Tips to Keep Your Mental Health in Check this Exam Season

Education and, especially, college exams are taking their toll on students’ mental health. Continued stress, pressing deadlines, and a never-decreasing workload might lead to serious health-related issues. The exam season exacerbates their impact. Some of the most common problems include:

Fatigue
Poor sleep quality
Loss of focus
Increased stress and anxiety
Lack of motivation
Waning interest in social interactions

Research shows that the pandemic only added to the problem. According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report, every fourth person aged 18-24 has considered suicide in the last 30 days or so. While this is an extreme case, it is important to be wary of the long-term implications of protracted mental health issues.

You need to be smart about ways in which you prevent or mitigate emerging threats. Make use of our tips to safeguard against the above risks. Here are some tips to keep your mental health in check this exam season.

● Organize your workspace

Find space in your house or apartment for maximum privacy. If you live in the dorms, make sure you don’t receive visitors without prior notice. Make sure you let plenty of light into your space to avoid eye strain or headaches. Air the room regularly to sustain high energy levels.

By taking the above measures, you will protect yourself from unnecessary distractions and complications that can harm your nervous system. This matters because you need to be at your best both physically and mentally to be ready for the exam season. Don’t let yourself or others be in the way.

● Manage your workload

Be savvy about planning and managing your workload. Don’t leave things to the very last minute. Be smart and plan ahead as much as you can. If you find your workload too unwieldy, use online tools and applications to avoid procrastination, delays, or omissions.

If your college assignments get too cumbersome to manage, you can pay people to write research papers, essays, or term papers. Read reviews to identify the best services. Familiarize yourself with the specific terms, delivery times, and services that meet your needs best.

● Stick to a healthy lifestyle

It is of crucial importance to stick to a healthy lifestyle. If you have shunned regular exercise and a healthy diet, now is the time to change your mind. Hit the gym if you fancy pumping iron. If not, try any other sport that you enjoy and stick to a well-planned and consistent routine.

Choose a healthy diet, get 8 hours of sleep, and avoid excessive consumption of alcohol. Needless to say, you should quit smoking if you are a smoker. Make the most of additional tips for students to stay healthy to hit the ground running.

● Study-learn balance

While you need to work hard to prepare for your exams, try not to overdo it. You need some breathing space to avoid burnouts. Take multiple breaks during your learning hours. Go out for short walks to get some fresh air.

You’ll be spending a lot of time in front of your laptop, so it’s important to go out and meet people. Socialization is important. Humans are social beings; any degree of undesirable isolation is too stressful for anyone to cope with.

Recap

Students are always busy. They get even busier when the exam season starts. Exams take a toll, and it is important to take steps to safeguard against the negative effects on your mental health. These effects are heterogeneous, and they can easily put you in harm’s way. Plan and take deliberate steps to take care of your mental health. The sooner, the better.

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Caitlin Ganz is a long-time writer and student coach. Her articles focus on comparing and contrasting the pros and cons of college curricula across the world. Recently, Caitlin has been exploring correlations between college studies and mental health issues. Caitlin’s blogs are popular with students, tutors, and parents alike.

Photo by Yukko Tovarnajnyn on Unsplash