7 best ways to take a break from studying

October 6, 2013 by Secret 1 Comment

Studying techniques are everywhere. Google it and you’ll find a mountain of tips and tricks for how to study effectively, efficiently, productively etc. Studying is fine and all but sometimes you just need to do something else than studying. Research suggests that studying for longer chunks of time in one day can also hurt your learning rather than improve it – so here’s some activities to balance off your studying schedule at the Stockholm School of Business.

Beautiful Stockholm

7. Go for a walk
Stockholm is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It’s clean, we’re green and new things that haven’t been seen – even if you’ve lived here your whole life! So take a stroll in Old Town (Gamla Stan) and see how old our city really is, reflect upon life and get perspective.

Multiplayer is always better

6. Play video games
Strategy-based games like Starcraft II improve the games cognitive flexibility [Source]. Depending on the game different aspects of your cognitive functioning can increase. You can search for studies to justify your gaming needs all you want but you’ve got to admit that games like GTA V probably won’t help your cognitive skills that much, but you’ve got to be OK with that and just take a breather from studying and game.

5. Reddit
It’s a time-waster – like 9gag but for people who can read. The ultimate way to take your mind off of studying for a moment or two. Topics range from funny pics to the geopolitical situation in Botswana, if you’re into that sort of thing.

Marabou – one of Sweden’s finest products

4. Eat delicious stuff
Because you’re brain doesn’t function without food. Your body is your temple so nourish it with nutritionally dense food and praise it with delicious delicacies. Also, chocolate makes you happy – so eat chocolate.

Pluck those strings!

3. Music
Come on, we all know music heightens every emotion. Melodious sounds help encourage the release of dopamine in the reward area of the brain so you feel awesome. If you want to get in a specific mood, I suggest Spotify’s mood playlists. Here, you have choices of mood such as Caffeine Rush, Lönehelg (salary weekend), Skipping School etc. Get in the right mood and mindset with awesome music or play an instrument, sing – even if you aren’t good at it!

Rock-climbing refreshes your mind

2. Exercise
You know Richard Branson, one of the most successful businessmen on planet earth? He says his number one “secret” to greater productivity is to keep fit and exercise. You get more energy, you sleep better and it improves your focus and concentration radically. Go jogging, go to the gym and build those pecs! Or just do some recreational activities (many of which you can do on Campus grounds at Frescatihallen) like badminton or tennis. If you dance with all your heart it might also count as exercise – go dancing!

 

1. Hang out with awesome people
The best way to spend time relaxing is just hanging out. Human interaction lowers blood pressure, releases beta-endorphins in your brain (making you happier and happy people study better) and has loads of other benefits so that you feel happier around awesome people! Also, being lonely is worse for life expectancy than smoking or being obese. Have dinner and go bowling, that’s what I did. It’s nice to hang out with the people you study with as it adds to your shared experience of the up’s and down’s of university life! There’s a very true saying in Swedish that goes “shared joy is double the joy, shared sadness is half the sadness”. So share the joy of writing an A on a test or share the sadness of not understanding the seminar task – it’ll feel better.