Midterms are approaching fast and with no fall break, students may be having a hard time relaxing. 

This is a very anxiety-inducing time and it’s difficult to focus on classes and studying when there’s essentially no chance to relax. This can cause a “brain fog,” mental fuzziness or lack of clarity.

If you’re struggling with brain fog, you may have trouble putting things together, concentrating, physical or mental exhaustion and/or lack of motivation.

Anxiety and stress can cause brain fog, which is not uncommon.

Try to realize where the stress is coming from. With midterms and projects, students feel temporary stress that will eventually go away but it does cause mental fatigue.

Even in the midst of chaos, it is important to spend a little time doing things you enjoy. You come to college to study and get a degree, but you have the chance to make long-lasting relationships and friendships as well as learn new things about yourself. Even taking 15 minutes a day to focus on your passions can go a long way.

Try to get more sleep. When working on projects, homework and balancing work, family and friends, one of the first things we tend to sacrifice is sleep. Try to get at least 7 hours of sleep to function properly. It’ll help you in the long run.

If you find yourself struggling, meditation can help you sit with your thoughts and figure out what needs to be your main priorities. Find a quiet, comfortable place to sit, let all of your thoughts sit with you, acknowledge these thoughts and try to think where to go from there.

Try writing a to-do list, keep a planner and journal close by and look at your syllabi to keep yourself organized. Talk to your family and friends about what’s going on.

Midterms are a very stressful time, especially right now with everything going on. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the amount of online work you have and trying to figure out where to go.