The Real Reason You’re Unproductive is Because You’re Working Too Hard

It’s that time of the semester when burnout starts to set in. We’d normally be about to go on Spring break, but instead, we’re stuck working on midterm exams and projects with no Wellness Wednesday in sight. With so much to do, most people’s first instinct is to sit at the computer for hours on end and pull all nighters to get everything done. We all know it’s not healthy or fun to work nonstop, but it’s necessary… Right?

Recently my roommate, who’d been at her desk studying all day, told me that even though she’d gotten distracted on TikTok for twenty minutes while halfheartedly working, she didn’t feel like she’d taken a break. She wasn’t getting anything done, but she didn’t feel any calmer, either. I think we can all relate to this feeling of working intensely for an hour or two, then getting sidetracked but still not feeling rested or ready to start working again. So here’s how you can fix this issue: take real breaks.

Nobody can work nonstop for a whole day, or even a few hours. Breaks are important because they help you feel more energized and motivated, and they allow your brain to feel more motivated. Also, breaks are absolutely necessary for mental health and wellbeing. Doing schoolwork all the time isn’t good for you – you deserve to enjoy the semester!

Scheduling fun breaks is a great way to make sure you step away from your homework for a couple hours. Before COVID-19, if you were going to watch a hockey game or hang out with your friends on a Friday night, you’d get your homework done beforehand and then enjoy your free time. Even with COVID-19 making life complicated, you can still schedule in fun breaks – plan a movie night, a hike, or a trip to go shopping with friends. You’ll get to enjoy the college experience, and you’ll be more motivated to get your work done beforehand because you know you have a fun night ahead.

It’s also important to take periodic breaks during your productive time. I like to use the Pomodoro Technique, which is working for 50 minutes then taking a 10-minute break, with an hour-long break after 3 hours of working. So, I’ll set a timer for 50 minutes, put my phone and any other distractions away, and actually work for the full time. Then, I’ll take the 10-minute break to check my phone, drink water, or get a snack. This system works for me because it forces me to take regular breaks so I stay productive and energized, while never getting burnt out. There’s plenty of similar methods out there, so test out a few and figure out what works best for you.

You might think that you need to work all day in order to get your to-do list done, but I promise that you don’t. And even if you think you’ve been working nonstop all day, I guarantee that you’ve gotten distracted, and you would’ve been better off taking a few breaks. It’s better to have more productive, shorter study sessions with breaks, than it is to study for hours on end while being productive only half the time.

So, this is the sign you’ve been waiting for: take a break, and don’t feel guilty about it. Your to-do list and your mental health will thank you.

• mental health
• productivity
• studying