At this point in the semester, there are so many tests and quizzes happening at the same time. This week alone I had four of them, which was pretty stressful. For a long time, I placed a lot of emphasis on trying to get really good grades on midterms. I didn’t really have faith that I’d do well despite doing so in the past. For the past year or two, I think I started to have that faith and it’s really changed my outlook on midterms and exams in general. Not saying that I just don’t study anymore because I definitely do. It’s just that I know that I pay attention and do the work that I’m supposed to leading up to the midterm. Even though I still get anxious, I don’t feel as much pressure when studying for the actual exam. Now, I’m able to focus on other things to de-stress and ease my mind before taking these exams (which I also think helps). So, I thought I could briefly talk about two of my favorite productive things to do during midterms, finals, or any other stressful time:

Cleaning my room/closet/bathroom/anything else

My room gets messy very quickly over the semester, and I’m a firm believer that a clean room can actually boost your spirit and relieve stress. After I clean my room, I always feel better and more prepared to study. Going through my closet can be super draining but I actually like finding clothes that I don’t wear anymore so that I can make space for new ones (I love shopping) by donating them.

Journaling

I’ve heard so much about the benefits of journaling from lots of people (even from my fellow bloggers), and finally decided to try it out this semester. You don’t even have to have a specific structure to your journal entries. You also don’t have to write a lot every day. Sometimes I just write a quick update, but on some days I take some time to really write down how I’m feeling.