Collaborative Post with Direct Blinds

It rolls around every year: exam season. The increased amount of pressure and stress has caused the number of university students seeking mental health support to increase by 50% in the last five years. You should be keeping a check on your mental health all year round but especially when exams are on the horizon. Luckily, there are a few small changes you can make to your everyday routine to make sure that you’re feeling relaxed, focused, and prepared.
.

Healthy Diet

Most of us are familiar with the “all-nighter” when it comes to revision. If you’re working for long hours, it can be tempting to reach for energy drinks and carb-filled foods. However, this type of binging causes you to feel groggy and uncomfortable. Instead, stick to your usual balanced diet so you don’t cause your body to become confused. If you’re heading to the library for the day, pack a lunch that you’ve made at home so you’re not tempted to buy cups of coffee and chocolate bars at the local shop.
.

Exercise

It’s no surprise to learn that exercise should be a part of your daily routine. Exercise is a great way to de-stress before or after a day of revision. Similarly, exercise has been proven to improve your mood, energy levels, and sleep. If you really don’t have time to fit in a light workout or a run most days, try instead to walk to lectures, the library, or anywhere you can rather than driving.
.

Sleep

Sleep is a crucial part of your day. A lot goes on in your body while you sleep, including hormone control, muscle relaxation, and tissue growth and repair to name a few. If you’re committing to a few all-nighters, you may be seriously damaging your health. Lack of sleep causes irritability, fatigue, and lack of focus. Most of us need about eight hours of sleep every night, so it’s important to make sure that you’re setting aside enough time to catch up on some serious sleep. Things that can affect your sleep include stress, alcohol, and light. To make your room more sleep friendly, make sure your room isn’t too light; a quality set of blinds, especially blackout blinds, and some low level lights can help. Similarly, avoid drinking alcohol when possible so as not to disrupt your sleep pattern during this important time of the year.
.

Ask for Help

There’s no shame in asking for help. Sometimes, all we need is someone to talk to so we can get things straight in our own minds. Keeping things bottled up can add to your levels of stress and anxiety. This doesn’t have to be in the form of professional help, although this can be very insightful. Simply talking to friends and family can make it feel like a weight has been lifted, so reach out, meet up, and help each other out!

 

 

Morgan: London-based Morgan is a digital marketing and content executive who specialises in lifestyle and money saving tips. With both in-house and agency experience, Morgan writes content for a variety of different niches and sites. In her spare time, she can be found keeping up-to-date with current affairs and frequenting her Instagram feed!