Taking a study break is extremely important especially with classes being online for many students this past school year. I have spent many days sitting in one chair for six hours only ever getting up to go to the bathroom or fill my water bottle. By the end of the day, I’m exhausted and want to lay in my bed for the rest of the night. In my head I feel that if I work all day I will give myself more free time later, but that doesn’t always end up being the case. I work myself too hard to do anything else that day, and by the next day, I have other assignments I need to get done. I find myself in a cycle of work with no free time and my mind goes crazy.
A way to prevent your brain from exploding is by putting your backpack away and going to work out. I was not one to work out when I was in high school but since getting to college I knew I needed a way to let out my emotions physically. You don’t have to go for that long but as long as you sweat and feel like you put effort into your workout, you are giving your mind a break and moving your body at the same time.
Some days I feel like doing a full body workout and others I just want to run on the treadmill at my own pace. Both are equally as effective. When I do a full body workout I look for classes on my Peloton app and pick an instructor and length time that I feel like I can handle.
When I want to just run on the treadmill, I queue my favorite songs to make up about 30 minutes of run time and slowly get faster as the songs progress. This allows me to go at my own pace and to be my own motivator.
I often feel more energized after I workout because I know that I have done something healthy for my mind and body. I use the “going to the gym” excuse because I know I am doing something productive with my free time and I feel better about not doing my school work. It is hard to take breaks, but if you take one to better another part of yourself, it is worth it.