i’m starting the second semester of my junior year soon, and recently i’ve been dealing with a feeling of burnout and lack of motivation. it’s hard to force myself to study and power through.
one thing that has really helped is taking good study breaks! it definitely also helps if you’re staying up late studying or having a marathon study session… like for finals ;)
when should i take a study break?
here are a couple of options—find what works for you, or try a bunch of different methods!
pomodoro method - this generally involves working for 25 minutes, then breaking for 5 minutes. after 4 work sessions, you can break for 15 minutes. good pomodoro timers are the marinara chrome extension and tomato timer for iphone!
between different assignments (ex. after a paper, then after a worksheet)
whenever you feel tired or unmotivated!
watching 5-10 minutes of a longer tv show episode - my ULTIMATE don’t. you’ll just be tempted to watch the full episode…and 3 more afterwards! save the tv-watching for after you’re all done. tv is meant to be compelling and enjoyable - NOT something you just watch 5 minutes of at a time.
reading a chapter of a book - for the same reason why tv-watching is super ineffective! you’ll just want to know what happens next.
watching 5-10 minutes of a longer youtube video
sleeping/napping - super short naps are ineffective and you’ll just be groggy. HOWEVER if you’re staying up super late and set an alarm to wake you up, a 30-minute power nap can be good!
scrolling through instagram/twitter
doing stuff you do before bed like showering or skincare - this will make you sleepier since you associate it with going to bed!
basically, don’t spend your study break doing things that are meant to suck your attention! save that for when you’re done and you can actually enjoy it :)
wash your face or brush your hair - super effective, especially when studying late at night. splash cold water on the back of your neck!
listen to your favorite song and sing/dance along
do something boring - give your brain a break and do something important but super boring. send an email, get some forms filled out, etc.
and my ultimate study break tip…
this may seem really counterintuitive. why spend a work break doing MORE WORK? however, working out is SUCH A GOOD STUDY BREAK. it gives you a sense of accomplishment, gets some endorphins flowing, and COMPLETELY takes your mind off of studying.
my favorite study break workouts:
pretty much anything from blogilates:
really hard weightless arms workout
another really hard weightless arm workout
under 10 minute yoga practices
i hope these help you! in 2020, let’s start conquering procrastination and lack of motivation together!! :-)
theartofmadeline
romaincrisis
kianamaiart
andulkaphoto
gummygunk
