With a crushing amount of deadlines and exams around the corner (sorry to remind you), it is more important than ever to take time for yourself, to breathe, and to relax. While everyone may have their own way of dealing with stress, here are a few ideas to help you.
Christmas movies
After having overslept, spent two hours chastising yourself for leaving all your work until the last minute and then finishing off an essay in four hours when it should’ve taken you a week, settling down to watch a Christmas movie is an ideal way to relax. Filled with cheer and a guaranteed happy ending, but best of all, no-one says the word “deadline” for two hours.
Netflix is debuting The Christmas Chronicles – a classic story following a crisis for Father Christmas on Christmas Eve where only two lucky children can help. Alternatively, if you’re searching for an old favourite then there is Nativity, which follows a teacher’s preparation for a school play under the pressure of a potential visit from a Hollywood producer. If you want to combine Christmas with a rom-com then look no further than The Princess Switch – they look identical but one’s a princess and one’s not, what will happen if they swap lives?
Mute the group chat
You finally settle down in the library and your phone starts pinging. The course group chat is more useful than any course handbook and faster than emailing your lecturers but it can also be filled with people who seem to be two weeks ahead of you, or are so behind that they keep asking you for help. You don’t need that. You don’t have time for that. Mute the chat.
Take a walk
Don’t worry, the gym will not be mentioned here. We know this is not the time to be mentioning a new exercise routine – we’ll wait until New Year to do that. With Trinity being situated on a beautiful campus and the air being so cold and crisp, a quick break from your study spot and a five minute walk will help clear your head and calm your beating heart. You could even grab a friend for a quick chat or go look at the Christmas tree which will be up in Front Square this week. Furthermore, be happy in the knowledge that during exam period, students are exempt from getting in trouble for screaming at tourists!
Plan, plan, and plan some more
Put down your highlighter – this tip is not an excuse to decorate your calendar. All you need is a scrap of paper or your phone to set out clear times to decide in advance what you will be doing that day. Be specific about what you will be working on and set yourself goals for what you want to have achieved. Most importantly, be realistic. Working from 9am to 9pm non-stop is not fun nor is it easily achieved; set out times when you can go eat, be with your friends, or do whatever you want.
Do something that makes you happy
Whatever that may be – whether it’s a hobby, or a well earned night out – try not to beat yourself up about taking a break.
ASMR
If you’ve tried and tested the above but want to try something different there’s ASMR. For those of you who don’t know about this recent phenomenon, it stands for autonomous sensory meridian response. To cut a complicated term short, ASMR videos can be found on YouTube, during which a person will whisper and create soft sounds like brushing hair or gentle blowing. The aim of this method is to create a relaxed feeling through the gentle sounds. It may sound strange to some, but it is increasing in popularity. As the generation who swings between constant chatter through social media and Netflix on as background noise – why not try ASMR?
Keep everything in perspective
Grades and exams are not the be-all and end-all. Do your best over the next couple of weeks and remind yourself that you’ll be home with nothing to do soon and this term will be a distant memory.
