It's finally November (turkey season y'all). Somehow its already snowed, like, twice. You can see post Thanksgiving slump on the horizon. Binge eating and drinking coffee are quickly becoming all of our favorite pastimes. The Sunday scaries come to claim their weekly victims, and if you're anything like me, you always find yourself being one of them. You've been studying for hours on end and nothing is sticking. No matter what you try, quizlet just isn't doing it for you anymore. Once your eyes glaze over and you start thinking about how ungrateful you were last semester when classes were easier (although you barely passed, we've all been there) you know it's time for a short, but effective, ~break~.
First things first, prioritize.
https://www.debate.org/opinions/are-you-procrastinating
Pull together everything you could possibly consider getting done in a day before taking your break. Don't worry about the order, or the number of items up front. The next step is to see if you have any tasks that need immediate attention. We're talking about work that, if not completed by the end of the day or in the next several hours, will cause serious issues. Check to see if there are any high-pri dependencies that rely on you finishing up a piece of work now. If you have tasks that seem to tie for priority standing, start on whichever one you think will take the most effort to complete. Productivity experts suggest the tactic of starting the lengthier task first. But, if you feel like you can't focus on your longer tasks before you finish up the shorter task, then go with your gut and do that. It can be motivating to check a small task off the list before diving into deeper waters.
Take a hike!
https://wvutoday.wvu.edu/stories/2017/06/23/west-virginia-university-ranked-among-safest-college-campuses
No, I don't mean a walk around the library. Get outside and get some fresh air, no matter how short the walk may be. Getting your body moving helps blow flow, which is going to help re-energize you. Any form of exercise will be beneficial to your physical and mental well-being – during your study breaks or otherwise. You're likely tense from the anxiety of studying plus, when you study, you sit in the same position for long periods of time.Setting a timer may also be beneficial, so that your can space out your study breaks and so that you never take a break for longer than necessary. When the timer sounds, you know it's time to get back to work. Taking some time to stretch and move your muscles out can help relax you more than you know!
Let’s get down to business
Many people tend to wait for the right moment (when they feel inspired and/or motivated) to start their work. But the reality is they may never feel inspired to do the work that needs to be done.The most successful people don't wait around until they're in the right mood. They just get started and what they notice is after awhile they realize "wow, what I've done so far is pretty good" and this results in them feeling motivated and wanting to take more action.If you just start doing something small (writing one sentence, getting the book out of your bag, etc.), it won't take long before you're on a roll and deeply immersed in your project. Often we lack motivation when we can't see the point in what we are doing. Before you engage in your work ask yourself "Why am I doing this?", "Where am I heading?" and "Where do I want to be in 3 years time?" Answering these questions can help you to gain clarity, focus your energy and propel you into action.
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