‘Twas the night before finals, and all through the ‘Ville,
Children were studying, their brains to be filled.
Notecards in hand, pencils behind ears,
Netflix on pause, and a select few, crying tears.
The stress was high, while burning the midnight oil,
Studying algebra, allegories, and erosion of the soil.
They might have been busy, but never to fear!
Finals stress reduction tips, from a MillStream staffer, are here!

Exercise- Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t let stress get to them during exam week. Go for a walk around the park, go swim for a while, go take your dog out and play fetch in the backyard. This stress reliever is often underestimated, but it can work wonders!

Make a list– Nothing is better than the feeling of being able to cross one thing after another off a list of things to do for the week. Whether it’s just a rough week at school or finals week, making a list of what needs to be accomplished over the next few days can ease some stress off your shoulders– this way, there’s less of a chance of forgetting something that needs to be done.

Find a fun distraction- Whether this be watching ONE episode of “The Office” on Netflix, reading a book or playing a videogame, find something that’ll take your mind off the subject at hand for a while. However, limiting yourself and keeping time management in mind is probably a good idea– binge watching won’t get anyone the grade they need on their finals.

Play that funky music– Whether someone is jamming to today’s hits in their car or listening to calming classical songs, sitting back to enjoy the music has been proven multiple times that . This is proven to be not only a stress reliever but a mood booster as well. The slower, classical songs lower blood pressure, slow heart rate and reduce the amount of stress hormones being produced in the brain, while the fast, upbeat music can give us an adrenaline rush to push through the excessive workload. So go ahead and turn up the volume, sit back and take a couple deep breaths– things will be just fine.

Smile– as crazy as it sounds, faking a smile can help. Your muscles in your face that are responsible for making facial expressions are directly wired to the brain. When smiling, the brain releases positive hormones which can give a boost to any bad mood and give an extra slight dose of confidence.

Chew gum– chewing gum can reduce cortisol levels in the brain, which can be released in response to stress. Chewing gum helps relieve anxiety, improves alertness and reduced stress levels. Other studies have also proven that if you chew the same flavor gum during a test or exam as you did while studying, it improves your memory. It’s worth a shot, right?