#softstudies

College, and just about all academia, requires studying in some form. I personally spend most of my time at my desk taking notes and reviewing - with little time to spare.

This form of studying (hours of work on end) has been shown to actually be quite counterproductive. Lori McGinley, for her master's theses, conducted a study on how students performed on tests when given a break versus not. The results revealed that when given a mental break, students had significantly higher scores!

Taking breaks may seem like you aren't doing enough - but really, rest is part of the process & your brain will thank you ❤️

physical breaks when you're studying

Martin Niedermeiner, Steidl-Müller, and Martin Kopp conducted a study in which they found short breaks of exercise to be beneficial on students retention of information when studying. Some inspo for this is below:

going on a 5-min walk around your dorm/home

watch a quick yoga tutorial

dancing to that one really good song

changing study locations

watching and following your favorite just dance tutorial (dancing has added benefits to your mental health)

Exercising in between studying doesn't have to be a workout - it can be something fun and relaxing.

When I get in a mood to work... I WORK. It is so hard to take a break and do nothing when all I want is to do EVERYTHING. Here are some productive breaks I use to make sure I am taking care of myself while studying.

organizing my notes (taking time to highlight, putting in sticky tabs)

reviewing ANKI cards

working on my planner

checking my email

Sometimes we need a little break to recuperate. Life can be a lot.

closing your eyes and practicing square breathing (in/hold/out/hold)

listening to calming music

watching a guided meditation on youtube

making yourself a glass of hot chocolate (bonus points because it'll keep you warm!!)

journaling