Balancing academics with personal well-being can feel overwhelming, especially when deadlines loom and stress builds up. In such situations, it is easier to overlook the importance of healthy habits to maintain while studying. 

But developing healthy habits while studying isn’t just about hitting the books harder—it’s about creating a routine that fuels both your mind and body. Sheer willpower can only drag you for so long. Healthy habits step in where that fails. They don’t just ensure the well being of your body, they are also there to aid your learning process by boosting your attention span, retention abilities, energy levels, and cognitive faculty. 

Healthy habits set you up for a consistent future of studying for generous amounts of time.

Whether you’re preparing for exams or working on long-term projects, small changes in your daily habits can make a huge difference. From staying hydrated to managing screen time, here’s how you can take care of yourself while still being productive and focused.

Hydrate

Always have a bottle of water with you, no matter where you are studying — at home or in the library or out in a park. Refill this bottle as required. Hydration is crucial for better mental performance and learning ability. Lack of proper hydration leads to a dull attention span along with short term memory problems. Avoid these altogether by chugging down mouthfuls of water regularly! 

Snacks

Longer study sessions automatically imply a great collection of snacks to munch on. However, be careful of snacks with high sugar or oil or salt content, as they might make you feel heavy and might even lead to unwanted stomach issues. Opt for healthier snacks such as dry fruits, nuts, seed mixes, crackers, roasted peanuts, yogurt, so on. Even if you do binge on sugary or salty snacks, make sure that you avoid this during late night study sessions.

Distractions

Stay away from sources of distraction like Instagram reels or YouTube shorts. These app features are specifically designed to hook your attention and keep you trapped in a cycle of dopamine hits from hell. Even if you visit these apps for your study breaks, set reminder alarms to prevent doom scrolling on such sites. However, it is recommended to avoid them altogether.    

Meals

Eat light meals consistently throughout the study session. Having heavy meals before or during long study sessions will make you feel drowsy and inattentive as your digestive system works on breaking down and absorbing the food. Opt for meals rich in fiber, protein, and healthy fats. Be careful of meals with great carb content. Don’t skip meals; eating regularly ensures steady energy levels and better concentration.

Activity

Get some physical activity at regular intervals — a round of inclined pushups using your study desk, a small walk around the room, leg lifts, shoulder rolls, hand and wrist stretches, or a few rounds of throw & catch with a ball. This keeps your muscles active. It also helps you avoid drowsiness. You can also incorporate activity in your studying process. Walk around the room while memorizing notes, or write them down physically. This active engagement with the study material enforces better retention.

Overwhelmed

Disengage when you start feeling overwhelmed. Accept it that continuing to push yourself now is just going to yield half memorized sentences and incomplete conceptual facts during the examination. Go for a walk. Take a quick shower. Interact with family and friends. Or, you can take a power nap. Experiment with the time duration that leaves you feeling refreshed & ready for Round 2 instead of groggy and disoriented. An ideal nap time can be anywhere from 20 minutes to 4 hours. It greatly depends on how sleep deprived you have been. 

Breath Work

Take deep breaths before starting a focused work session. Deep breaths regulate your nervous system, which is crucial for relieving stress. This reinforces focus and makes your mind more receptive to incoming information. You can incorporate 5 to 10 minute long meditation sessions as breaks. You can also try “brain dumping” before your study sessions to reduce the impact of the mental clutter.

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Breaks

Purposeful breaks are important during long study sessions to refresh your energy levels, concentration, and interest in learning. Follow the Pomodoro Technique for an effective productivity ratio. While the standard Pomodoro is made of 25 minutes study and 5 minute break, you can adjust this to whatever suits you more. Read my article on the Pomodoro Technique for a better understanding of this productivity method. You can also read my article on realistic things to do during study breaks to make the best out of your breaks while having fun.

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21 Realistic Things To Do During Study Breaks

Vision

Look away from the screen or the books regularly to protect your eyes from strain. Practice the 20-20-20 method for this. Every 20 minutes of screen time, look away at an object at least 20 feet away from you for 20 seconds. You can also incorporate other practices to safeguard your vision. For example, every once in a while, focus your eyesight on the tip of your nose, followed by an object at a hand’s length, then gradually increase the distance to as far as you can see. Reduce eye strain by enabling blue light filters on your devices, especially at night. 

Furniture

Have an ergonomic study set-up. Your desk shouldn’t be higher or lower than what will be comfortable. Similarly, use cushions to support your lower portions as well as your back if you will be sitting on a chair for long durations. Sit with your back straight and feet flat on the ground to avoid back and neck strain. 

Sleep

While studying for long hours might be your glamorous dream, remember to do so without any harm to your sleep schedule. Aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night to improve focus, memory retention, and overall mental health. Do not entertain the mindset that less sleep means more success. Productivity is determined by the sum total of how you spend your 24 hours of a day, and not just by how less you sleep. While it is okay to cut short on sleep once in a while, do not make a habit out of it. 

Exercise

Basic cognitive functions related to attention and memory are enhanced by physical activity and higher aerobic fitness. So, incorporate 30 minutes of physical activity in your daily routine, like a walk or a yoga session, or even strength training or cardio, to boost energy and reduce stress. Stretch often throughout the day to improve blood flow and reduce muscle tension. Remember to drop your shoulders and stretch your neck regularly to release the tension they hold as that is helpful in regulating your nervous system by stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system. 

Declutter

Clean your working space after every study/work session to ensure that you come back to an organized desk the next day. You can read my article on workspace optimization where I discuss all that you need to know to maintain a desk that boosts productivity. Similarly, reduce your mental clutter too by using a planner or digital app to keep your tasks and schedule organized. Maintain effective to-do lists and priority queues to ensure efficiency. 

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All That You Need To Know About Workspace Optimization

Mental Health

It is quite common for students to feel emotionally overwhelmed at times as they struggle to effectively manage their study load. As such, it is crucial for you to take care of your mental health. You can do this by taking time to talk to friends or trusted adults such as your parents or a teacher or a counselor. Practice journaling to process emotions. Take a few minutes each day to write down things you're grateful for, as this improves mental well-being. Establish specific hours for study and rest, ensuring you don’t overwork yourself.

Study Techniques

To ensure that you make the best out of your study sessions, invest some time beforehand in learning about the various study techniques that people have been practicing for decades to greatly boost their productivity. There are a plethora of powerful methods that can help you in each step of the process. Learn about the Ivy Lee Method, the Feynman Technique, the Leitner System, the Eisenhower Matrix, the Seinfeld Strategy, and more by browsing through the articles written by me. Don’t feel overwhelmed by their names already! These are some of the simplest methods ever! 

Music

Be aware of the impact of the music you are listening to during your study sessions. Choose tracks from genres such as instrumentals, lo-fi, classics, rain or nature sounds, phonk, or songs in languages that you don’t know such as Spanish or Japanese. These will prevent you from getting distracted by the lyrics or singers/actors involved. However, listening to calm, instrumental music or lo-fi is most recommended to enhance concentration without distractions.

Environment 

A subtle criteria that greatly affects the quality of your study sessions is your environment. Stimulate your senses by maintaining an effective balance between relaxation and excitation. You can do this by changing your study locations at regular intervals. Opt for parks, cafes, libraries, or other locations of a similar nature. Use scents like lavender or peppermint to create a calm and focused atmosphere. Choose a study area with natural light to improve mood. Opt for studying on hard surfaces like the floor or a desk instead of your bed to retain alertness.

Active Engagement

Break tasks into smaller, achievable goals to avoid overwhelming yourself and maintain motivation. Incorporate flow charts, graphs, diagrams, or mind maps into your study materials to engage different parts of your brain. Focus on one task at a time to reduce mental fatigue and improve retention. Test yourself frequently on the material rather than passively rereading to engage your brain more actively. Practice positive self-talk to reduce stress and improve your mindset while tackling difficult subjects.

Stimulants

It is recommended to stay away from stimulants such as energy drinks or excess caffeine to stay alert during long study sessions. Their excess consumption can lead to anxiety, increased heart rate, or jitters, making it harder to concentrate on your studies. Over time, it can also contribute to insomnia, which impacts your ability to rest and recover, leading to fatigue during the day. Additionally, regular consumption of energy drinks will lead to heart palpitations, sugar crashes, and digestive issues. It is best to steer clear of stimulants.

Rest Days

You should not overwork yourself as that can easily lead to academic burnout. This is a negative emotional, physical, and mental reaction to the continuous frustration, stress, and exhaustion that comes with constant studying. This is why rest days are highly recommended. Put every academic venture on hold for at least one day each week. No homework, no projects, no assignments, nothing. For example, my preferred rest day during my school was Friday. After coming back from school, I simply refused to touch any academic book, and instead indulged myself with TV shows, or fiction books, or by simply doing nothing productive.    

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And that’s all for this list of habits that help promote a balanced, healthy lifestyle while studying, ensuring both academic success and personal well-being. By adding these habits to your study routine, you'll not only stay productive but also protect your physical and mental health over the long term.