Well, first semester is over. And let me tell you, it flew by!! I am so excited to have a break to spend time with my friends and family back home, along with getting to spend time on things I usually don't have time for. Lots of cooking and blogging to come over the next month! One thing all students have to get through before they can start their break though...is finals. In this post, I want to talk about how I kept my energy up and stayed positive during finals week! Even though I spent hours in the library, I was able to have a surprisingly very good and not overly exhausting week. Below are just a few of the things I believe are crucial during a week full of studying in order to feel your best!
FUEL UP
As obvious as this sounds, it's easy to just grab a banana or a cheap granola bar to start your day. But let me tell you, if you don't want to run out of energy by lunch time, this is not the way to go. Starting your day with a filling and nutritious breakfast is key to boosting your energy throughout the day. One of my go to's during this week was oatmeal mixed with Nuzest pea protein powder (use my code, inspiredbysydney , for 15% off at checkout..I promise this stuff is SO good) and chia seeds. I like to top it with fruit for an energy boost as well as nut butter for a good, healthy fat serving to keep me full. Even when you just want to take the easy route, eating a well balanced breakfast will help you more than you know.
As obvious as this sounds, it's easy to just grab a banana or a cheap granola bar to start your day. But let me tell you, if you don't want to run out of energy by lunch time, this is not the way to go. Starting your day with a filling and nutritious breakfast is key to boosting your energy throughout the day. One of my go to's during this week was oatmeal mixed with Nuzest pea protein powder (use my code, inspiredbysydney , for 15% off at checkout..I promise this stuff is SO good) and chia seeds. I like to top it with fruit for an energy boost as well as nut butter for a good, healthy fat serving to keep me full. Even when you just want to take the easy route, eating a well balanced breakfast will help you more than you know.
KEEP IT CLEAN
I'm all about balance...trust me. Those cheat nights are a must for me to stay happy and mentally sane :) But when it comes to finals week, where you need to feel your best in order to have the energy to push through, keeping your eating as clean as possible is key. And trust me, the cravings to stress eat on pizza and pints of ice cream during finals week are so real for me too. But, in my opinion, these just bring your energy down and make you feel worse in the end. So, my tip would be save that for when your done so you can relax and know you earned that cheat meal.
SNACKS ARE YOUR BEST FRIEND
Well, not much else to say about this one. Snacks will be your best friend. My brain basically stops functioning after a few hours without eating, so I think it is important to always have clean, filling snacks on hand so that you can keep your brain function and energy levels at their best throughout the day.
I'm all about balance...trust me. Those cheat nights are a must for me to stay happy and mentally sane :) But when it comes to finals week, where you need to feel your best in order to have the energy to push through, keeping your eating as clean as possible is key. And trust me, the cravings to stress eat on pizza and pints of ice cream during finals week are so real for me too. But, in my opinion, these just bring your energy down and make you feel worse in the end. So, my tip would be save that for when your done so you can relax and know you earned that cheat meal.
SNACKS ARE YOUR BEST FRIEND
Well, not much else to say about this one. Snacks will be your best friend. My brain basically stops functioning after a few hours without eating, so I think it is important to always have clean, filling snacks on hand so that you can keep your brain function and energy levels at their best throughout the day.
GET UP AND GO
So many people make excuses that they don't have time for workouts during finals. But trust me, you do, and that time you put in to do it will benefit you so much. I would recommend starting your day with a workout during this week. It will wake you up and give you energy throughout your day. That may sound crazy. A workout giving me more energy? But it's not. I promise, all you need is about 30-40 minutes of your day, and you are good to go. Not only that, but it is the BEST stress reliever I've ever experienced if I must say. Sweat out the stress of all that studying :)
So many people make excuses that they don't have time for workouts during finals. But trust me, you do, and that time you put in to do it will benefit you so much. I would recommend starting your day with a workout during this week. It will wake you up and give you energy throughout your day. That may sound crazy. A workout giving me more energy? But it's not. I promise, all you need is about 30-40 minutes of your day, and you are good to go. Not only that, but it is the BEST stress reliever I've ever experienced if I must say. Sweat out the stress of all that studying :)
GET YOUR REST AND TAKE YOUR BREAKS
As easy as it may be to think that staying up all night studying is the best way to go, I found that getting a full night's sleep was the ONLY way I had the energy to make it through my days. Being productive, that is. When you don't get sleep, your body doesn't have any fuel to run on, which can be SO exhausting and can really effect the functioning of your brain. Also, it is important to take breaks in-between studying. Maybe treat yourself to going to dinner if you've been at the library all day. Or even if it just means getting up and taking a lap around the building, don't over exhaust yourself for studying hours and hours with no breaks.
STAY POSITIVE
My last tip/piece of encouragement is to stay positive!! Finals are tough, but don't be too hard on yourself. Be proud of how hard you have studied and how much time you have put into trying to do your best. Even if your grade turns out to be totally not what you expected after days of studying (aka Chem for me), just know you tried your best and that's all you can do. Just move on and be proud of your hard work. Now give yourself a pat on the back. YOU'VE MADE IT THROUGH FINALS WEEK!!!!
As easy as it may be to think that staying up all night studying is the best way to go, I found that getting a full night's sleep was the ONLY way I had the energy to make it through my days. Being productive, that is. When you don't get sleep, your body doesn't have any fuel to run on, which can be SO exhausting and can really effect the functioning of your brain. Also, it is important to take breaks in-between studying. Maybe treat yourself to going to dinner if you've been at the library all day. Or even if it just means getting up and taking a lap around the building, don't over exhaust yourself for studying hours and hours with no breaks.
STAY POSITIVE
My last tip/piece of encouragement is to stay positive!! Finals are tough, but don't be too hard on yourself. Be proud of how hard you have studied and how much time you have put into trying to do your best. Even if your grade turns out to be totally not what you expected after days of studying (aka Chem for me), just know you tried your best and that's all you can do. Just move on and be proud of your hard work. Now give yourself a pat on the back. YOU'VE MADE IT THROUGH FINALS WEEK!!!!