You may still be residually crunked from happenings earlier this month, but like it or not, finals are fast approaching. With less than a week left before Reading Days, it's not too late to wind down in style.
Sleep: apparently it's good for the soul. Like chicken soup.
Just because the cool kids have deemed four hours of sleep a night acceptable doesn't mean that the rest of us should follow suit. Try to establish a regular sleep pattern and get a decent number of hours a night so that you will have energy in the final push when you might need to stay up a bit later. Your body will thank you for the break. If you need a good place to go nap during the day and you don't feel like heading home from VP, the Women's Center at 37th and Locust is an untapped resource with a "nap room" filled with comfy couches for your snoozing pleasure.
My chocolate brings all the boyz to the yard.
Honestly, chocolate just makes you happy. A Hershey bar here and there can give you that mood boost you've been craving. Plus, chocolate is an untapped caffeine source, so feel free to use it occasionally in lieu of your coffee and Red Bull regimen. For an ideal chocolate experience head to Naked Chocolate downtown at 1317 Walnut and try out some of their fabulous drinking chocolates or a personal fondue (in reality big enough to share) for only $8. To further your relaxation, Naked occasionally features live musicians in the café, usually playing jazz or acoustic guitar.
Tea for two. Or one.
Tea is an excellent de-stresser in addition to having a variety of other health benefits. Some teas can be immune-boosting, sleep-inducing or rejuvenating, all helpful at different times during your finals studying cycle. So if you need chamomile to make you forget your management status report and let you sleep, head to Remedy Tea Bar located at 1628 Sansom. If you're not willing to head 20 blocks away, there's always Bucks and its selection of Mighty Leaf for you. You should also consider keeping some tea bags in your dorm for when you just don't feel like going out.
Gymnastique!
For some people, working out frustration at the gym can be really helpful. Whether you channel it into the heavy weights room or a Turbo Kick class, you can get a good workout and de-stress at the same time. Exercise is a proven stress reducer and, if nothing else, you can pretend that you are kicking that professor who gave you a 20-page paper due on the first day of exams. And if you really want to wind down and work on your breathing, there's always yoga. At Pottruck for example, each class has a standard meditation and deep breathing period at the end, so you're guaranteed to leave very relaxed.
Not just for the Quad.
While I wouldn't condone daily hookah smoking, it can be a deeply relaxing activity. The shisha, a blend of flavored tobacco, is a lot less harsh on the lungs as it is filtered through water and provides the smoker with a pleasant taste and feeling of light-headed calm. There are a number of hookah bars around the city, but I would recommend Shouk on 622 S. 6th St. or Byblos on 114 S. 18th St. for a non-sketchy atmosphere with college-aged clientele.
Rub one out.
A massage is a great way to relieve physical and emotional stress. You can take a trip to one of the beautiful spas in Rittenhouse or, if you want a more convenient (and probably cheaper) option, the Office of Health Education offers several massage services in their office right along Locust Walk. Or, if you don't want to spend $40, get together with a friend and give each other massages. It might be a little awkward, but hey, at least those knots will just be a distant memory.
