Stress eating
Here we are! You made it to that magical gap between the Thanksgiving and winter break where you get to start worrying about FINALS. Oooh ahhh. Alright, so you probably don’t think this time is magical, but you are probably starting worry. Want to know the secret to powering through finals and finishing strong? Drumroll please…Fueling your brain with energy!!!
Absolutely, Positively Do Not Forget… Eating! You might feel like you have to spend every waking moment studying, or you might get so wrapped in working on something all day that you might look up 8 hours later and realize, “omg did I even eat today?” These situations are less than ideal. A fueled brain is a more productive brain, quick-thinking, finals-acing brain, and who doesn’t want their brain to be like that? So, how do we make sure our brain is adequately fueled throughout this stressful time? Tip #1: Stock up Like I said, we made it to finals-eve. Before you get wrapped up in it, grab your friends or your roommates and head to the grocery store to stock up on food so you know you always have something to grab to fuel your studying. Tip #2: Shoot for Balance When you’re picking your study snacks, try to build balanced options. Try starting with a fruit or a vegetable and adding something to it to make it a little more substantial so it satisfies you for a longer period of time. These will be foods containing protein and/or fat. Think: nut butters, hummus, avocados, Greek yogurt, cheese, and nuts. For meals, shoot for a fruit or a vegetable with a whole grain and a source of lean protein. If you don’t have time to prepare food, that’s ok too. You can still keep these things in mind when you’re eating out. Tip #3 Set Timers In general, it’s recommended to eat something every 3-5 hours, whether that’s more of a meal or just a snack kind of depends on your unique schedule and needs. But, setting a timer to go off every 4 hours could be just the reminder you need to make sure you get your much needed study breaks. Alternatively, Someone who isn’t able to eat consistently throughout the day may find themselves “stress-eating” at some point. This is the same cycle we’ve been talking about: not eating enough drives us to overcompensate at a later point. So keep these tips in mind and go forth and conquer! |