Around finals, midterms, or even weeks when multiple projects and tests somehow end up being due all at once, students often find themselves staring down the barrel of hours and hours of work. Realistically, no student can power through everything they have to do without becoming less efficient over the course of the day, even if they’re careful to take a few breaks. However, when times are tight and it feels like only a five to ten minute break will fit among the piles and piles of work, students can choose to take high-efficiency breaks, that both relax and re-energize the body in a shorter amount of time.

Low-efficiency breaks, where the brain is offered a respite from work but isn’t really re-energized often involve scrolling through social media feeds, or engaging in an activity where one is parked in front of a screen. Watching Netflix or checking one’s emails are both examples of low-efficiency breaks.

High efficiency breaks include moving around, especially outside, even if its just a ten-minute walk  to relieve stress and improve mood. If students walk outside, close to green spaces, their brains could even enter a state of meditation, according to a study by the British Journal of Sports Medicine. At school, green spaces that could help students relax include the Lily Courtyard and soccer fields.

Students have most likely heard of how sleeping in 90 minute bursts can help one feel more rested, but moving through these cycles while awake also increases productivity, according to physiologist and sleep researcher Nathaniel Kleitman. When creating a study schedule for the week, it would benefit students to plan in terms of 90 minute sections, with breaks in between.

Napping has both physical and mental benefits; it improves focus, learning, memory, and more. Taking a short, 25-30 minute nap will quickly re-energize students, according to sleep expert Dr. Michael Breus. Taking a longer nap, from a hour to an hour and a half has even more benefits; it improves test results for memory as much as an eight-hour night of sleep would, according to UC Riverside research.

Some students meditate in their free time, or have done it in Wellness class but for those who haven’t: meditation, along with yoga or deep breathing provide the most effective breaks because of their success in lowering stress levels. Students can use a wide variety of apps that will provide guided meditation, or they can speak with Ms. Short, the Upper School counselor about meditation techniques that would work for them.