Stressing from Finals?: Use Technology to get Through the Homestretch

It’s almost time for finals! As we all know finals can be STRESSFUL! If you’re feeling overwhelmed, just understand that it’s completely normal. The stress that comes from being a student is sometimes overlooked, but that doesn’t mean you’re alone. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with school and finals, it’s important to find outlets to manage your stress. Stress can feel like it quickly snowballs into more stress if it’s not properly managed. Even though school is your top priority, your well being and mental health should always come first. It’s time to take the initiative to deal with your school-related stress!

We all LOVE our phones, computers, and devices. Why not put them to work in assisting with stress management? Here are some apps that will help you get through finals without pulling your hair out!

Headspace 

The Headspace app focuses on mindfulness and meditation. The app describes itself as a personal trainer for the mind. Your Headspace personal trainers are fun, cute characters that guide you through your mindfulness journey. Through Headspace, you learn different meditation techniques that help you better deal with life and stress. Headspace is among top ten stress relieving apps on iTunes. It’s the perfect app for students who are experiencing the stress of school and finals. Research shows that Headspace can positively impact focus, anxiety, stress, aggression, mood, and more! Headspace starts by teaching you the basics of meditation, so no prior meditation experience is necessary to benefit from this app. It’s free to sign up and learn the basics. If you try the app and find it helpful, you may want to invest in a subscription where you are given access to many more tailored meditation exercises. A Headspace subscription usually costs $95.88 per year. However, because Headspace knows how stressful school can be, students only have to pay $9.99 per year!! That’s an amazing discount, so take advantage of it while you’re still a student!

Calm

Calm is a sleep, meditation, and relaxation app. The app promotes relaxation through sleep stories, meditation, nature images, and sounds. Similar to Headspace, Calm teaches you the basics of meditation, but it gives a bit of a different vibe because it doesn’t use cartoon personal trainers. If the fun Headspace characters aren’t your thing, try Calm! Calm is a great option if the stress of finals is keeping you up at night. The app uses calming landscapes and sounds to lull you to sleep. Calm offers a 7-day free trial (which should be enough time to get you through the home stretch of finals). If you end up loving it, there is a $59.99 annual subscription fee.

Stop, Breathe, & Think

Stop, Breathe, & Think is an emotional wellness app geared towards people under 25. The mission of this app is to help kids, teens and young adults build the emotional strength to tackle life’s ups and downs. Like other mindfulness apps, it uses daily activities and meditation. However, it could be more helpful for students consumed by the stress of finals because it is tailored to resolve the stresses of a younger audience. Stop, Breathe, & Think offers over 20 free activities. Premium content can be unlocked by subscribing to a $5.83 per month premium membership.

The 7 Minute Workout

There are many ways to relieve stress. Some students find exercising most helpful to burn off steam. Johnson and Johnson developed The 7 Minute Workout app to help busy people stay fit. In the app, you’re able to pick the level of intensity and customize a brief workout that specifically works best for you. This app is great for students because the workouts are all brief, yet beneficial. Therefore, even the busiest students are able to fit in a quick workout.

Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora

Music is food for the soul! We all listen to music on a regular basis, so why not begin to utilize it as a stress reliever? There are tons of music streaming apps. Spotify, Pandora, and Apple Music are among the most popular. In addition to streaming music that you know and love, these apps offer premade playlists that are tailored towards promoting certain moods. Whether the mood you’re looking to achieve is happiness, relaxation, or determination, these music streaming apps have the right playlist for you. If you’re the type of student who likes to listen to music while you study, try one of these music streaming apps. On the other hand, if you’re not into listening to music while studying, take a break for a quick jam session! During finals, it’s important to step away from your projects and books periodically. You’ll reapproach with a fresh mind. Otherwise, you could burn yourself out. Listening to music is great to incorporate into those periodic breaks.

School is HARD, but you’ll get through it!  If finals have you stressed beyond belief, try using your technology to your advantage. An app or two that help guide you through a mindfulness journey will assist in melting away school stress. You got this!!!