By Carly Basian
Work it out
Everyone knows exercise is good for your physical health, but its mental health benefits aren’t common knowledge. During physical activity endorphins are released. These neurotransmitters have similar effects to morphine and serve as a temporary but useful distraction from your hectic schedule.
Dedicate 30 minutes to some sort of exercise. Plug in your iPod and hit the gym, walk around a nearby park or just pop in one of your mother’s home exercise tapes. If this is too mundane, join your local community centre and take up racket ball or squash.
Get the munchies
As easy as it is to head over to the kitchen to grab a bag of chips, eating junk food denies your body the fuel to stay energized and awake. Load up on fruits and vegetables, eat quinoa instead of rice, choose fiber over fat, and replace your five daily cups of coffee with green or peppermint tea.
Hit the sack
Whether it’s a five-minute solo session in the shower or a one-hour romp in the sack, sexual activity is a great way to release the tension of exam season. Sex releases tons of hormones and neurotransmitters, like serotonin and oxytocin, that reduce anxiety, stress and depression.
Cool it
Needless to say, the partying and drinking scene do not mesh with productivity. If you need to unwind, spend the night at home for some low-key downtime. Grab your favourite book, catch up on a beloved TV show, or invite your best friend over for something other than shots.
If your friends don’t share your studiousness, turn to your family. Break out some old board game and relive the days of childhood innocence. Then, back to work.
Photo by: Lindsay Boeckl
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