Finals are here. Scary, right? Only a few days stand between us and the end of the semester. If you’re anything like me, procrastinating is inevitable. Procrastination is a fine art, and if you do it right, you can get a lot more done than just studying. Productive procrastination is a great way to avoid your work while still accomplishing something. If Netflix and naps are your favorite way to procrastinate, I challenge you try some of these study breaks instead.
1. Tidy up the apartment.
I am not the neatest nor the tidiest student you’ll ever meet. During a busy week, sometimes my clothing doesn’t quite make it into the hamper and my bed doesn’t exactly get made. A great way to avoid writing a paper or studying for an exam is to clean up first. In fact, clearing clutter may turn your space into a more functional working environment. Even just taking ten minutes to do the dishes lets you feel like you have accomplished something for the day, and it can even be the push you need to start on that lengthy to-do list.
2. Make a to-do list.
Speaking of to-do lists, making one is a great way to procrastinate. A to-do list gets everything you need to do written down in one place. Even though you haven’t actually accomplished anything by writing out a list, seeing the mountain of tasks may send you into a panic just large enough to inspire you to get things done and start checking them off.
3. Call your mom.
This seems counter-intuitive since a phone call can be incredibly distracting. The great thing about calling mom is that she’ll let you whine about how much you have to do for a few minutes before telling you to stop whining and sit down and get your work done. If you’ve worked too hard for the day and are experiencing burnout, she’ll tell you to slow down. If you’ve done nothing all day, she’ll probably scold you for being lazy. Moms almost always know what’s best for you, and no one knows how to motivate you better. After all, who helped get you through life thus far?
4. Go for a walk.
One of my favorite ways to break up a long study session (or avoid starting one) is to take a walk down to a local fro-yo shop. Not only do I get a tasty treat to fuel my late night study session, but I also get to wake my brain up a little bit. Studies show that even just a short walk increases brain function.
5. Hit the gym.
A walk is nice if you’re looking to take a break or just get your head on straight before you start a new task, but if you’re really looking to kill some time, hitting the gym (or doing a workout at home) might be a better option for you. A workout will make you feel great. If you’re going to avoid your school work, you may as well do something great for your body. Finals can be mentally exhausting, and even though all you want to do is sleep at night, you might not be able to because you aren’t physically tired. Hitting the gym will help you tire out your body and sleeping at night will be much easier.
6. Go shopping.
Go to a mall, a bookstore, Amazon, anywhere. Buy yourself a present or two and then use it as a reward for getting your work done and surviving finals. Anything you can do to make yourself happier is a step in the right direction. Treat yo’self.
Hang in there – winter break is almost here.
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