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. 

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.