Monthly Archives: December 2023

Wishing you all a safe and relaxing winter break!

Happy Reading Day, Titans! For the last installment of the Finals Toolkit, we’re sharing relaxing and stress-relieving activities. Taking breaks and moments to rest can help you return to your studying or writing feeling refreshed and revitalized. Don’t forget, you can also check out our earlier tools and tips from part 1 and part 2 of the Finals Toolkit!

• Browse: Take in some art! Browse the collections in Artstor, Saskia Digital Art Images, and IWU’s campus art collection.
• Listen: Enjoy some instrumental background music from The Classical Music Library, Smithsonian Global Sound, and Popular Music Library.
• Read: Use your IWU ID card to check out a book to read for fun from the library’s popular reading collection, located on the first floor of the library near the Library Services Desk.
• Visit the Self-Care Station: Find coloring sheets, LEGOs, origami, dorm-friendly recipes, and other wellness resources in the Self-Care Station on the first floor of The Ames Library.
• Watch: See performances like A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Swan Lake from the comfort of your own room, thanks to Digital Theatre+, or watch a documentary on a topic that interests you from the PBS Video Collection.

Bonus finals week reminders: You can reserve a study or project room in the library and print your projects and papers using one of the library’s five printers.

We hope you’re able to finish well, take care of yourselves, and enjoy the upcoming break. Good luck during finals week–you’ve got this!

Finals can be a stressful time, so this week, we’re filling your Finals Toolkit with ways to take care of yourself, resources for practicing mindfulness and relaxing during breaks, and a reminder of the importance of sleep. We’re also sharing a few extra tools as you put finishing touches on projects and papers.

• Counseling & Consultation Services (CCS): Check out CCS’s resources for students, take a confidential online screening, or make an appointment to talk to a counselor.
• Self-care apps: Check out our Self-Care LibGuide for a list of meditation apps like Shine. Or, try a coloring app like Paint by Number Coloring Games as a way to relax.
• Self-Care Station: Visit the Self-Care Station on the entry level of The Ames Library for relaxing activities, mindfulness resources, and to share an encouraging note with your fellow Titans.
• Sleep: It may feel like studying is more important than sleep, but research tells us that’s not the case. Several studies compare sleep deprivation to intoxication–a study of 19-26 year olds found that their performance on tasks after being awake for 20 hours was equivalent to having a blood alcohol concentration of 0.10%. Try establishing a wind-down routine, avoiding screens right before bed, and remember to make sleep a priority.
• Sunbox light therapy lamps: Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) affects millions of people, and one way of coping with SAD is to use light therapy. There are Sunbox light therapy lamps on the 3rd and 4th floors of The Ames Library–try spending 20-30 minutes with a Sunbox lamp to help lift your mood.
• Titan Pantry: Take what food you need from the Titan Pantry, located in the Hansen Student Center (in the lockers by the main floor restrooms). The Titan Pantry is free and anonymous.
• Take regular breaks: Set a timer for 10 minutes and stretch, go for a walk or other form of exercise, relax your jaw, get a drink of water, talk to a friend, or do something that brings you joy.
• Ask a Librarian Chat: Monday-Friday, from 1-4 pm, a librarian is online and ready to help answer your questions!
• Citation refresher: Working on your citations page? Let MegaSearch help you! (Click image below to enlarge.)

Next week, visit the Finals Toolkit for relaxing activities and stress-busters. You’re doing great!