What to do during your study breaks
After hours of studying, it’s nice to reward yourself with a little break. However, you may have noticed that these breaks may not be rejuvenating enough and lead to procrastination. It can be tough to jump back into an intensive study session, especially when you don’t want to and feel as if you just finished studying. This article will provide a short list of study break ideas that will help you feel well-rested and keep you away from your phone.
Take a walk
This is a very common study break idea and many people don’t like it because it seems like extra effort or uncomfortable. However, walks can be very beneficial to your body and brain. The change in scenery gives you a nice break from your all-too-familiar study space and the sunlight gives you a break from the constant blue light exposure we receive from technology. Being out in nature and enjoying the fall colors can be relaxing, and movement is always a healthy choice to make. If you live in Madison, I would definitely suggest a walk by the lake whenever you have the chance and enjoy our beautiful scenery.
Meditate
Meditation can be a bit tricky and overwhelming to get into, but don’t overcomplicate it or worry about doing it wrong. There are a lot of helpful videos on Youtube that walk you through a guided meditation. Meditation can be useful in easing anxiety and stress, which is definitely needed after a long study session. There is a lot of great research that has been done to learn more about the benefits of meditation, and I recommend you do more research if this is something you are interested in! Additionally, I highly recommend using guided meditations from people with years of experience to learn how meditation has been used for centuries by a variety of cultures to improve health.
Organize your space
If you are anything like me, you get extremely overwhelmed by a messy room and can’t do any work if it isn’t tidy. A good study break for those who find cleaning relaxing is to literally clean your room/study space. This can range from a deep clean or simply organizing some items around you. Either way, this activity can help declutter your space and, importantly, keep you away from your phone.
Take a power nap
I’ve never really been able to take naps until I got to college, but they can be pretty useful when you are tired and busy. My best advice for taking naps is to limit them to 30 minutes maximum or you won’t be able to wake up easily afterwards. Also, try not to take naps closer to your usual bedtime or you will have a hard time going to sleep at night. I usually take about 20-minute naps after a long study session and afterward, I feel ready to restart my studying. Although power naps can be a helpful way to get some rest when you are feeling tired, make sure to try and get a good night’s sleep as often as possible to provide your body with its well-deserved rest.
A successful study day always requires rejuvenating study breaks to help you refresh your mind and get back to work. The right study break will help prevent you from procrastinating and get you ready to restart another productive study session. This article is definitely not a comprehensive list, but it provides a few ideas that can be used whenever you want to switch up your study methods.