Editor’s Note: As Finals Week approaches, the Eccles School is doing a five-part series featured in the Newsroom on how to keep up your energy levels. Here is the third installment.

A healthy level of energy is vital to performing at your full potential as a student. When we are low on energy, it becomes more difficult to focus, to stay committed to tasks, and to keep our overall cognitive function at its full potential. Without adequate levels of energy, we are unlikely to reach our full potential in the classroom and during our study time.

It is natural to have some variation in the way you feel from day to day, but there are some things you can do to increase your overall levels of energy and mental focus.

Physical Activity

You are probably well aware of the importance of exercise on a regular basis. But if you are not a person who is a fitness fanatic and cannot seem to schedule the time to work out, there are things you can incorporate into your schedule to increase physical activity and thus, increase your metabolism.

The important thing to keep in mind on the subject of physical activity is that you simply need to move on a regular basis and you should move with enthusiasm—brisk and with an optimistic mindset. When you move slowly and in a sluggish manner, you may actually feel more tired afterward.

There are also the obvious measures you can take to increase your physical activity. You can take the stairs instead of the elevator. You can park farther away, thus increasing your walking distance (parking far away is typically not a problem on campus). You can take walks on a regular basis—even if it’s just down the hall and back again.