Finals Season: Strategies to Stay Grounded and Focused
Finals season can be overwhelming for many students. While it marks the end of the semester, it often brings long study hours, pressure to perform, and underlying stress. For many students, this period can trigger anxiety, self-doubt, and even symptoms of burnout. Learning how to support yourself during this time can be essential to making finals more manageable and less overwhelming. Below you will read about coping strategies for anxiety, helpful boundaries, and self-care activities to engage in during this finals season.
Coping With Finals Anxiety
Anxiety around finals is common, but when it becomes overwhelming, it can be unhelpful and make it challenging to focus. Here are a few practical strategies that can help you stay grounded and keep moving forward:
● Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR): Tense and relax each muscle group, such as your feet, arms, legs, and face.
● Body Scanning: Slowly shift awareness from head to toe, noticing and releasing areas of tension.
● Deep Breathing (Box Breathing): Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold empty for 4.
● 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding: Name 5 things you can see, 4 you can touch, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell, and 1 you can taste.
● Nighttime Mind Dump: Set a timer 5 to 10 minutes before bed and write down every worry, to-do, or racing thought. Close the journal and move into your wind-down routine.
● Break down big tasks into tiny, doable steps (one set of flashcards, one paragraph, one page of notes).
● Challenge anxious thoughts: Name the thought (“There’s that ‘I’m going to fail’ thought again”), then gently reframe it (“I am doing the best I can with what I know”).
Setting Helpful Boundaries during Finals
● Communicate your needs early. Let the people around you know when you plan to study and when you will be unavailable.
● Identify your study time. Decide which social events you can realistically attend and which ones you need to decline until finals are over.
● Limit distractions from your phone or social media. Put it on Do Not Disturb or place it in another room to help limit distractions.
Small Things That Make a Big Difference
● Prioritize your sleep. Adequate rest can help improve memory and learning.
● Move your body. Light exercise, stretching, or even a short walk can boost your mood and reduce tension.
● Take real breaks when studying. This includes stepping away completely and allowing yourself time to reset, such as grabbing a snack or taking a quick walk.
● Try to eat regularly and stay hydrated. Balanced nutrition can help support steady energy.
A Gentle Reminder as Finals Approach
It is important to remember that you do not have to be perfect to succeed. Finals are challenging, and stress will happen, but placing unrealistic expectations on yourself only increases anxiety. Focus on steady progress, manageable goals, and taking care of your well-being. Remember to be gentle with yourself. You’ve got this, and you’re not alone.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed this finals season, Coastline Counseling Group is here to support you. Contact us today to schedule a session. We can be reached through our website at coastlinecounselinggroup.com or by phone at 760-206-3807.