When it comes to study breaks, there are mostly two kinds of learners. The first kind is made up of terribly anxious students. They have trouble taking breaks, and often end up with unintentional burn-outs. On the other hand are the serial procrastinators. They take more breaks than they’ll ever study, and deadlines are their best bet at motivation.

Now if you are either of these, trust me, I know how real the struggle is.

Research suggests that taking breaks during studying improves your ability to focus, restores your energy, prevents you from burning-out, boosts your retention power, and reduces stress significantly. With so many benefits in line, it is clear why taking breaks while studying is important for any student.

However, if breaks are all you take, then it is pretty obvious that you won’t get much studying done.

To that end, given below are 21 realistic things to do during study breaks. These tips will ensure that you get over your original human inertia, have a good time during your break, get back to work on time, as well as set yourself up for an even more productive study session next.

Set an alarm

The first thing that you should do when you start a study break is to set an alarm that rings quite loudly after the specified time so that you don’t get carried away. This will ensure that you get back to working whenever your 5/10/15/20 minutes of break end.

Resist the urge to turn off the alarm, or to give yourself “just two more minutes” as that will inevitably take you down the rabbit hole of procrastination.

Leave your workspace

Get away from your desk. Better yet, leave the room that you were studying in. This is an effective way to change your environment and get some physical activity as well. You can either take a walk, or take a trip to the bathroom, or visit your siblings or friends (if they are under the same roof) for some fun moments.

Take a walk

It can be something as simple as a walk to the balcony for some fresh air or even a garden stroll, but taking a walk clears your mind and a clear mind is a focused mind. So, grab a good pair of headphones, play your favourite upbeat music, and walk about your room or your garden wherever. The main motive is to get in a few steps.

Drink water

Poor hydration affects mental performance and learning ability. Staying hydrated is important if you want your brain to function properly. So, chug down a few mouthfuls of water and enjoy that cool water as it re-energizes your entire system. 

Clean your space

To optimise your productivity for the next study session, make sure you re-organise your workspace during the break. A clearer desk will freshen up your mood as well. Stack up those notes, put aside those markers and pens, and clear up your workspace.

Steal a snack

Studying for long stretches is not just boring, it’s tiring as well. So, utilise your study breaks to feed your brain and re-energize your system. You can either go for super healthy options like fruits or salads, or indulge yourself in snacks like popcorn, crackers or chocolate chip muffins. However, it’s advisable to stay away from heavy carbohydrates or junk food as that may eventually lead to lethargy.

Stretch

Don’t have time for a walk? Chances are you have been sitting in the same position for too long, so get up and stretch your body to alleviate the tension. Crack your knuckles, stretch your legs, get up from your workspace and take a tour of the room that you are working in, put in a few push-ups, whatever suits the mood.

Play some music

You can never go wrong with some upbeat or classical music during your study breaks. Plug in your earphones and enjoy your break. However, I would like to acknowledge the addictive power of music here. The dopamine peaks with each beat drop might end up convincing you to keep the music playing as you work or study. Whether that is ideal or not depends on you and your self-awareness. 

Meditate

Had a stressful study session? Clear your head with a minute or two of focused breaths. Close your eyes, intentionally loosen up your body and draw in a deep breath. Hold it for two seconds and exhale just as deeply. Repeat the same for as long as your break lasts, or lean into your intuition and adapt accordingly. There are several meditation techniques out there that will change your life if properly employed.

Read 

Utilise your study breaks to read a few pages or a chapter of any book in your reading list. You can opt for books on topics like finances, leadership, decision sciences, happiness, relationships, and more. I would not recommend fictional books as an engaging plot might keep you turning the pages. By all means, go for it if you are sure that you can abide by the alarm to return to your studies.

Create doodles

This one is simple and cool. Take a spare paper and doodle whatever comes to your mind. It may be an abstract idea, or any interesting object nearby, or something completely random like leaf vines or a cartoon representation of the Sun. You will love going through them later on. 

A Duolingo lesson

You can stay productive in your breaks by completing a Duolingo lesson for your target language. Each lesson takes hardly more than 5 minutes to complete (sometimes as less as just 2 minutes) and the interactive interface makes it easy and fun. It’s also a good way to maintain that streak.

Plan

Utilise the study break to plan for the next study session. Jot down all that still needs to be done. Prioritise the tasks and number them accordingly. Make sure that you have all the books or notes that you may require for the next study session.  

Brain dumping

Also known as a mental declutter or a mind spill, brain dumps are unbelievably good when it comes to cutting out the distractions in our head to focus better on our work. Visit this article to learn more about brain dumps and how you can introduce this habit in your daily life to improve your productivity and work output.  

Pinterest boards

If you too love Pinterest as the ideal platform for setting up aesthetic inspiration boards or browsing through engaging content, then here’s a task for you : Put together a Pinterest board for motivation in as little as 15 minutes. You can continue with this task for any number of breaks. Ultimately, you will have your own personal motivation board that you can always browse through to get inspired again.

Quick cold shower

Cold showers are really effective when it comes to “waking up” and re-energising yourself for the next work session. Taking a cold shower improves stress levels, increases alertness, decreases symptoms of anxiety, improves your mental clarity, and leaves you better equipped to focus on the tasks ahead. However, take care of the season that you’re in.

Watch a Tedx talks video 

Youtube channels such as TEDx Talks and TED-Ed are two of my favourite haunts. TEDx events are treasure houses of ingenious ideas conveyed eloquently in as little as 20 minutes. At the same time, TED-Ed is a channel with carefully curated educational videos that answer the most interesting questions ever. Head over to these TED platforms and enjoy their entertaining learning sessions. 

Play some brain games

Play a round or two of games that challenge your IQ. There are a lot of online games and apps that you can choose from. Enjoy your breaks while simultaneously challenging yourself.  

Read articles like these

Self-improvement articles like these abound on the Internet. And if you’re on this site already, your primary aim is to better yourself in all the little ways that count. So, make it a mission to read at least one self-improvement article everyday and watch the benefits compound.

Journal

Use the journal prompts available on Google or on PInterest to write a mini journal entry during your study break. Maintaining a clear head while studying is not always possible. So take some time to sort out yourself during your breaks.

Skincare routine

Follow up with that skincare routine. Utilise your breaks to do something as simple as cleaning your face and moisturising it. Cleaning your face will increase your alertness and using a well-scented moisturiser will help your brain release those feel-good endorphins and other happy neurotransmitters. You will certainly return to your studies in a better mood.

Given above are some of the best study break ideas ever. But here’s another tip: you can combine more than one of these to fit into your 5/10/15/20 minute break and enjoy it truly. 

For example, I go about my breaks by first setting a 20 minute timer, then clearing my workspace in as little as two minutes. Then I drink up a glass full of water and set up a Spotify queue for four to five songs that I am in the mood for. After a fifteen minute garden stroll (with the music playing), I come back for a quick one minute meditation. This small routine gives a structure to my breaks and allows me to be even more productive while working. 

However, let’s be frank. It’s not possible to stay so highly motivated every day of the week. So, on some days, my study breaks are me simply doodling weird shapes in the margin of my rough notebook, or simply browsing through Pinterest (without even making any motivation board or whatever). 

Avoid burnout by adding study breaks into your study routine. You may either use these study break ideas, or come up with something even more fun (and realistic) on your own.