what to do when taking a break from studying?

usually after a couple of hours from studying I take a break and I usually just play games during that break. Sometimes I get a bit too invested and lose track of time, is there any other better ways to use my breaks properly whilst trying to maintain concentration levels?

Reply 1

Anonymous #1

I usually watch YouTube, but like you said I get carried away as well. I wanna know something better I could be doing with my time instead!!

Reply 2

BCU Student Rep

Official Rep

Original post

by TreeGoatFree

Hi @TreeGoatFree,

Oftentimes I get carried away with my break times too, invested in the bliss of not doing work. But it started doing more harm than good when I began to realise these "breaks" are just as long as the "work times", so I started doing the Pomodoro Technique for whenever I'm revising or working on assignments.

The Pomodoro Technique involves breaking your work or study time into intervals, usually 25 minutes in length (but this depends on the individual), separated by short breaks. I use this website: https://pomofocus.io/ to help me manage it, but there are apps on your phone for this too.

This is sort of a summary of how do it:

•

I do my revision or assignment for 45 minutes straight with absolutely zero distractions. (I don't use a phone on my app because I'd get distracted with my phone nearby)

•

Then I have a 15 minute break after the 45 minutes of work

•

This cycle counts as one (pomodoro)

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I repeat that same cycle over and over until I feel like I've done enough work for the day

This technique helps train your brain to redirect your focus and get back to work when you need to. This is something I've only recently adopted the last few months, but it has worked well and kept me grounded during these sessions.

Hope this helps,
Danish
BCU Student Rep :smile:

Reply 3

study23!

Study Forum Helper

Your break activities are fine as long as you enioy them and can destress, but put a timer on. Say you're having a break for an hour put an alarm on AND tell a family member to do one too so that they can personally remind you if you start to procrastinate.

Reply 4

De Montfort University

Official Rep

Original post

by TreeGoatFree

Hey there 😀

It is wonderful to hear that you are taking breaks during your study sessions. It really helps to stay focused and avoid getting too tired.

My top tip for a break:

Changing an environment helps me relax more effectively. I have observed that being away from my usual study spot is when I feel most at ease. The familiar setting tends to trigger thoughts about studying, and that is not something I want during my break.

Therefore, I enjoy leaving the apartment to go for a walk, spend time with friends, or sitting in the living room with my family. Among these options, outdoor walks are the most relaxing for me.

It is a personal preference, so I suggest exploring different activities that can be done outside of your usual study space and will give your brain a genuine mental break.

If playing games is the activity that provides a mental break, prevents you from feeling overwhelmed and helps recharge your batteries, you can still engage in games, but try to be conscious about the time you spend on playing. You could try to set a timer for your breaks in order to prevent them from being too long.

I hope it was helpful 💪 Feel free to reach out if you have any questions 😉 You can also chat with me or other students directly through The Ambassador Platform.

Take care,

Julia
Psychology student
De Montfort University

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 5

University of Surrey Student Rep

Original post

by TreeGoatFree

Hi there!

I find giving myself clear time slots really helpful, even as specific as putting in my phone calendar when I work and when I take a break and exactly how long for. I find that if I also plan that in advance how long I’m going to spend working and relaxing, I have then mentally prepared myself to work for that amount of time, and then relax for that amount of time, therefore I generally stick to it.

Because I have then scheduled my breaks, I can figure out what I can do in them that fits into the time I’ve given myself. For example if I have a 30 minute break, then I’d watch a 30 minute long YouTube video, or a 30 minute long episode of a series I’m watching etc. If you’re worried you’ll get carried away then you can set reminders on your phone too to tell you to start working again. But slowly ease your way in again to work, it’s ok to start a bit slow again and then gradually focus more, as I find if I put the pressure on myself to do intense work after a break I end up really struggling and beating myself up. If you give yourself some buffer time when planning your study periods as you change from relaxing to working then you’ll hopefully find you end up being more productive in the long run!

I hope this helps, these are all things that work for me but I understand they may not for you as we’re all different, but best of luck with it all! :smile:

Best wishes,
Rose Warburton (she/her)
Actor-Musician, 3rd year

Reply 6

slucha

Me, like BCU Student Rep use a pomodoro timer like https://pomodorotimerapp.com to track my break times in order not to get carried away with my breaks. The app has an "annoying" reminder to restart your work interval after the break is over which keeps me accountable. Also you can set your custom timers so you are not stuck with the 25/5/15 minute intervals of the classic pomodoro technique. I usually use 45 min work interval and 15 minute break intervals and try to complete 3-4 of these per day.

Reply 7

LancashireRep1

Official Rep

Hello,

This used to happen to me with shows, I would keep watching episodes and end up with no time to revise. I then decided to use the Pomodoro method where I would watch a 10 minute Youtube videos, and save my shows for after I finish.

Do you play any games that are quite speedy?

Good luck,
Haya- MBBS V