In the pursuit of academic excellence, students often overlook the power of breaks. Discover why strategic pauses are crucial for learning retention, focus, and overall well-being during intense study sessions.
Students often believe that the key to academic or exam success lies in pushing themselves to the limits to study for hours on end without taking a moment to rest. However, when students deprive themselves of breaks, they are less productive, retain less information and in turn risk burning out.
Taking breaks while studying is not only beneficial but essential for deep learning and performance. Breaks are important for maintaining our cognitive capability and our overall mental health and well-being. In addition, breaks fuel our productivity.
Cal Newport in his book Deep Work describes deep work as “activities performed in a state of distraction free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limits”.
When a student engages in deep work, or productive deep study, they need to also take productive deep breaks.
The benefits of breaks
Taking breaks while studying are important for the following reasons:
Enhances focus and concentration
Our brains cannot maintain focus and concentration for extended periods. Taking short breaks during study sessions allows our brains to recharge, making it easier to maintain focus, concentrate and absorb information effectively. Much like our phones, our brains also need to be re-charged.
Improves learning retention
Taking breaks between study sessions can improve our ability to retain information. Breaks give your brain the opportunity to process and consolidate new information, making it easier to recall later. For this reason, I always recommend taking a walk where possible after a study session. This will help you retain the information you just studied and learned.
Maintains overall health and well-being
Extended periods of intense studying can lead to burnout, fatigue and increased stress levels, ultimately undermining your academic or exam performance and health. By incorporating regular breaks into your study routine, you can keep burnout at bay and reduce your stress levels.
Promotes sustainable study habits
Taking breaks while studying encourages sustainable study habits that can be maintained over an extended period. By taking regular deep productive breaks, you can pace yourself more effectively and avoid the cycle of procrastination followed by cramming which inevitably leads to stress and overwhelm.
What does a productive deep break look like?
There is no specific rule of thumb when the optimal time is for a student to take a break while studying. We are all individual and we all have our own specific needs.
If you are engaging in productive study, then you could take a 10-minute break after 50 minutes study or a five-minute break after 25 minutes study.
When taking a break, you should not turn your attention to email, social media or distracting websites. The purpose of the productive deep break is to recharge your brain.
By scrolling on your phone, you are not giving your brain the rest and recovery it needs and deserves. In fact, you are stimulating it, which is not what we want from a productive deep break. Try not to turn your attention to a complicated or stressful task.
A short walk is a fantastic way to clear your head. It will help consolidate what you have just learned.
If going for a walk is not available to you, getting out in the fresh air for 10 minutes is another great way for your brain to rest and recover.
Sometimes a productive deep break can be as simple as sitting in silence with a cup of tea or coffee.
Alternatively, you can listen to music or a podcast.
Another example of a productive deep break is to do a five-minute meditation or five minutes of breathwork. As you are likely to have been sitting at a desk for a period of time, five minutes of stretching, yoga or physical exercise is great to boost your energy levels.
Taking breaks should form part of your study routine. By prioritising rest and relaxation, you can cultivate healthier study habits, enhance your learning and ultimately achieve greater academic and exam success.
Productive deep breaks ensure that you return to your study motivated with renewed concentration and a refreshed mind, ready to tackle complex problems and absorb information more efficiently.
So, when you find yourself buried in books or glued to your computer screen, remember to allow yourself the time to rest, recharge and rejuvenate. Breaks fuel productivity.
Edel Walsh is a student and exam coach. She supports her clients with their studies and exams using a holistic approach of focusing on academic success, personal development and looking after their well-being. For more information,
check out www.edelwalsh.ie.
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