The Shower Experiment
Disclaimer: I am no scientist.
Since it is finals season and I have spent an insane amount of hours studying, reading and writing the past week, I have decided to try two different experiments with the hope of finding a good brain stimuli for long periods of work. In this blog post, I will be talking about the first of my experiments: the shower test.
Studying is important and needed in anyone’s academic career in order to get good grades. But when it is crunch time during midterms or finals week, it is not easy to stay focused for many hours in a row, especially after a few days of repetitive studying. I am always looking for new ways to keep my brain stimulated during those moments. In this experiment, I will read until it is no longer possible for me to process the information in front of my eyes. I will then take a break, hop in the shower for twenty minutes under hot water and later proceed with my reading.
Expectations: I think this experiment will be successful and the shower will act as the perfect awakening. Taking a shower gets the body moving, but it is also a peaceful moment for the brain especially with hot water running.
Observations: I spent a good hour reading a digital book on my Kindle before my eyes started to close by themselves. I was getting sleepy and I had a hard time remembering the information I was reading. So, I stopped reading and proceeded to follow the steps of my experiment. My shower lasted twenty full minutes and I was able to relax for a little bit. When I went back to my book, I felt refreshed (in every sense of the word). My focus was back and I read intensely for a solid 20-30 minutes. Sadly, it did not last longer than that. After thirty minutes, I started feeling sleepy again and had to put my book down.
The shower experiment did not work as well as I would have liked. It is not ideal for stimulation of the brain and will only work as a short-term solution. Stay tuned for my next experiment!