We’re reaching the end of the semester, and I’m sure many of us are feeling the impact of the work we’ve been putting in over these past few months. I’ve had my friends tell me how burnt out they are, and I’m honestly feeling the same, even with the finish line being so close. Finals are coming up, and we’re all using the last bits of our brain power to carry us through these next couple of weeks.
In my own experience, it’s so difficult to bring out your best work when you’re already sleep deprived and have used up most of your mental energy. Finals bring extreme stress, and many people neglect themselves while studying for exams and working on assignments.
It can be easy to lose sight of the bigger picture when we’re so focused on finishing strong. However, sometimes taking a step back to see just how far we’ve come is the perfect form of motivation to finish the semester.
Whenever I approach finals, I often feel borderline hopeless and ready to give up on trying to get good grades. I tend to just hand in whatever I’m capable of giving, and sometimes I can tell that it’s nowhere near my best work. When I find myself starting to feel like this, I try to boost my morale by reflecting on just how much I have already accomplished.
Maybe it’s seeing how well you juggled multiple classes, or that you got a B in a class that you thought you would do much worse in. When we give ourselves the chance to try and look at the bright side, we find out just how much we’ve been able to do with how little we have.
I give this same talk to my closest friends. I do my best to make sure they understand that they should be proud of themselves, and I try to be their cheerleader whenever I can. This sense of community and support gives a lot of students the necessary push they need to finish off the semester in a way that makes them feel proud.
Most importantly, once we are done, we need to give ourselves the time to get back in touch with ourselves. So many people start to neglect self-care, such as getting enough sleep or eating healthy, because they’re just trying to stay afloat.
Now that our winter break is so close, it’s time to get excited about all the time we’ll have away from our studies that we can spend focusing on ourselves. Many of us are probably really looking forward to this winter break, excited to catch up on rest and rejuvenation — I know I am!
Breaks are essential for our future success, and making sure that we find the time to take it slow is just as important as working hard. We deserve to give ourselves attention and praise, and winter break is the perfect time to do this. With the holidays and the New Year approaching, it’s beginning to become a time of reflection and relaxation.
I try to make sure that the time I’d normally use for my classes is spent breathing life back into myself and rebalancing my nervous system before returning in the spring. I usually catch up on sleep, stay cozy during the cold, and eat foods that make me feel better.
This type of self-care is, of course, easier said than done, especially when you’re like me and have two jobs outside of school. Whichever way you choose to utilize this winter break, please just make sure that it serves you.
During break, some people go back home to their families, attend celebrations like holiday parties or birthdays, and some people just curl up under a warm blanket. Whatever helps you appreciate the beauty in life, try to make the time for it during our month off.
As students, faculty and staff, we all deserve to feel proud of the work we’ve done these past few months. With our world throwing chaos at us with wars, school and elections, it’s important to ground ourselves in the joys that we can still find in our day-to-day lives.
I hope we all find some peace and fulfillment this winter break that allows us to return in the spring with a new sense of excitement. Take this time to replenish your life source, in whichever way works for you. We all deserve a life that sustains us rather than one that drains us, and I hope we find little things during this break that show us why we choose to keep going.
May we finish our finals with success, and I want you all to come back in the spring feeling like your best selves. Good luck everyone, and stay warm!
