Not moved from your desk in what seems more like days than hours, or are you certain the library staff see you so often they think you’re really there to take advantage of free heat and shelter? Well, it’s hard to avoid a heavy work load at this time of year, and while essays and the hours spent wrestling with the final draft of that dissertation may be in the past, there is still the impending exam period to contend with and it is easy to find yourself feeling like you live behind a desk, walled in by surrounding books and journals.
Now don’t get me wrong, when you spend most of your time enclosed by past papers and fellow students who seem to know an infinite amount more than you when it comes to next week’s exam, it’s easy to procrastinate. However, if you’re going to do it, do it right. Get to the gym, try out the Trim Trail, go swimming or even go for a lovely stroll down the canal (weather permitting). It will re-energise you for the next shift of revision and burn off those comfort pounds that sitting at a desk with a brew and rewarding treats has netted you.
Every year I end up spending an unparalleled amount of time in the gym, while I should actually be revising. Yes, I am procrastinating, but the advantages of getting a little bit of exercise should not be doubted. Exercise is a great way to de-stress before or after an exam, and a little bit of a work out will make you feel good about yourself, once you have got your breath back of course.
A couple of friends and myself have indeed become committed gym goers, probably for the next few weeks alone admittedly, yet this arguably extreme form procrastination has another benefit ladies (and figure conscious gentlemen): Grad ball is fast approaching, and dresses need to be slimmed into. While you may say I should know better than to objectify my body like this, don’t worry. Exercise doesn’t have to be about punishing your body, it’s about feeling good about yourself, and during this stressful time, any form of exercise can do this, be it a fitness class, or that casual walk down the canal topped off with a refreshing drink in town as a well-deserved reward. Keep calm and carry on.
