How To Deal with After-Exam Stress

So you’ve done it. You managed to deliver all your essays on time, and got the grades you wanted. There are loads of sleepless nights and stressful days behind you, especially if you had to hold on to a job while getting through your exams. Now that you are ready to move on and relax, you will have to find the right way to do so.

 Below you will find a few tips on how to get started. 

Catch Up with Old Friends

Image via Alexis Brown@alexisrbrown

If you were busy and spent every waking hour working on your essay or studying, chances are that your friends and family members didn’t see enough of you. It might be time to make up for the lost time and plan a get-together. You might want to go away for a couple of days together, visit your friends, or just take a road trip. Even a dinner or a night out, maybe a concert will help you clear your head after the exams.

Retreat Into Nature
If you often felt like you are getting caffeine poisoning just to stay awake, a detox cure might be exactly what the doctor has ordered. You should try to find a wellness retreat and take a break from screens, fast food, and civilization. Check out some of the collegiate recovery retreats that will help you get the balance back into your life and recharge your batteries at the same time.

Take On a New Sport
Once the stress is over, and you have time on your hands, you can try to challenge yourself in different ways. Look for sports you haven’t tried yet, and start making new friends, while you are improving your skills. Improving yourself and taking care of your fitness will do your mental and physical health good. Take some of your friends with you if you don’t feel motivated enough to start alone.

Meditate
Meditation is the antidote of unhelpful coping mechanisms you might have adopted during the exam period. Get yourself grounded again, and reconnect with your true purpose. If you have just finished a course, you will need to start making sense of your new knowledge and digest the information.

Start Planning Your Life ​

Image via Rochelle Nicole@rchllwlsn

In case you have just finished your final exams and graduated, it might be time to start thinking about how you will use your degree. You might have a clear path ahead of you, and a few jobs lined up, but most college students don’t like planning ahead. You might be better off just thinking through your options and discussing it with a careers advisor. You might discover that you would like to take an extra course on a specialist subject to improve your career choices.

Once the stress of the exams, assessments, and essay deadlines are over, you will need to start focusing on the road ahead. Being tired, exhausted will not help you with this. Make sure that you reward yourself for all the hard work you have done, and take a step back to reflect on your future. ​

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By Iconic Chica Mag Contributors