Ah, it’s that time of year again — the dreaded midterm season! It’s a frightening time during which you see sleepless UC Berkeley students parading through Sproul, zombies who haunt Main Stacks with cries of their upcoming deadlines and, of course, the overcrowded Moffitt Library. Keeping these stressful times in mind, here are some ways we at the Clog want to help you deal with the pressure this midterm season.

Nap pods

Lucky for you, our campus has a few nap pods that are actually quite comfy. If napping in the library isn’t your style, head over to one of these nap pods for a study break so that you can rest your eyes (and your brain). We have normalized sleep deprivation to the point where it’s become expected to lose sleep anytime you have a midterm or deadline. Sometimes the best thing you can do for your body and mental health is to get a few extra hours of sleep in to help rest your brain.

De-stress with Dogs

De-stress with Dogs, a campus organization that well, allows you to destress with dogs, almost always has a table set up on Sproul with cute little doggos certain to bring a smile to your face.

Exercise

Yes, we know that in reality, very few people actually have the time to go to the gym when there are midterms and papers to cram for. However, if you can spare an hour a week to go to an RSF class or do some deep breathing and yoga, you might actually see your stress decrease.

Take a break from Main Stacks and Moffitt

A change of scenery can really boost your mental state, especially if you’ve been in the dark hole that is Main Stacks for an entire weekend.

Eat healthy

It’s so tempting to eat nothing but sugar, cheese and carbs and consume buckets of coffee when you’re in the midterms zone, but it’s also not that hard to put in that little bit of extra effort to have a healthier diet and eat a fruit or two a day. Trust us, your body will thank you for it, and you might even notice boosted energy levels and focus if you keep it up!

Be confident!

Midterms season can really get you down, but try to stay confident! You’ve put in the hard work to slay all your tests and papers. And, if it hasn’t been drilled into your head enough, don’t forget that you go to the No. 1 public university in the world.

We know midterm season is literally the worst, but there’s always light at the end of the tunnel! Keep pushing through the pain and you’ll be successful.