I don’t necessarily consider myself an expert in productivity. (Maybe not the best way to establish credibility, but hey, I’m being honest here.) I am, however, much more productive than I used to be! I’ve been learning a lot about how to be more productive, and I’ve been getting my work done faster and better. I wanted to share with you some of my top tips for increasing your productivity – even some small changes can make a big difference!
Finals week is rough. Between the relentless studying, late nights, and impossible tests, it can be one of the most hectic and stressful weeks of the year. Thankfully, this year was my last finals week ever, but I’ve had some real crazy ones in my day! After quite a few successful years of finals-taking, I thought I would share with you some of my top tips on how to survive finals week.
Sleep is so important, and it’s also thought to play a huge role in our memory! Getting less than 7 hours of sleep slows your thinking and reaction times down, and you need to stay sharp during finals. The effects of not getting enough sleep can also compound (so a week of 6 hours of sleep is just as bad as one night with 0 hours of sleep).
I think it’s also really important to get your body to slow down before bedtime. This yoga video is really relaxing and a great routine for before bed.
I know this is easy to say but really hard to do, but it’s really important! Finals are a super stressful time and it’s too easy to get caught up in everything and not take time to slow down. Chronic stress has tons of adverse effects on your health, so being able to de-stress will not only help you survive finals week, but also positively impact your health in the long run!
Each person manages their stress differently, so you’ll definitely need to find something that works for you. Some of my favorite ways to relieve stress are to take a walk, watch a quick episode of something on Netflix (currently loving Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), take a bath or shower with a few drops of Stress-Away essential oil, practice deep breathing, and do yoga.
Studying for 4 hours straight is pretty ineffective and makes it very difficult for you to focus. It’s much better to study in shorter chunks of time (20-30 minutes is ideal), with at least 10-minute breaks in between. Next time you study, try setting a timer and focus only on your schoolwork until the timer goes off. Remove all distractions like the computer, phone, tv, or distracting music for that 20 minutes. You’ll be amazed at how much you can accomplish in that short period of time!
There are several scientifically-backed ways to make your studying more effective. One easy way is to associate a certain scent with the material you’re studying. Scent is a really powerful activator of memories, so it can actually help you recall information better!
Try sniffing or diffusing an essential oil (try Lemon, Peppermint, or Cedarwood) every time you study. This will associate the information you’ve been learning with that smell. Then, when you take your test, add a drop of that essential oil to your collarbone or wrists so you can smell it during the test. This method has been proven to increase test scores!
Studies have shown that the best way to learn is to take tests. While you’re studying, find ways to test yourself. This may be printing blank diagrams for you to fill in, having a friend quiz you on key terms, or finding online tests on the subject you’re studying (I love Sporcle because they have a quiz for everything). Just staring at pages won’t do you much good – you have to use the information for you brain to store it!
I hope these tips on how to survive finals week have been helpful to you. It may be rough out there, but if you work hard and implement these strategies, I know you’re going to kill it!
I am a Young Living Essential Oils independent distributor. To learn more about essential oils and why I chose Young Living, check out my oils website here.