Ready, Set, Break!
Make time for yourself by taking regular breaks to recharge and refocus.
By Haley Shapley, graduate, University of Pennsylvania
Between classes, extracurriculars, jobs, and studying, free time in college can be fleeting. Almost 90% of students feel like they at least occasionally don’t have enough time for themselves, according to a recent Student Health 101 survey, and more than 20% said they feel this way on a daily basis.
So how can you prevent your schedule from steamrolling you into exhaustion? It’s all about taking breaks.
“Taking time for yourself is important to avoid burnout,” says Amy Ryan, an MBA student at Seattle University who works full-time. “I also find that sometimes taking a break from a project helps me get to the idea I’ve been searching for.”
Finding “Me Time”
When your to-do list includes writing papers, studying for finals, and going to work, it can seem impossible to squeeze in leisure time, but it can—and should—be done. Jake Heinen, a senior at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington, makes sure to get into the habit of scheduling some time out of his day for himself, which he adjusts every quarter depending on his commitments. “I’m a morning person, so I like waking up really early and having that time to myself before I have to be out and about in public,” he says.
Carolyn Kenniston, a junior at Lasell College in Newton, Massachusetts, achieves her free time by being hyper-organized. “I make sure to plan out every minute of my day, week, and month,” she says. “In doing so, I can make sure that each minute is being used to the fullest extent—which then leaves me more time to relax once I’m done with all of my commitments. I also make sure to set specific times in my day—at least an hour or so—so that I do not schedule anything in but time for myself.”
Of course, this approach may not be right for everyone, and listing “me time” in your planner right along with your other commitments might seem silly, but by treating it like a priority, you’re more likely to see it as a necessity. You’ll likely find that committing to taking breaks will help you refocus, re-energize, and de-stress.
Break Time Benefits
If you’ve ever tried to power through a long study period or creative task with no breaks, you probably know what it’s like to hit a wall, when you get to that point where you’re no longer being productive. That’s because our brains are structured to need both periods of work and rest. When you’re struck with a brilliant idea for how to end your paper while taking a shower or working out, you’ve experienced this—the break gives your brain time to process all that information you’ve thrown at it.
Think of this example from Stephen R. Covey, the author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. His seventh habit is “Sharpen the Saw,” which refers to the story of a man who gets exhausted trying to cut down a tree with a dull saw but continues anyway. If he’d stop and take time to sharpen his saw, the break would help his progress.
Recharge, Reboot, Re-energize
What should breaks be like? That all depends on where you get your energy. For Heinen, hiking allows him some much-needed thinking time and a chance for a different perspective. Kenniston loves to get lost in books that aren’t required reading. “Over my summer break last year, I dedicated a lot of time to finally cracking open those books that had been collecting dust on the shelf, and it was great,” she says.
A productive break isn’t always all fun and games, though. For Ryan, tap dancing brings her joy, but tidying up helps too. “I don’t enjoy doing it, but having a clean apartment makes it much easier to focus on homework, and I also find I sleep better and feel more energized when my apartment is clean,” she says.
And not all break activities are created equal. A little mindless TV can be fine, but vegging out constantly won’t give your brain the chance it needs to unwind from technology.
Totally disconnecting from friends and family for long periods of time also isn’t likely to help your emotional well-being, and abstaining from exercise won’t benefit you physically. Finding that balance between healthy and fun is key to maximizing the effectiveness of your breaks.
Your Big Break
Taking little breaks during the school year is great, but pre-scheduled longer breaks like summer and winter break are also great times to try something new. Ryan started training for a half-marathon during her winter break in 2010 (and kept it up in subsequent quarters), while Heinen has spent summer breaks working on farms in Spain and Ireland.
If you find some things challenging during the school year—eating right or keeping up with your class reading, for example—you can use a break to improve those areas of your life that need it.
This is also a good time to evaluate if you’re meeting all your educational and personal goals. If not, you can create an action plan to make adjustments.
However you choose to spend your summer break, take the “break” part seriously and keep some balance in your life.
HALEY SHAPLEY IS A SEATTLE-BASED FREELANCE WRITER AND A GRADUATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA IN PHILADELPHIA.
Find Out More
Click for a great series on ways to relax from Texsa Tech University.
Click for more strategies to relax your body and mind from the University of Georgia.
Click for a great article on managing stress from ULifeline.org.
Finding Quiet
Overwhelmed with e-mail and texting and TV and being on 24/7? In a world of overstimulation, quiet can be hard to come by. Here are some ideas for finding it:
Keep a gratitude log or journal.
Try yoga or meditation.
Practice tai chi.
Turn off the Internet for a certain amount of time each week.
Go for a run or walk.
Leave your cell phone home for a day.
“Me Time” Is on Your Side
Looking for a little inspiration when it comes to taking a break? Here’s what fellow Student Health 101 readers do:
Nap.
Take a relaxing bath.
Go for a run.
Practice breathing techniques.
Draw.
Volunteer at a local homeless shelter.
Play guitar.
Sing.
Eat lunch at a restaurant alone.
Swing on swings.
Have meaningful conversations.
