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[doodle of four cats: a red cat saying “I’m just getting started.”, a blue cat saying “I have so much potential.”, an orange cat saying “I’m going to achieve so much.”, and a green cat saying “I got this.”]
The Mandatory Midday Break: Why You Should Take One and How
It’s Monday afternoon. I have two papers and a programming assignment due Wednesday, and an exam on Friday, not to mention two homework assignments I haven’t started on. But I’m sitting in a cafe with my earbuds in, listening to The Moth Radio podcast while I drink my cup of Cafe Au Lait and occasionally bite into my vanilla macaron. I’ve been sitting here for nearly 45 minutes and I don’t plan to start working again until another 15 minutes.
What am I doing? Shouldn’t I be working right now? Why am I wasting my time? Well, I’m taking one of my mandatory midday coffee breaks.
Why take a midday break?
You probably think you’re too busy to take breaks. You think there are way too many things on your to-do list that you can’t afford to lose even five minutes of time away from doing them.
This is how I used to see things, too. Even though I’ve been using the pomodoro method for a relatively long time, I discovered that I needed something more, especially since my daily college schedule very much tempts me into studying for long stretches of time. I used to think that whenever I didn’t have class, I had to study, but that was just harmful to my overall productivity.
These mandatory coffee breaks serve as a sort of mental reset, a time to wind down just a little bit so I can get back up refreshed and ready to tackle on more tasks. They help me stay sane and not feel stressed and overwhelmed by all the things I have to do, and they also help me restore focus so that I can achieve full concentration on my tasks after the break.
Sometimes we don’t realize how draining all the chaos of studying and working can be until we stop doing those things, so taking these breaks can definitely help you recenter yourself.
I’m sure you can see how these breaks are helpful, but how exactly do I take these breaks?
When?
I take my coffee breaks during the time of day when I would feel sluggish and slow, from 3:30 to 4:30 pm. This is of course different for everyone, but regardless of the exact time, if I chose instead to work during my slow hours, I wouldn’t get much done, and I’ll only end up feeling too tired to do much else the rest of the day.
Where?
As much as I can, I’d go someplace where I don’t normally study so I can get the entire ‘busy mindset’ out of my system. This place could be a cafe on campus, or even one of the quads or something.
One of my favorite ‘break spots’ is the art museum on campus. I could walk around the museum during my break, maybe even go to the fifth floor where there’s an amazing view of Ithaca, and then I’d have a cup of coffee in the lobby (you can make one for $1), and then continue studying or doing schoolwork in the lobby.
Another great place for a break is anywhere with outdoor seating. This also allows you to take a breath of fresh air and re-energize your brain to take in more information after your break. However, as the weather’s getting chilly here in Ithaca, outside’s not the best place to be when it’s not a very nice day out.
If you’re in high school, I realize you might not have the freedom to go wherever you wanted to; I wasn’t even allowed to leave school grounds during the day. You could simply go outside or again, go somewhere you don’t usually study - this would be the best option if you’re at home by the time you want to have your midday break. (I would go out to my terrace or sit in my living room.)
What to do?
During these breaks, I’d usually write in my journal, read a book, listen to music or podcast, or sometimes make music on my phone (with airplane mode turned on so I don’t get distracted by any notifications). Sometimes, if any of my friends are free, I’ll ask them to come along and we’ll chat (in practice, this is actually very difficult because my friends and I have vastly different schedules, so yeah).
If I’m feeling especially tired, I’ll go back to my dorm to take a nap. However, with the weather getting colder and the sky growing darker, it’s very very tempting to extend my power nap, so I just settle for a cup of coffee.
What if I don’t?
Sometimes you might feel guilty for taking such a long break, and I admit I sometimes still feel that way, but you have to remind yourself that taking this break will have a greater net positive effect than if you continue working.
I’ve noticed that on days that I don’t take a break - or even shorten my break - I perform less effectively on my tasks and I’m less productive. This could actually lead to sleeping later (which it had a couple times) and as you all know, lack of sleep reduces cognitive functioning.
I’ve definitely experienced physical consequences of not taking breaks: one time I was working on an assignment for my computer science course, but since I was a little behind, I didn’t take the midday break in fear that I wouldn’t finish it on time. However, by the time I finished, my head was so hazy and my vision was blurry and I couldn’t really do much else afterwards. The worst thing was, I also had a philosophy paper due that night which I’ve finished but still needed to revise one last time. I knew this was bad, so I took a 45 minute break afterwards, before I revised and submitted my paper.
I know it can be difficult to stray from your tasks once you’ve achieved a certain momentum, but trust me, you need to take that break. Like, ok, I managed to study for my philosophy midterm in 4-5 hours, but it could’ve easily taken me 10 if I hadn’t taken a midday break that one Tuesday afternoon.
Take a while every day to detach yourself from school or work. Don’t try to excuse yourself from having a break. Make time for a break. By mentally resetting your brain, you’ll achieve greater productivity for the rest of the day, and be able to tackle your remaining tasks more efficiently.
So yeah, mandatory midday breaks are one of the strategies I’ve been using to maintain wellness in my college life, and I hope you’ll consider making it a part of yours, too!
As always, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to drop me an ask :)
I’m a big believer in breaks, especially when you are doing brain-heavy work. I think it can be a great investment and while I was writing my thesis I learned it was necessary to take breaks so that the brain can keep functioning at a high capacity. Take breaks people!
Black Girl Magic
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Orleans by Sherri L Smith
Iron Cast by Destiny Soria
Is You Okay? by GloZell Green
Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina by Michaela Deprince and Elaine Deprince
The Steep & Thorny Way by Cat Winters
Piecing Me Together by Renee Watson
This Side Of Home by Renee Watson
When Morning Comes by Arushi Raina
Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor
Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon
American Street by Ibi Zoboi
Goldie Vance by Hope Larson, Brittney Williams
Shiny Broken Pieces A Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaipotra, Dhonielle Clayton
Stone Mirrors The Sculpture & Silence of Edmonia Lewis by Jeannine Atkins
Shadowshaper Cypher 02 Shadowhouse Falls by Daniel Jos Older
The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson
The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough
Happy Holidays from Hogwarts!
Happy Holidays from Hogwarts!
I wrote over 2600 words on my thesis today. No i am not joking or kidding. No I am not on any drugs or even caffeine. I just sat down and wrote. This is hands down the most productive day of my life. We will never see it’s like again.
Reblog to give urself the power of productive days. Ignore to still get the power of productive days because you have seen this post it will bless you and your mind anyway. But just know ur a lil shit for not sharing the power of productive days with your pals.
GIVE ME THE POWER PLZ
Hey guys. I’m glad to be finally posting my “mental breakdown survival guide”. As you know I struggle a lot with mental health, and so I have been through a lot of breakdowns. So many that I actually dropped out of university after 3 weeks in 2016 and had to take the whole year off. Because of this, I’ve made it my mission to help others with mental health issues as much as I can, so you don’t have to go through what I’ve been through.
Anyway, here is my guide. I tried to keep it general, and actually useful. If you have any questions or additions please feel free to add them.
And as ever, if you want to talk to me about studying with mental illness or want to see a post on a specific topic, please feel free to message me.
studying and anxiety
a guide on how to study when the thought of it makes you even more stressed
(disclaimer: i’m not a professional therapist or doctor, simply a student who has been dealing with severe anxiety since i was eleven years old. that being said, i don’t have much anxiety around schoolwork or testing, so my advice may not be the most helpful- take what i say with a grain of salt.)
while it has been a long time since i’ve felt anxious about studying, and therefore can’t provide much help with that, i do regularly have to study in situations where i am already anxious or in the middle of anxiety attack. these are some of the things i do to help myself calm down and focus.
calm down. if i’m near panic or feel too restless to sit still, i need to let my body and mind chill before i can even think about schoolwork. if i’m feeling really jittery, a quick walk outside or dancing it out to some high-energy pop music helps me settle down a bit. then i like to meditate, in order to get my focus and thoughts under control.
next, make the space you’ll be studying in comfortable and safe. what this means will depend on what you need during an anxiety attack. some people are comforted by familiar items and coziness, such as blankets, candles, and stuffed animals. when i’m stressed, i usually need a more clean and organized space, with everything put away in its place (or just out of sight) and only the things i need with me. things like tea, fidget toys, and familiar smells can help to ground you as well. if you’re not at home, libraries tend to be a good option, since they are quiet, relaxing, and often familiar spaces. if you’re stuck in school and the library isn’t an option, try an empty classroom or stairwell.
break everything down. when i’m stressed, my executive functioning goes haywire. in order to get anything done, i have to plan out my moves in very explicit detail. this is easiest for me to do on a computer document. first, i write down all of the assignments that i have to get done. then, i break each of them down into smaller and smaller tasks, until they are simple enough that each takes less than a minute and could be easily explained to a child.
get to work! i usually start with the easiest task, so that i don’t get overwhelmed or start to doubt my abilities, since that would make me more stressed. for me, this is usually math, since puzzles with definite rules tend to calm me down when i’m anxious, and i’m more likely to get stuck on less structured work like english readings or art projects.
don’t forget to take breaks. especially if your brain is dealing with an excess of nerves, and stress, you will need to let it rest and recharge frequently. i like to set a timer where i work for twelve minutes, take a three minute break, and then repeat. if this feels too long or too short for you, feel free to adjust it to fit your needs.
most importantly, go to sleep. i know it’s tempting to stay up late studying or doing homework, especially if you haven’t finished all of your assignments yet, but there is nothing that will make your anxiety worse than sleep deprivation. take care of your body, first and foremost. it’s the only one you’re ever going to have.
A summary of my thesis:
This is important because critical realism.
Take some time for relaxation and peace for yourself. ^^ You have to stop running sometimes because the wheel never ends!
Reread Six of Crows… again
I want you all to know that an Arab Muslim from Tunis proposed the Theory of Evolution near 600 years before Charles Darwin even took his first breath. Don’t let them erase you.
his name is Ibn Khaldun
Also, it was not the apple falling from a tree that made Issac Newton “discover” gravity. He was reading the books of Ibn Al Haytham, an Arab Muslim from Iraq, who pioneered the scientific method, discovered gravity and wrote about the laws governing the movement of bodies (now known as Newtons three laws of motion) some 600 years before Newton existed. Without him, modern science as we know it wouldn’t exist. Read on him. His achievements are far greater than what I’ve just mentioned here.
#no offense but arabs literally invented chemistry and algebra and we came up with the concept of the camera #the cataract operation that’s still practiced today was invented by an Arab #we created alchemy and the wright brothers used abbas ibn firnas’ findings and writings to build on to create a plane #I could go on and on and on #pls don’t erase our scientific history
I reblog this post every time I see it
We fucking replaced a Muslim scientist with an apple?
today my dad said “why do people binge watch entire seasons? it’s not like you’d get a book and read it in one night” so i’m not convinced he knows anything about what i do in my freetime
“small,” art journal, 2018
matls: found/collected paper, gold calligraphy ink, thread, pearl-ex pigment powder in coppers and golds
[image: an art journal page made of images of the desert and desert wildflowers laid out in overlapping squares. the center image is of desert mountains on their side. the mountains are outlined with stitching in sandstone-colored thread. textured ink follows the lines of the mountains, and text in the opposite corner reads simply, “I do feel small.”]
