed in a short time, but it still causes me stress just by existing. In these situations, I can try to take a step towards completion, or figure out another way to take the stress down. Not every solution will be as clear, but recognizing the anxiety that is appearing is a first step.
4. Believe in myself every step of the way.
This one is tough! When everything is piling up and becomes a mountain that feels insurmountable, it's really easy to shut down and feel like it can be completed. But, it can be done! It's been done before and it can be done again.
This might be the hardest one to stick to, but I'm going to try my best. At times like this, self-confidence can be difficult, but if you don't believe in yourself, who else will?
I hope I can at least stick to a couple of these goals I've set for myself this week. Feel free to take any of these for yourself and change the way you think about the grind. We can get through finals week together!
Happy Studying! A's for All!
