{"id":8884,"date":"2023-03-24T12:37:45","date_gmt":"2023-03-24T01:37:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/explorecareers.co.nz\/?p=8884"},"modified":"2023-03-24T12:37:45","modified_gmt":"2023-03-24T01:37:45","slug":"7-signs-its-time-for-a-study-break","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/explorecareers.co.nz\/7-signs-its-time-for-a-study-break\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Signs it&#8217;s Time for a Study Break"},"content":{"rendered":"<span class=\"rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\">4<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019re big fans of work hard, play hard around here, but sometimes we get more focused on the \u2018work hard\u2019.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a student (especially if you\u2019ve just started uni, an apprenticeship or traineeship), making time to rest in between your <a href=\"https:\/\/explorecareers.co.nz\/working-while-studying\/\">busy schedule<\/a> is a <strong>must<\/strong>. Otherwise, you can quickly experience burnout &#8211; <em>not good!<\/em><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some stress can be good but it\u2019s all about striking the right balance.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>First Things First: What is Student Burnout?<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You might have encountered the term \u2018burnout\u2019 in relation to the workplace &#8211; but it can affect anyone, and student burnout is becoming more recognised.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Student burnout has many similar symptoms to workplace burnout, including exhaustion, low motivation and low productivity.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But it also has symptoms unique to students that can help you identify whether your feelings are just a phase or something more. These symptoms include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Trouble maintaining focus for a good amount of time.<\/li>\n<li>Lack of interest in things you used to love studying.<\/li>\n<li>Low mood and motivation to do other tasks, such as favourite hobbies or team sports.<\/li>\n<li>Loss or lack of creativity.<\/li>\n<li>A drop in your academic performance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is a way out of student burnout and recognising these symptoms is a great starting point.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>7 Signs it\u2019s Time for a Study Break<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ideally, we want to balance our time and energy to avoid burnout before it becomes chronic.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But when your plate is full of deadlines, exams, and work projects<em>, how do you know when you need a break and when you should just keep going?<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Below are seven surefire signs it\u2019s time to give yourself some headspace:<\/p>\n<p><strong>1.You keep finding reasons to procrastinate.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>Just one more snack from the kitchen? Another episode on Netflix? Making another drink?<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whatever it is, if you keep sitting down only to find yet another reason not to get started, it\u2019s a good sign you need a proper break from things. These \u2018short\u2019 little procrastinations are just another way of your brain saying it needs a breather &#8211; take one!<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. You\u2019ve been sitting in from of your computer for a while \u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>Staring out the window? Mindlessly scrolling on your phone? Doodling?<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re sitting in front of your computer with the cursor blinking at you but not actually getting anything done, it\u2019s time to turn off that screen and get outside for a bit.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why not use this time to run any updates on your computer and use this as a chance to encourage yourself to take a proper break?<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. Your To Do list is getting longer, not shorter.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A To-Do list is a great way to plan your time and get a good visual of everything you need to achieve in a given day or week.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But if that list is simply getting longer with nothing getting checked off, it will only make you feel worse (and less like you <strong>can<\/strong> take a break). But you know what will help kickstart you to tackle it once more?<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You guessed it: a break!<\/p>\n<p><strong>4. You don\u2019t know where the day went.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We love it when we\u2019re so engaged in our work and studies that the day just flies by &#8211; there\u2019s something really satisfying about being in the zone.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But if you\u2019re feeling time slipping by with nothing to show for it, that\u2019s not a fun place to be.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You might feel like this if you\u2019ve gotten sucked into a social media scroll. Scrolling tricks our brains into making us feel like we\u2019ve \u2018done\u2019 something because we&#8217;re consuming and engaging with content. The trouble is, it doesn\u2019t aid our work and studies.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Losing days? Delete the apps, and do something that <em>actually<\/em> engages your brain and body &#8211; a hike, swim or bike ride, cleaning up your room, gardening &#8211; whatever speaks to you!<\/p>\n<p><strong>5. You keep turning down invites to hang out with your mates.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even though you might keep procrastinating, you don\u2019t feel like you can accept invites to go out with your friends and family.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The guilt of not spending every hour locked away studying can make us think we can\u2019t \u2018afford\u2019 to go out with others and enjoy what we usually do.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>PSA: <\/strong>You can &#8211; and should! Make downtime with your friends a part of your study routine to avoid this guilt and boost motivation and productivity.<\/p>\n<p><strong>6. You keep getting headaches.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the clearest signs that it\u2019s time to step away from the studies is when it starts impacting your physical health.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Headaches, eye strain, hand cramps, back or neck pain (from sitting hunched over a keyboard) indicate that you\u2019ve pushed your body too far. When studying, remember it\u2019s essential to take a short stretch break and move around every 20-30mins.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If these aches and pains are constant, it\u2019s time for a longer break.<\/p>\n<p><strong>7. You feel exhausted ALL the time.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether you\u2019re getting plenty of sleep or not enough &#8211; you feel tired. All. The. Time.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Disruptions to a healthy sleeping routine can indicate a brain running on overdrive. Listen to what your body tells you and find ways to decompress properly. Try <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mindfulnessforteens.com\/\">mindfulness<\/a>, light exercise and calming activities to help re-energise and reset.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Find Your Balance<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s no \u2018perfect\u2019 study schedule or routine to stick to, just the one that feels right for you. A balanced routine incorporates:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Realistic study\/work blocks.<\/li>\n<li>Rest time.<\/li>\n<li>Physical activity.<\/li>\n<li>Plenty of fresh water and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.harvard.edu\/healthbeat\/foods-linked-to-better-brainpower\">brain-boosting snacks<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Time spent away from your desk with friends.<\/li>\n<li>Time just for you.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Try to add a little bit of each into your weekdays, and you\u2019ll be well on the way to ultimate motivation and productivity &#8211; and steer well away from burnout!<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Want more life tips and hacks? <\/strong>Our \u2018Student Life\u2019 category on the <a href=\"https:\/\/explorecareers.co.nz\/career-advice\/\">blog<\/a> covers everything from <a href=\"https:\/\/explorecareers.co.nz\/explore-careers-money-management-series-get-savings-savvy-in-2023\/\">money management<\/a>, stress management and living the life you want.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check it out now, and let us know if there\u2019s anything else you\u2019d like us to cover!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\">4<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span> We\u2019re big fans of work hard, play hard around here, but sometimes we get more focused on the \u2018work hard\u2019. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":8887,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[33],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/explorecareers.co.nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8884"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/explorecareers.co.nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/explorecareers.co.nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/explorecareers.co.nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/explorecareers.co.nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8884"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/explorecareers.co.nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8884\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8888,"href":"https:\/\/explorecareers.co.nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8884\/revisions\/8888"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/explorecareers.co.nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8887"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/explorecareers.co.nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8884"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/explorecareers.co.nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8884"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/explorecareers.co.nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8884"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}