Every student knows that same “finals feeling”, where you are so ready for the year to end but you can’t drop everything because finals are around the corner. This is a time of excitement for a lot of people, as the quickly-approaching future of what’s to come is in sight. However, for others, this is a time of increased stress and anxiety. During this time, whether you are excited for the future or stressed about the present, it is very important to take care of yourself and properly monitor your mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing.
One thing to be very wary of is stress. As stated by the University of Michigan Depression Center:
“Stress is anything that alters your natural balance. When stress is present, your body and your mind must attend to it in order to return you to balance. Your body reacts to stress by releasing hormones that help you cope with the situation. That in turn takes energy away from the other functions of your brain, like concentrating, or taking action” (University of Michigan Depression Center).
Basically, what this means for students is that being stressed can prevent you from focusing on the things you should be focused on, and can take energy away from you during a time when you really need it.
In order to properly combat your own stress, we at Expect Respect encourage you to seek help if needed, either by going to CAPS, or by prioritizing healthy self-care strategies that work for you.
Some resources for you to explore are:
- University of Michigan CAPS: U-M Counseling and Psychological Services
- Half of Us: website providing education and solutions for all types of emotional and mental issues
- Campus Mind Works: U-M page supporting student mental health
Please take care of yourself, and good luck on finals!
Contributed By: Yolanda Marti and Gabe Colman, Expect Respect Program Assistants