Gotta catch ’em all: How to keep yourself healthy for finals, Pokémon-style

Finals week looms ahead like the Elite Four, and the path there is the same: Victory Road. In between studying and playing the new Pokémon games, recall the lessons you learned in Trainers’ School. With these tips, you will easily overcome your exams and become Champion.

Poison

Easy — don’t harm your body with too much debilitating stuff during exam week. Carefully monitor substance intake, because it’s going to affect your ability to study and the amount of work you can get through. As much as you might want to play the new Pokémon games, there is a time and place for them, and it’s definitely not finals week. The same goes for alcohol, caffeine and candy. Finals aren’t about partying. The celebration comes after the grades are in — not before.

Burn

If you’re writing research papers, don’t wait till the last second to burn them out in one all-nighter. The same goes for studying. Crammingis less effective than cumulative, dedicated study practices. When suffering from a burn, your Pokémon take residual damage every turn. Your best bet to avoid this affliction is to choose to study or research early and often, or you’ll be the one suffering from burnout. Establishing consistent study habits is a super effective way to prevent procrastination and laziness.

Freeze

Take the time to chill out every once in a while. Six days of uninterrupted stress will detrimentally affect your mental health. After a satisfying study session, put on some calming music, do some yoga or watch TV or a movie. Reward diligent work with some relaxation. Similarly, concoct a cup of cocoa, coffee or tea to fend off the cool temperatures, but recall rule No. 1: don’t overindulge in drinks full of caffeine. Keep everything in moderation.

Paralysis

Test anxiety leads to massive grade and GPA drops. Succumbing to it can be painful. Learning how to avoid or negate these effects is paramount to the nervous test-taker. Get into a comfortable place — like the library or a nice chair — and review flash cards and notes. Practice meditation or focus on controlling your breathing — create a mantra and say it in between deep and slow breaths. Make sure to go into the exam with a full stomach, and those jitters will be pulverized for good.

Sleep

Make sure to get some! Eat balanced meals three times a day, stay hydrated and sleep during nighttime hours. Exercise if there’s time. All the health lessons you’ve been inundated with for years still apply during finals week. All-nighters harm your ability to focus during the day and generally lead to irritability, loss of appetite, headaches and grogginess. Be sharp for your exams. You don’t want to be ready to faint when that shiny Pokémon leaps out of the tall grass.

Take each battle as it comes, and don’t run away — each encounter gains you more experience. Soon you’ll gain the skills necessary to challenge the Champ. With all these new moves, finals week is yours for the taking.