It’s inevitable: Exam week is coming. There’s no escape — no train on which to skip town, nowhere to run. And in the midst of studying, stressing and overloading on caffeine, one might reach for food as a form of relief.
Eating is distracting, and foods that taste good bring moments of happiness at a time when the entire semester is in the balance. Foods high in sugar and caffeine provide bursts of energy, but they are short-lived.
“Food never reduces stress,” University dietitian Lisa Eberhart said. “People think it does, but, in the end, it actually increases stress because of the guilt associated with whatever it is they used in their quick stress-reduction technique. And people can gauge that. They can say, ‘Well, did that macaroni and cheese work, or did it just increase my stress?'”
Added strain comes from physical responses to stress, such as tension headaches and gastrointestinal difficulties. According to Eberhart, gastrointestinal reactions to stress vary by person and change how each individual processes food.
The solution, Eberhart said, is the right diet, exercise and getting enough sleep.
“You want to look at improving your diet rather than making it worse,” Eberhart said. “People tend to take on caffeine, which will increase their heart rates and make them a little more anxious and sleep less. And they also tend to eat what they consider comfort foods. On this campus, it’s not so easy to get mom’s homemade food, so you’re going to have to use convenience food, fast food or junk food.”
Eberhart said a healthy diet consists of three regular meals a day, including breakfast in the morning, and “water, water, water.” Throughout the day, students should include a protein source, a cup of vegetables and a piece of fruit in their diets.
While vitamin-enhanced and fitness waters do contain some vitamins and have fewer calories than soft drinks, nothing can replace plain water, Eberhart said — and everyone should have at least eight glasses a day. She said students should also avoid alcohol because it’s a depressant.
“Sleep will really help your memory a lot,” Eberhart said. “If people are really stressing about a test, sleep is really the best thing they can do for themselves.”
“And exercise is the one true physiological stress reduction technique, so if [students] totally get rid of exercise and just sit at their computer to try to get work done, they’re going to feel a lot worse.”
Because exercise is such an important part of stress management, Lee Salter, director of the Counseling Center, said students should make it a part of their schedules.
“People function much better and have better concentration and memory if they eat properly and schedule time to sleep and periods for exercise,” Salter said. “You need some time to relax and not worry about studying.”
Eberhart also suggests other stress-reduction techniques, including meditation, prayer and going for long walks.
In addition to these ways of relaxing, Salter said making time for relationships is important, especially for support during stressful times.
“Make a schedule,” Salter said. “Many students aren’t used to scheduling. They should have time as they see it now and have a good place to study. They should know what to study in each time block and what materials they need to have. The biggest thing is organizing.”
