Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

Nine grueling weeks have gone by, and on the 10th week of the term Western brought to me: 10 hours of studying, nine hours of procrastinating, eight pots of coffee, seven sets of flashcards, six snacks at midnight, five different tests, four trips to the library, three all-nighters, two full breakdowns and my planner telling me it’s “dead week.”

The hardest time of the term has finally arrived, and with everything you have to get done, it can be exhausting both physically and mentally. And while it may seem like the best thing to do is just relax and kickback, sometimes that’s not an option.

Let’s be real, if we were all to stop everything and just forget about the approaching finals week, nothing would get done, our grades would drop and we would feel even worse than before. Rather than taking that route, it’s better to just face the fury of all that dead week is and face it head on. However, because this can be incredibly exhausting, you’ll need energy boosters to keep you going strong.

A natural way to give you more energy is to increase your intake of magnesium. This can be done by eating healthy nuts, such as walnuts or hazelnuts. You can also add more whole grains, green leafy vegetables or legumes to your diet. According to livestrong.com,those who have low levels of magnesium will use up their energy stores quickly, whereas those with high magnesium levels will use their energy stores slowly. So add these things to your diet to keep you going through dead week and finals week.

You can also take a quick walk. I realize that when there’s a lot you need to get done, the last thing you’ll want to do is physical activity, however, according to a study at California State University, a brisk, 10-minute walk will give you an energy boost that can last up to two hours. So, taking occasional study breaks to take a walk will do you a lot of good in the long run.

Whatever you do, do not skip a meal. Skipping meals will lead to fatigue at the end of the day, and you’ll need the fuel to keep you going all week. Not only that, but eating every meal will keep you in a better mood.

Eat a power snack. You’ll want to have a high intake of protein, carbs and fiber. An example would be energy balls. To make these, mix together one cup of oats, a half-cup of peanut butter or almond butter, a half-cup of ground flaxseed, a third of a cup of honey, a half-cup of dark chocolate chips and one teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mix it all together, form into balls and let that chill in the fridge. Eat one or two of these when you need that extra boost of energy.

Don’t let dead week get you down. With these different ways to boost your energy levels, you’ll be able to show the week who’s boss. So take on the challenge, do so with vigor and study as hard as you can. Good luck with everything you take on, and don’t forget to make your mental health your number one priority.

Contact the author at chealy16@wou.edu