HOW TO HAVE FUN AND DE-STRESS WHEN STUDYING
by Fighting Siamese Fish
Like a landslide, any finals week can quickly feel like you're being buried in mountains of foreign material, feeling stuck underneath it all, trying to memorize chapters of information for up to 3 or more classes. Like during any natural disaster, it’s hard to feel happy. What could someone even hope to do to combat the stressful workload of school?
One approach to maintaining the source of one’s joy in stressful times is to set rest times in between studying. Like a Pomodoro timer, in which you work for 30 minutes and rest for 10 or 5. But for this approach to work well, you must genuinely rest during your breaks.
Resting can be hard to achieve when your brain is deeply focused on studying or finishing your school work, making it hard to rest during Pomodoro timer breaks. While you might think to use this break solely for your basic bodily needs, it can be more beneficial to engage in some fun activities as the focus of your break to destress & rest instead.
I D E A S F O R F U N
If you’re stuck in the moment and can't think of anything fun to do, here are some ideas to get you started:
Slime or putty
Your favorite fidget toys
Knitting or crochet project
Origami Craft
Coloring Book
Complete a word or picture puzzle
Learn a dance
Play a game
If those ideas aren’t attractive to you, try setting up a small station based on your favorite hobby instead, such as a gaming station if you like gaming. That station will provide you with a quick and fun relaxation space for those thirty minutes as a reward for your hard work.
The Pomodoro method eases the guilt of not constantly working or studying during hours of incoming great academic horror, such as final exam weeks or final project deadlines. It’s this guilt that can sometimes sour the joy of doing things that make you happy when your school grades are on the line.
No matter what, keep in mind that your joy is of the utmost importance during rough times.