The Devils' Advocate

Informing Henry Clay High School since 1916

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Students have many outlets to relieve stress

By: Abby Reichart and Rowyn Moore

As the first semester is coming to an end, it’s time to close out the year with exams. During the two weeks before finals actually start, it can be a stressful time for everyone. Whether that’s due to you having to juggle your job, athletics , or extracurriculars with your school work. When it comes to studying for finals, there are many ways to de-stress and relax.

  1. Get daily exercise:  Studies have shown time and time again that exercise is a great remedy for stress. Exercising releases endorphins that you might otherwise lack, especially if you’re stressed. The endorphins send good neurotransmitters to your brain to relieve tension.
  2. Listen to calming music: Studies have shown that listening to music while studying activates the left and right parts of the brain. This activation causes the brain to improve your memory and maximize the ability to learn.
  3. Incorporate breaks: Studying for a long period of time can be hard without adding in small breaks to let the mind relax. If you include an allotted break time, then you will feel less stressed and more prepared for the upcoming exam.
  4. Get a reasonable amount of sleep: It’s no secret that students don’t necessarily get an acceptable amount of sleep during the week. Not only does it affect your health, but it affects your performance in classes. By getting a fair amount of sleep, the memory increases and helps with studying and retaining information. The more sleep a student gets, the better their brain gets at separating the irrelevant information from the relevant.
  5. Eat Healthier: While it is very tempting to tear into a pint of ice cream during finals season, eating healthier can actually improve performance on tests. Increasing the amount of junk food the body consumes can make a person feel sluggish and less likely to retain the information their brain receives. Junk food affects the way the brain focuses and can even be detrimental in the long term.

In conclusion, there are many factors that contribute to a student’s overall mental health and multiple ways that you can improve the way you handle stress. By handling stress in healthier ways, students increase their ability to remember what they learn, stay positive, and keep themselves calm in stressful or pressuring situations.