As Dalhousie University students settle into the second semester, many of us are dreading heading back into heavy workloads and non-stop studying. No matter what degree you’re pursuing, each one comes with its own unique set of challenges, and it can be easy to feel like you’re drowning under all you have to do. But it’s important to take breaks and find moments to relax.
Breaks are better in the long run
Although these breaks will momentarily deter you from whatever tasks you have at hand, avoiding them altogether can be detrimental. In my degree, we are often assigned an overwhelming amount of readings. Looking at the 100 pages you have to read within the next two days can feel insurmountable. So, as a bad habit, I’ll often try to read everything in one sitting just to get it over with. This often ends with me retaining and understanding less from the reading than I would have if I had broken up into small parts. These readings are usually used for future quizzes, meaning not taking a break has directly affected my grades.
Additionally, a lack of breaks over a longer period of time like weeks or months can easily lead to burnout, a mental or physical exhaustion caused by overworking yourself. So although hustle culture is highly regarded in our society today, forcing yourself to continue working when your body and mind is telling you to stop doesn’t make you more productive. If you don’t listen to its warnings to quit, eventually it will quit for you.
Some dos and don’ts
That being said, many students don’t know how to take a proper break. I have watched all of my friends, and myself, say they’re going to take a short break from their work to clear their head only to scroll on TikTok for the next two hours and stop working altogether. As important as relaxing is, how you go about doing it is just as important. There are a few guidelines I like to go by when I take breaks. It looks different for everyone, but here are my personal dos and don’ts when stepping away from work.
DO move around. Studies. have shown exercise correlates with your mental functioning, like improving your memory. If you’re looking to take a break, try going for a walk, to the gym or just walking around your home. The movement will likely revitalize you to get some more productive work done. Unless you think the only thing that will fix your mental exhaustion is sleep, try not to respond to your bed calling your name.
DON’T go directly to social media. It’s trite to tell people to stay off their phones. I don’t see any harm in using your break to respond to a quick text, but phones were designed to keep you on them, so the easiest thing to do is to start scrolling social media. If you have enough willpower to watch three reels and then click off, I applaud you. But I find I get caught in an endless scroll that leaves me feeling less productive than I did when I took the break. I recommend staying on the safe side and leaving the scrolling until after you’ve finished that upcoming assignment.
DO get some dopamine. Since I just said not to go directly to social media, do something else to get your fix! Go treat yourself to a coffee. Walk to your friend’s house. Get some food. It’s easy for studying to go from light-hearted reading to a staggering amount of work in seconds, so make sure your breaks include things that make you feel happy.
DON’T let your work pile-up. I have been speaking mostly in the term of short breaks in studying, but sometimes a longer break is needed to get yourself back in the swing of things. However, though a month-long break sounds nice, this can also lead to your work piling up, making you even more stressed, but at a later date. Try to divide up an equal amount of listening to your body, but not procrastinating things you’ll eventually have to complete. Easier said than done!
Prioritize yourself
Remember, you are first and foremost a person before you are a student. Although working hard is an important part of achieving your goals, you have to prioritize your health and well-being too. When you take care of yourself, everything else can fall into place.
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