For teachers and students alike, finals can make the last week before winter break an extremely stressful time. As this week approaches, it’s important to ensure that students understand the best ways to deal with stress in order to perform well on exams and prioritize mental health.
Perhaps one of the most apparent stressors of finals week is the lack of sleep. According to John Hopkins Medicine, teenagers should be getting anywhere from 9 to 9 ½ hours of sleep a night. Most teenagers don’t normally get this amount of sleep, and especially during tense times like finals week.
“[Students] are more sleep deprived. They’re quieter, more avoidant,” Emily Sales (English) said.
Despite the narrative that students feel they have to restrict their sleep in order to get the best exam outcomes, studies have found that performance negatively affects lack of sleep.
“Reducing sleep by one hour/night for one week impairs cognitive performance to a similar level as one night of total sleep deprivation (Banks & Dinges, 2007). Such laboratory findings may translate to academic outcomes,” said a study published by the Society for the Teaching of Psychology.
Students and teachers suggested their strategies for students to protect their mental health.
“[They need] to have good boundaries and protect their time. They can’t say yes to everything. And to be able to prioritize what’s important and get exercise is always really good. And also just to not take it so seriously. Your life will be fine. Your whole life is not going to be over because you don’t get an A on a final,” Sales said.
For Mia Mancilla (12, YPAS), finding time outside of finals to do what she enjoys is an important way she deals with stress.
“I try to study and practice and keep my time organized. And when I do have time, I try not to overwork myself. I try to relax and listen to music and spend time with family,” Mancilla said.
For teachers, stress during finals week manifests differently, but it’s still present.
“I have a lot to do to kind of tie a ribbon on everything I’ve done. But the other part of the stress is having an audience for my stress who expects me to handle their stress as well as my stress,” Becky Slagle (English) said.
Stress manifests itself differently for everyone, so everyone is going to manage it differently. However, it’s important that during a high-pressure time, students and staff prioritize their mental and physical health. In order to keep yourself safe, you must get the appropriate amount of sleep, find time for yourself and protect your own peace.
