I propose to you, a ’30 Day Exam Season Challenge’…do you accept?

We are officially in…*drumroll🥁*…exam season. For some of us, the reality may not have hit yet, and we may be cruising by whilst the stress unconsciously eats us up. For others of us, it cannot feel any more real than this, and the weight of exams may bog us down. Whichever category you fall in, I present to you, ‘The 30-day Exam Season Challenge’📆.

The ’30 Exam Season Challenge’ is set up to make sure that whilst you dedicate time and effort to your assignments – you don’t neglect the things that make you feel relaxed or joyful. I am a firm believer in balance🧘🏽. So, I challenge you to complete a couple of the tasks from below for 30 days straight (try to choose a minimum of 3)!

The tasks:

1. Take one walk a week – there should not be a destination. Instead, simply walk to enjoy nature🚶🏽.

2. Drink 6-8 cups of water a day – it’s good for you💦!

3. Stretch 3 times a week – listen to some relaxing music whilst you do this, you’ll love it🙆🏽.

4. Have some biweekly self-care time – you can get a haircut, paint your nails, or put on a face mask (anything that makes you feel good!)💅🏼.

5. Have a movie night once a month – this can be done by yourself, or with friends, but its great to do something unrelated to academia🎬.

6. Journal every weekend – you can write about what you’re grateful for, some reflections you’ve had, or the ambitions you have for the future✍🏼.

7. Have a smoothie once a week – mmhmm yum🧋.

8. Speak to your closest friend once a week – sometimes we feel so busy that we neglect our relationships with people but speaking to loved ones can really boost our mood (or allow us to boost their mood)📞.

9. Encourage or compliment someone daily – send a text message or stop someone in the street!🤗

10. Create a weekly schedule/timetable every weekend to help reduce stress🗓.

These are the things that I am trying to do in this exam season. By doing them, I have felt extremely peaceful because I am not placing my identity in my exams, nor am I neglecting the hobbies that I enjoy. If you accept this challenge, then comment on what three tasks you’re taking on for the next 30 days! 

Let’s get through exam season together. And who knows, you may enjoy the tasks so much that you do them forever.