Let’s face it – college life is taxing. Constant assignments, professors who all tend to think that their particular courses are more important than all the others and don’t care if you have time to deal with your workload, unforeseen events that may have disastrous consequences… Amidst all this chaos it is sometimes impossible to find time to rest between especially strenuous tasks – but it is well known that a human being cannot do without rest. Even if you are seemingly effective and manage to do more than other people in a single day, completely getting rid of rest will, in the long run, not be effective at all. Nervous breakdowns are a real thing, and you don’t want to end up suffering from them. So what can you do if you need to relax but cannot afford to spend time on it?
- Find a balance between concentrating on one thing and dealing with multiple tasks. Some people find periodical switching between assignments to be refreshing (the less they have to do with each other, the better) and say that when you can’t afford to rest this is the next best thing. Others, however, have difficulties with moving their attention from thing to another and say that they spend too much time trying to refocus. Find out to which group you belong and behave accordingly.
- Have a little exercise. Even if you are up to your neck in work, make sure to find some time every now and then to strain your body. Sitting in front of your computer all day round will not do you a lot of good in the long run, and the level of effectiveness in your work will lower as well, so switching to purely physical activity from time to time is very beneficial. How much exercise should you have? It depends on you. For someone it will be enough to have a dozen pushups, someone will find it refreshing to go for a little jog – suit yourself.
- Master the art of napping. Studies say that a short nap (15-45 minutes) can work wonders for your energy levels if you do it right. You may even decrease your overall need for sleep: some scientists say that two phases of sleep (4-5 at night and a nap during a day) can work just as well if not better than your basic 8-hour sleep.
- Use your favorite music. Put on your earphones, sit down, close your eyes and sit for 15 minutes trying to relax your body and thinking about something pleasant.
- Yoga. Nobody expects you to master its philosophical subtext, but learning a few simple techniques may be very useful – it is a well-known way of quickly restoring your mental and physical energy.
