Patrick's tips to replenishing your energy to study

11 April 2022

Hi everyone, I’m Patrick, a second-year student studying a Bachelor of Game Design and Development at Macquarie.

tiny hourglass on table

Today I’m here to share my thoughts on the importance of breaks and using distractions while studying.

There have certainly been moments when I’ve pushed myself too far by studying too long without a break. While in the end, I was able to do a good amount of work, over time, my motivation decreased which lead to poorer study sessions.

This is when I understood the importance of taking breaks by participating in healthy distractions. And yes, I know when you hear the word distractions, your mind usually falters to thinking negative stuff.

While distractions can definitely take attention away from what we are trying to do, causing delays and a loss of focus with our work, I mean to use distractions in a way to help us by:

  • Acting as a stress reliever
  • As a relaxation tool
  • And a chance to clear our minds

For example, now when I study, whenever I’m feeling overwhelmed, drained, or stuck on a question (lately a coding problem), I like to take a break and use that time to unwind. Sometimes I play video games, lie down and read, walk away from my computer and room altogether and talk to someone, or just relax outside. This helps clear my mind, allowing me to come back to the issue at hand with a fresh mind, a different perspective, and renewed vigour.

Now, these are the things I choose to do at home, but if you were at campus, there are plenty of beneficial distractions at hand when choosing to take a break. These can include:

It is important that we don’t use breaks and distractions as a means of procrastination or to dodge the work to be done. Instead, follow how our body and mind feels. If you feeling mentally blocked, drained, or uninspired, take a break and come back with twofold the energy.