Recharge & refocus
Ways to make time for yourself
As a student, free time is fleeting, especially if your to-do list includes taking care of others and/or performing at least competently at work. In a recent Student Health 101 survey, one in five respondents said they feel daily that they don’t have enough time for themselves. Here’s how to prevent your schedule from steamrolling you into exhaustion.
1. Take breaks
Though seemingly counterintuitive, regular breaks are a necessary and proven way of staying focused. Even brief breaks can improve concentration, according to a 2011 study in Cognition.
“Taking a break from a project helps me get to the idea I’ve been searching for,” says Amy R., a graduate student at Seattle University, Washington, who also works full time.
2. Break it up your way
What happens during your break? That depends what you find soothing, energizing, or rejuvenating. Figure out your activities right now:
- Something brief; e.g., take a hot bath, jam out on your guitar, try an online guided relaxation or meditation (see You may also enjoy), or any other treat you feel good about.
- Something surprising; what haven’t you previously considered? Maybe join your friend for pole fitness class, cook a new dish (soup always works), or look up random local events and go to one this week.
3. Unplug (yes, really)
A quick game of Words with Friends™ can be fine, but vegging out on your phone won’t give your brain any relief from the eye strain and multitasking that technology has generously gifted us. Students who spent more time on their phones and computers have a higher risk of stress, sleep difficulties, and emotional health problems, according to research from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden (2012).
At least once a day, even if just for fifteen minutes, set aside your computer, tablet, phone, and ear buds. Use that time to actually relax. If you didn’t figure out your downtime stuff in #2, do that now.
4. Schedule your downtime—and honor it
Get your downtime onto your calendar—just as you would a lecture, doctor’s appointment, or work commitment. Seeing your own time as expendable, or frittering it away, is doing a disservice to yourself, your family, and your co-workers. “A time-management schedule that includes regrouping is a well-planned schedule,” says Sherry H., a former student of Ashford University.
5. Realize there’s no guilt to be had here
Taking time for yourself might feel like a luxury. It isn’t. It’s a necessity. When you prioritize your own well-being, you’ll have more energy for everyone and everything else. So go read that new vampire novel, tear it up at roller derby practice, or finish the painting you started years ago.
