The Ram Page’s Guide to Mental Health During Finals

April showers bring May flowers, as the saying goes. But the beginning of May brings with it the start of Mental Health Awareness Month, a time in which people around the world come together to support and draw attention to the mental health of others. With dead week already coming to a close and the ever-dreaded final exams approaching fast, the staff members at the Ram Page have taken the time to compile some of our best tips for maintaining your mental health while tackling the last stretch of the 2023 spring semester.

During finals, it can be easy to become overwhelmed and lose morale. It is important to remember to take time for yourself and take breaks from studying – school is important, but not at the expense of your health. Make sure you’re going outside, seeing friends or taking part in other fun outlets. You can only do what you can with what you have, so utilize the tools you have and ask for help when you don’t have the right ones. Your grades do not define you, and the effort you put into everything around you is noticed and appreciated. Make sure to give yourself the time and space to be as successful as you can, and let yourself be okay with how your finals go. You’ve got this and can always move forward in any case!

-Jade Marty, Staff Photographer

Dead week and finals week are hard. Super hard. Especially when you may have assignments due soon as well as internships and possibly pets to take care of on top of everything. I get it, but don't let your mental health get too lost in the weeds! Your mental health is more important than any assignment or exam will ever be. That being said, I know firsthand that putting yourself first may not be the easiest task during this wildly stressful time, but try to make time for things to look forward to!

Personally, I think the best form of self-care is the kind that doesn’t require too much effort. I love having little things in the week that I can put on my calendar or planner to look forward to, like lunch with my friends, taking my dogs to Starbucks for puppuccinos or even getting a car wash. I love going to Zipps for a car wash because it’s a great way to feel accomplished by cleaning something while also giving yourself a few minutes to decompress while the machine does its work. Depending on the lines, car washes also don’t usually take longer than 10 or 15 minutes. Also, if you go to the Zipps on Knickerbocker as I do, you can get a slush from Sonic right after for a little treat! 

So, for the sake of your mental health and self-care, go get a little treat! You deserve a little treat for all the work you've put into this semester and all the work you're going to put into your finals.

-Arabella Peña, Staff Photographer 

Finals week is one of the most stressful times of the semester. Therefore, I’m going to share some of my tips that help me push through finals. First off, hang out with your friends. I know this is the last thing you’re thinking of during finals; However, simply being around your close friends can help relieve some stress. Even if you are quietly studying with them, just their presence will help. Second, get outside or go for a drive. Driving around or sitting in my car listening to music are two of my favorites. Take your mind off of studying for an hour or two to avoid burning out and losing the information you’re studying so hard to retain. Lastly, be kind to yourself. You’ve made it through the semester, and summer is around the corner. Before you know it, you’ll be back home with friends and family or at the beach. 

-Kaitlyn Woods, Staff Photographer 

If I'm being honest, mental health and self-care is the last thing on students' minds, especially with it being finals week and seniors just itching to graduate. However, it’s so important to take care of yourself. If you just spend a little bit of time each day doing something that is good for you and makes you feel good, it makes all the difference. And yes, everyone says the same things about mental health and self-care, like “You just need to work out every day” or “Have you eaten anything green today?” But for college students, sometimes that’s the last thing we want to do. Do what always makes you feel like yourself again. Go for a drive with the windows down, blaring your favorite songs on the loop, and pretend you’re in California. Get some energy back into you and go slay your finals.

-Emma Phillips, Staff Photographer

As a college student, it is hard to juggle school life and whatever else is going on in my life. With finals just around the corner, it is essential to know how to handle the stress and emotions that come with the dreadful week. Some tips I have are to treat yourself and surround yourself with a support group.

When it comes to finals, I always try to do something for myself, whether that be taking a hot bath for far too many hours or buying a Squishmallow that I definitely did not need. It is important to reward yourself for all the work you are doing. I tend to never give myself enough credit for all that I do, so this is a great way for me to do that. Another way to lessen the stress is to spend time with friends and family. I often find myself swamped with my work, and I need a distraction from it all. That is the best time for me to appreciate everyone I have in my life that can lift me up. I know these ideas seem pretty basic and obvious, but I know that I tend to forget these simple things from time to time. Struggling with mental health is a serious issue, and sometimes remembering to do the little things can go a long way.

-Robin Franklin, Sports Writer

Mental health is key to one’s success in life and in academics. It is important that during this time, especially with finals, one is making sure to take care of themselves mentally. Some tips I have for taking care of yourself are treating yourself, taking breaks and not isolating yourself. 

You should always treat yourself when dealing with stressful times. If you don’t usually get a good breakfast in the morning, get up a little early and go eat a good breakfast. Changing the start of your day in a positive way can make you feel more proactive. Make sure you take plenty of breaks. Everyone’s brain dies at some point, so make sure to let it recharge. Lastly, be sure to surround yourself with people who make you happy. Finals are tough, finding a place to live next semester is tough and graduation is tough. If you make an effort to keep yourself mentally well, all of these big things become a little easier. Good luck to everyone in these next two weeks!

-Millie Switzer, Staff Writer

It’s Mental Health Awareness Month, and this finals week is going to have everyone really aware of their mental health. College can sometimes feel like a constant coin toss of choosing between your health and your grades. It shouldn’t have to be, but it still feels that way sometimes. The good thing about college, though, is that it’s not just about classes: It’s about community. 

My advice for this month would be to surround yourself with friends and peers. We’re all going through similar stressors and similar classes. Studying with someone is a good balance of work and play. You can hold each other accountable for the work that needs to get done and spend time together on breaks. This semester has been hard, but the study sessions and the breaks I have spent with friends have helped me so much. So this month, I’d recommend ending the semester strong and with the people you enjoy being around.

-Gracielle Velasco, Graphic Designer 

As we draw ever nearer to finals week here at ASU, mental health becomes ever more critical, as this is one of the most important times of the academic year. While many of my comrades here on staff have and will give tips on how to stay mentally healthy, my tip will focus on the point after your mental health has declined. 

While cliché, I cannot stress enough the importance of the phrase “if you get bucked off the horse, get back up and ride it again,” rather than walk away in defeat. I’ve been a victim of the latter myself, but over time you must not allow the same adversary or obstacle to defeat you over and over again. The same goes for mental health. If you struggle with maintaining it, apply those age-old techniques to get and stay mentally fit. You must not allow yourself to get knocked down repeatedly. So, to my fellow members of the Ram Fam and students all over the world: Always, but now more than ever, remember to sleep, remember to eat and remember to take breaks. If you work yourself past the point where you know you’ve hit a wall, the chances are you’ve learned nothing at all. But most of all, remember to keep fighting.

-Ethan Purcell, Online Editor

Ah, mental health. To me, it’s one of those things that, despite my best efforts, inevitably takes a backseat to the rest of my life when handling my day-to-day busy work. I’ve been trying to focus more on it as of late, however, and it’s in doing this that I’ve come to realize how subtle changes in my habits can lead to dramatic changes in my behavior later on.

For my advice, I encourage everyone to balance their workload with their personal well-being. This balance will look different from person to person, but it is nonetheless an incredibly important thing to maintain. For me, I have to make sure I afford at least eight hours of sleep each night to make sure I am ready for the next day. For others, it might be allotting themselves a break or two so their work isn’t the only thing on their mind. I understand that balancing work and well-being might be easier said than done, but trust me when I say this: It’ll make all the difference.

-Aaron McGuire, Co-Editor-In-Chief/Copy Editor

Well, here we are again, the end of yet another dead week at ASU. As we prepare to move forward into the last week of the semester, let me be one of the first to say best of luck on all of your finals. You’ve got this! Now, I know finals season is a stressful time for not only you but also the people around you. So, here are some of my favorite ways to prioritize my mental health during this busy time. 

My first tip for you all is to know your limits. I know this is the season for all of us to be the best academic weapons we can be, but take time for yourself and prioritize the things that make you happy. Doing so will help with your burnout levels and help keep your assignments fresh and on-topic. So take a deep breath and take the breaks; even the best academic weapons need breaks, too. The assignments will get done regardless. The second tip I have for you is to study in uncomfortable places. Go to that coffee shop you haven’t been to in a while or a park on a nice day and really allow yourself to be in a new environment so you won’t get distracted by the typical distractions of studying on campus. My last tip is to lean on your community! This is a stressful time for everyone, so it is always nice to check up on your friends and even set up study sessions to help hold each other accountable. Trust me, it helps.

-Madelyn Mendoza, Co-Editor-In-Chief/Sports Editor