Taking a study break can be challenging, especially when it comes to homework. To maintain productivity and motivation, it is essential to take sufficient breaks, but not excessive ones. This can help avoid burnout and make your study time more effective. Here are 15 healthy and fun study break ideas that can refresh your mind:
- Take Yourself (or Your Dog) for a Walk
- Meditate
- Indulge in Reading or Watching 20 Minutes of Your Favorite Book
- Go for a Walk, Listen to a couple of songs, do some exercise, eat a snack, do a chore, respond to any messages missed
- Drink green tea
- Eat vegetables
- Walk Do push-ups/squats/chin-ups
- Call elderly family members
- Meditate, pray, or memorize scripture/poetry
- Get moving
- Prep and enjoy a snack
- Write
- Make art
- Nap
- Set a study plan
- Follow your break schedule
- Consider a productive break activity
- Turn off electronic notifications
- Use a quiet place to work
- Set a study plan
- Use a study app or tool
- Create a study plan
- Set a study schedule
- Set a study plan
- Avoid procrastination and procrastination by incorporating study breaks into your routine.
📹 35 “Productive” Study Break Ideas
0:00 Introduction 1:34 Movement Breaks 4:07 Other “Healthy” Breaks 6:00 Learning a Language + Babbel ad 8:26 Learning …
How much break for 1 hour of study?
When studying, it is essential to take breaks to refresh and stay focused. Set a timer for 30 minutes to an hour and then take a 10- to 20-minute break. For all-day sessions, especially before finals, consider longer breaks like lunch with a friend or a workout in the gym. Choose the right activity for your break to return refreshed and ready to resume studying.
Positive study break ideas include varying different break activities to find the most effective one for you. Avoid activities that make it difficult to transition back into your studies. A good break should never be a way to procrastinate. Set a timer to space out your breaks and avoid taking longer than necessary. When the timer sounds, it’s time to return to work.
How to lock in on homework?
To finish your homework faster, create a list of tasks that need to be completed that evening. Estimate the time needed for each task and be realistic about the time it will take. Gather all necessary equipment, such as a laptop and pencils, to avoid getting distracted and wasting time on supplies. Unplug your device, time yourself, stay on task, take breaks, and reward yourself for completing tasks.
Remember to be ruthless in your list, aiming for 5-10 minutes per task, but be realistic about the time spent. Remember to take breaks and reward yourself for completing tasks on time. Remember, speed reading isn’t a magical solution, and it’s essential to stay focused and organized to complete your homework effectively.
What to do when you need a break from homework?
For purposeful study breaks, consider reconnecting with nature, practicing deep breathing, daydreaming, organizing workspaces, listening to music, stretching, calling friends, cooking healthy meals or snacks, laughing, and expressing creativity. For stress busters, take deep breaths through your nose, progressive muscle relaxation, mini-meditation, visualization, and changing scenery.
Take a 15-20 minute power nap, shower, practice deep breathing, allow yourself to daydream, tidy up workspaces, listen to music, stretch your body, call a friend, cook a healthy meal or snack, laugh, express yourself through creativity, and dance.
For 5-minute stress busters, take slow, deep breaths through your nose, gradually tighten and relax muscle groups, and practice mini-meditation. Visualize a task you want to master and focus on how it feels when you achieve it.
Take a short walk, let it out, laugh with a friend, do 20 jumping jacks, or sing or dance. For more ideas, check out Insight Timer, a free app for sleep, anxiety, and stress, and Press Pause, developed by MTV and the Jed Foundation, for short videos, advice, and tools to reduce anxiety, worry, and the feeling of being overwhelmed.
How long should a break be from homework?
A break is essential for maintaining motivation and productivity. Regular short breaks can help stay motivated, and it’s beneficial to reward yourself with longer breaks. The Pomodoro technique, which involves working for 25 minutes and taking a five-minute break after, can be helpful. Adjusting breaks to fit individual needs can improve performance and productivity. Even a minute break can improve performance.
If time is limited, consider switching tasks or interleaving to get some of the same benefits as a break. For example, if you’re feeling burnt out on a subject, consider switching to reading for a literature class or revising a paper. Alternatively, you could do something different like laundry or dishes. However, this should be a short-term strategy until more time is added to your schedule. Remember that even a minute break can improve performance and productivity.
What is the 52 17 rule?
The 52-17 rule is a productivity strategy that suggests alternating intense work periods with brief rest periods to boost productivity and cognitive function. Originating from neuroscience and psychology studies, the rule emphasizes focused work and scheduled breaks. It suggests that the human brain operates optimally when engaged in brief, intense periods of work followed by short breaks. The rule is designed to cater to a diverse audience, including professionals, students, and entrepreneurs, who seek to optimize their time and productivity.
It offers a structured method to manage work and rest cycles, ensuring individuals maintain focus and energy levels throughout their activities, ultimately enhancing overall productivity and effectiveness. The 52-17 rule is a valuable tool for those seeking to optimize their time and productivity.
What not to do during study breaks?
It is advisable to refrain from media-related activities, such as watching television, browsing the internet, and playing video games, as they have the potential to impede productivity and induce feelings of fatigue. In lieu of these activities, it is recommended to engage in those that stimulate movement, breathing, and mental relaxation without causing sleepiness.
What is the best study break time?
The Pomodoro method recommends taking a 5-minute break every 25 minutes, while a 20-30 minute break is suitable for those who have just spent two hours working on difficult math theorems. To avoid distractions, set a timer and focus on getting into the swing of studying. The hardest part is getting started, as Newton’s laws state that every object in uniform motion will remain in that state unless an external force acts on it. The hardest part is getting motivated, powering through the initial resistance, and once momentum is established, things become easier.
What to do during 3 hour break?
Focusing on mental health is crucial in college, as overloading your schedule, neglecting physical health, and not taking breaks can negatively impact it. Take time for self-care, such as talking to friends, walking around campus, or participating in yoga classes. Colleges offer campus mental health services to provide resources and tools. When planning your class schedule, consider whether to include breaks between classes, incorporating both short and long breaks to balance work and play. Be mindful of when to eat, socialize, and decompress, as this will set you up for success in college.
Is it OK to stay up doing homework?
It is preferable to commence homework at an earlier hour, such as during lunch or school breaks, rather than at 4:00 AM. This approach facilitates enhanced focus and organization.
What should I do in my break time?
This article provides 13 ways to optimize your lunch break for a better day. Some common activities to do include running, exercising, performing breathing exercises, logging thoughts, building a schedule, planning meals for the week, reading a book, listening to a podcast, and enjoying the outdoors. These activities can help reduce stress, re-energize yourself, and improve mood, focus, and productivity. Whether you’re working from home or an office, these activities can help you have an enjoyable and effective lunch break.
By incorporating these activities, you can maintain a positive mood, stay focused, and enjoy your time away from work. By incorporating these activities into your routine, you can create a more productive and enjoyable lunch break.
Is 3 hours of sleep better than none?
Getting adequate sleep is crucial for overall well-being, regardless of time spent. Getting three hours of sleep is better than staying up all night or one hour of sleep. Research shows that mood and performance can only recover after multiple nights of recovery sleep. Everyone needs different amounts of sleep, and checking RISE can help determine your needs. Naps may not be as effective as they become more sleep deprived, as a 20-minute nap during a first night shift significantly improved cognitive performance, but had no effect during a second night shift.
📹 How to Take a Brain Break | Jim Kwik
In today’s lesson, I’m going to share with you the importance of taking brain breaks. This is as important as learning. When you …
Hello! Just a quick note that these are only supposed to be ideas for study breaks 🙂 Sometimes when I need to take a break, I’m not sure what to do and enjoy having a long list of ready-made ideas to pick between which is why I wanted to share this. Sometimes you’ll want to refresh yourself (so you might have a shower), other times you might need to re-focus (meditation), other times you might be getting slightly bored with the material (learning something new). The best kind of break really changes depending on your mood. For some extra context on this article, and if you’re interested, do watch my article on why I don’t take conventional study breaks: youtube.com/watch?v=LVxO2Sn3q4E&t xx
Lots of fun ideas here, but also anyone perusal this and feeling inadequate: please, please understand that it’s 100 % OK to spend your breaks just zoning out. Breaks are meant to help you recharge, not add pressure where you’re already stressed out! Don’t make your breaks another thing to perform and tick off. Take a break when you need it, and don’t feel pressured to “make the most of it”, and also don’t feel guilty if you end up spending longer than you meant to.
Friendly reminder to any young people here your mental health is way more important and if you want to take a half an hour break and just scroll through your phone, waste time chilling, enjoy yourself – do that. Don’t feel like you have to be productive all the time. I say this as someone who graduated with a 99 atar and holds distinctions at university in science. I take 3hr breaks if I want, use my breaks to scroll through insta/watch tik tok and take naps whenever. X
Movement : exercise Yoga Walking Stretching Health : go outside -5 deep breath Make some tea Drink a lot of water Get a snack Go to a window and try to look long Learning: Learn language Podcast in other languages Learn a musical instrument Read poem or short story Reasech about something you want to Try answering some riddle Reciting poetry Learn capital Pie Morse code Organisation : clothes Clean your desk Declutter your photos and note Admin : Plannig Banking finances Meal prep Other : listening to music Wrtie a letter Listen a Ted Ed Creative writing Have a chat with someone Do some journaling
I think you misunderstood the point that was made in Angela Duckworth’s book Grit. It’s not merely about reciting a poem, it was about understanding and reflecting on the poems and connecting with the given values. “…words, even those committed to memory, don’t sustain a culture when they diverge from actions”
Practicing my violin or piano is one of my fave study breaks- I always feel great after, I also love Yoga and Reading, but also research tangents (I call it wonderland time) I try and do once a day. Brain puzzles are also great recently I’ve been trying to learn how to do cryptic crosswords. Also another break Idea I love is putting on my “energiser bunny” playlist- these are songs I love and I know energise me, like are great to dance to and sing (a lot of them ate from musicals and Taylor swift lol) and just set a timer and put it on shuffle and essentially have a bedroom concert. I am also an extrovert so talking and socialising during breaks helps me feel energised.
Dear Ruby, this article is really pleasant to see and I really appreciated it. But, I must admit that I feel a bit confused about one thing: breaks are not supposed to be “productive”. On the contrary, they are supposed to allow yourself to forget temporarily what you are currently doing in terms of productivity. Thus, in promoting the concept of “productive breaks” (without absolutely any bad intention on your part, I am sure), I think that you are misinterpreting the concept of “taking a break” in itself. If you choose to label some activities as “productive”, it means that your break is just another task to accomplish. So, here is the result: unconsciously, you maintain an undeniable pressure on yourself because all of those activities, which are all great and fun, are no longer seen as what they really are – that is to say entertaining activities that you want to do for fun and to free yourself from this concept of productivity – but as activities that you are doing because they are useful. Why insisting about this word? Well, precisely because it seems that, today, a lot of people (especially influencers), tend to forget where does the word “productivity” come from. Actually, it comes from economy. The most basic definition of this word would be something like “output of a worker per hour/day/month/year.” (this definition comes from a French dictionary of philosophy called “Vocabulaire de la philosophie et des sciences humaines”, by Louis-Marie Morfaux & Jean Lefranc, Armand Colin (ed.
There are some break ideas featured in this article that I already use in my daily life (cooking, quick and easy chores, looking outside the window, moving around a bit, etc.), but the way you seem to be almost obsessed with ‘keeping your brain active during break’ in many parts of the article got me quite worried. The only thing a study break should achieve in principle is to give your brain some well-deserved rest. Pressuring yourself to squeeze more ‘benefits’ into it to get the most out the short break will only water down the resting aspect, nullifying the whole point of taking a break. Letting your brain rest and zoning out for 10~30 minutes is not a waste of time. Your brain needs it. And if you have worked/studied really hard outside the break time, it’s actually not that uncommon that you find even listening to an audiobook or picking up a fun novel during break too daunting, as those things also require some level of brain power that you might not have. Also, just because you are doing something that is not directly related to your study during break does not necessarily mean that it serves its job as a break. Leaning new languages or researching the topic of your interest does require a level of brain power and concentration, the exact things that you’re supposed to give rest during the break. Those things might be something you’d be doing voluntarily during spare time in the morning or evening, but they don’t really align with the purpose of break.
I don’t think “researching” or “learning something” are smart ideas for short study breaks. Your brain needs some rest and the best thing you can do, especially when you are stuck with a problem or don’t understand something, is to do mindless things like walking, taking a shower or even playing an instrument but only a piece which you already know by heart and nothing you need to focus on. Also reading or listening to audiobooks and podcasts can become counter-productive during breaks, because your brain doesn’t get the ability to really rest and you might end up re-thinking about what you just read or heard when you go back to studying. Most of the things Ruby mentions here are great for longer breaks or days off, but not something you should do in between study sessions. Otherwise, you will just burn out and wonder why, because you did take “breaks”
Some great ideas there for study breaks Ruby, with exceptions. Learning a language, whilst being fun and very fulfilling, is not actually resting your brain. Reading, researching or learning in general is not a break for your brain or your eyes. 😉 As someone else said, it’s not necessary to be productive every waking minute, and this ultimately probably makes you less “productive” in the long run, because your eyes and brain are exhausted. This will also likely affect your sleep quality and that doesn’t help long term general health, never mind productivity. 20 minute power naps during the are good for refreshing those little grey cells. Or just doing nothing. There’s an idea, Ruby. Doing nothing for a while. Chilling out. Some people do, even students. Stay safe in the strong winds and remember to be kind to yourself as well as others. X❤X
Hi Ruby. I’m so glad I found your website and other people who post productive articles like carmen and emmaxolouise, and revisign, because I’m in Year 11 and have mocks and gcses very soon, and when I found your website and other motivating websites in the summer holidays before I started year 11, its kept me focused and on track and I actually don’t mind studying or revising when I’m very motivated because I know I’m really trying, whatever the results 💖
One important thing to mention is that if you suffer from r e a l brain fatigue, the wrong kind of exercise can actuarlly make it worse, same goes with anxiety. I would always recomend consulting a physiotherapist if this is the case. Same goes for things like post covid. There is so much focus on exercising these days, so I tought I’d mention it.
Some useful ideas here. Just an FYI Ruby, amygdala is pronounced ‘amigdalla’ not ‘amigdarla’. Also a reminder to fellow students that your breaks do not need to accomplish anything, or have a purpose other than giving your brain, and eyes, a rest, and most likely your back if sitting! I don’t think learning something related to studies, a language or reading are good activities for study breaks. You need to rest your mind and your eyes. I also don’t think perusal something on YT etc is a good study break, as it’s not always easy to just watch one article (I know a lot of people struggle with distractions and procrastination). It’s a good idea to get to know what type of breaks work for you, and when. For example I find in a short break between sessions getting up and walking around, doing laundry, dishes etc for 10 minutes works well. When I feel ‘a block’ or really stuck, a slightly longer break for a walk or to go to the supermarket is really helpful. I say all this as a mature student who returned to UG study last year, and gets consistently high A grades. This is not a flex, but a reassurance you don’t have to be constantly productive or write lists for everything to do well. Ruby please be aware that providing this much ‘inspiration’ for things to do during a time that should be about rest can feed into toxic productivity. Also most students perusal your articles will also have part-time jobs, which are unfortunately often low-paid and demanding, so will be much more tired mentally and physically than students who do not have to work to support their studies.
Ruby, I was longing to see ur article this time, have literally become an addict. Don’t know what spell there is in ur articles but yes there is something that penetrates deep within and motivates me to be who I am. Sending loads of love and bliss, keep smiling :).And yeah plz do upload the study snack ideas 🙂
Did you read the 2015 study on multi-modal characterization of rapid anterior hippocampal volume increase? It says “However, there is little evidence on the effects of exercise on the brain in early to middle adulthood, despite clear relevance of this question to lifelong cognitive health”. The test they did was on older adults. So you won’t actually have the benefits of an increased or healthier anterior hippocampus until much later in your life and that only with regular exercise. not saying that exercise is not a good thing to do during your study break, for that, maybe you should have referenced other research that is more relevant
A study break idea that I’ve found that I really enjoy is the desmos marble run challenges! Essentially you write an equation (or several) for the balls to run along through stars placed at various intervals. It’s good fun (especially if you’re a maths nerd like me) and takes your mind off of work whilst also keeping your brain engaged. The only issue I’ve found is that I can easily spend 2+ hours doing it and not even notice 😅
I love the editing and how you cite scientific researches, it’s amazing how much effort you put into this! I found this ideas more rewarding type of breaks, and I say this as someone who sometimes spends too much time just doomscrolling (which isn’t healthy at all and can be really damaging for the brain as social media sites can be design to be addictive btw)
Hey Ruby, you are such an inspiration and just have a calming effect on my nerves. I feel so motivated just perusal your articles. I find inspiration to read so much and your reviews find me the best books without reducing loads of research to buy or pick up books. Can you do me a favour and do a university desk tour? Your desk looks so so aesthetic in this article!
This got me inspired to try and go outside more! Obviously, it’s been hard at the moment in the UK with the wild weather we’ve been getting and I do feel like I’ve been cooped up a bit because of it but sometimes I tend to stay indoors a bit more without realising that I haven’t been outside for ages. I think with all the technology we have to entertain ourselves indoors it can be easy to forget that it’s healthy for us to go out. I’m going to make it a priority to outdoors this next week, depending on the weather of course 😅
I’m a 44 year-old quizzer currently spending quite a lot of time studying, note-taking etc for this year’s British Quizzing Championship in September. I study between 3 and 5 hours per day, and if I feel my attention waning, I’ll have a 5-10 minute stint on my exercise bike just to wake myself up. I’ll also make some tea and have a brief chat with my mother, walk around the back garden a few times, watch the birds eating from the bird feeders in the garden or read a ‘crazy facts’ book. These have to be more frequent, as I have attention deficit problems relating to my having Autism and Dyspraxia. Some days I’m hyperfocused and some days the focus doesn’t work so well (social and sensory ‘spoonie’) and I’ll need more breaks. Switching focus between tasks is more difficult for me, especially if I’m hyperfocused on one task. I lose a lot of executive functioning and self-monitoring when I’m hyperfocused and if I am, the rest of the day’s schedule falls to bits. It’s tricky, but I am always finding new ‘hacks’ to make studying easier for myself.
Ruby: our boiler has broken down so it’s currently really cold. Me: I feel your pain (we have boiler shenanigans last year). But thank you for this upload. Some good ideas for the study breaks. As others as mentioned though, it’s okay to not do productive things as well. Just having a walk or chilling in the garden or the sofa, perusal silly Tiktoks or whatever are fine too.
1. Movement: yoga – 10min flow while focus on your breathe, meditation 🧘♀️ – 5mins, stretching – 10mins, go for a walk as a form of meditation, any other sports, aerobic exercises, running etc. 2. Other: go outside take 5 deep breaths, be in nature, make some tea, drink loads of water, fill your water bottle, get a snack, a chocolate, go to a window and look outside, have a shower. 3. Learning: learning a language, practice musical instrument, reading short stories but not fiction, researching something that came up whilst studying, follow up on such interests, answering riddles, crosswords or sudoku, build your vocabulary. 4. Chores/organisation: any chore to get done, tidy your room, clean your desk, declutter wardrobe or desk. 5. Admin/planning: plan your study sessions for afternoon or night, make a todo list for the day and week, update planner or calendar, bullet journal updation, planning will eventually pay out. Finances, meal prep etc.. 6. Other: listening to music 🎶, classical music especially, write a letter, watch inspirational, ted talks, write short stories or poems, paint 🎨 or draw, chat with someone you live with, writing in journal, writing any journal prompts. 🧡
Hi Ruby, I’ve been admiring your hair. It’s very beautiful. 🙂 just thought that needed to be said lol. While I also enjoy that you are an ambitious young woman focused on learning and studying, I think sometimes it would be good to take it down a notch and not be so hell-bent on productivity all the time. Trust me, when you are a little bit older like me, and have a full time job, things will sometimes get so stressful that you will long to go back to your university days. The years at uni should be about ambition but also enjoyment and just doing nothing sometimes. 🙂 Take care
I’m at the part where you said that you’re trying to learn Spanish again, and I just wanted to say, in case you ever read this, that what has been the most effective for me is online tutoring with a native speaker. You can find tons of very good tutors on websites such as Preply (my tutor is on this website) for very little. To anyone looking to learn Spanish, I can give you my tutor’s name – she truly does wonders.
Hello from Spain. I’m going to help you with your Spanish learning: dime dos lugares que te gustaría visitar y y por qué. Al menos uno de los dos en España. Although my student days are gone long time ago, I love your articles. I use them to increase my English vocabulary and to practice my speaking. I love your accent.
maybe i’m missing the point but surely the whole point is to let your brain rest for a short while instead of giving it more useless tasks to deal with? can’t help but think this is a slightly irresponsible message to be giving- kids, it’s ok to just scroll on your phone for ten minutes, you don’t have to be ‘productive’ every second of the day! that’ll cause burnout which is something none of us want.
This website feels like it’s falling apart… literally more ads than original content, promoting toxic productivity and hussle culture, incorrectly pronounced or used vocabulary from a final year English student. Ruby maybe you need to step away from YouTube and find yourself again. Just because something is cited once doesn’t always mean it’s correct. Usually you research into a topic by finding multiple papers, so you can discuss the general findings. Otherwise it comes across as confirmation bias.
Seriously, taking a break from studying to study or read is the epitome of toxic productivity. On a study break your brain, eyesight and body is supposed to rest. And break really doesn’t have to be productive. I’m relieved others noticed that too in this comment section. Also, don’t post article related to food. Your food habit are unhealthy and I’m afraid you might give a bad example to the younger audience.
Yes, study break snacks would be a article I’d like to see, but you tend to make excellent decisions on content, so trust what you decide. That said, it can be important for study break snack not to lead you down a path of distraction, such a by turning on a t.v. or taking too long to decide. I see other making bad decisions in this regard and spending the rest of an afternoon falling behind their schedule.
I’m sorry but I couldn’t help but notice: your eyes have an increased amount of little blood vessels in them. Maybe you could them give more breaks from contact lenses? Otherwise in the future you might not be able to wear them for as long as you’d like. No harm meant, really, your eyes just look a bit concerning. But very nice and helpful article 🙂
Ох, Руби, какое плохое видео… Токсичная продуктивность и всё такое, да? Почему-то ты не думаешь о том, что тебя смотрят неокрепшие умы, которые будут думать, что нагружать себя всё время нормально. А потом выгорание, депрессия, плохая когнитивка и сниженный иммунитет. Мне раньше очень нравились твои видео, но всё начало скатываться, то сплошная реклама, то вот этот бред.
Wow. As a perfectionist who is starting her business while trying to stay a high performer at work while keeping my house in order, while trying to make my friends happy… I really needed to hear that it’s ok to drop the ball. Sometimes the guilt is so strong. I really really needed someone to give me permission to just be myself. It’s ok and it’s enough. For that, I love you to the moon and back. I mean it. You’re awesome. Take care.
Summary: Take a break from focusing every 25-30 minutes. During break do three things to regain clarity: 1. Breathe 2. Hydrate 3. Move / juggle How to juggle: Imagine a box in front of you. Throw the balls/socks up to the corners and catch with the other hand. Key is to relax so you’re not all tensed up and shift your focus peripherally so you have room to see what’s going on. It’s not about perfection, it’s about progress. Failure is part of success, not the opposite of success. Super brain yoga: Touch each earlobe with the contralateral hands to give them a massage, and at the same time squat down. Tip: Make movement a part of your hour, not just three times a week. Keep the blood circulating.
Saw this on the internet somewhere: If you fail never give up because F.A.I.L means First Attempt In Learning. Thanks for your little training session. I am reading your book now. I want to become a Motion Designer. And it is really tough. Hopefully I can translate some of your teachings to get where i want to become. Great content!!
PRO TIP: Small Open Plastic Grocery Bags. Most novices can master juggling within 15 minutes when learning with small plastic grocery bags because they literally fly through the air in what looks like “slow-motion”. I trained many people over the years & start them with 3 small open plastic bags & after 5 minutes transition them to rolled up socks, then balls & on average within 15 minutes they never forget. PLASTIC BAGS: True, some communities stopped using them & went back to paper bags or reusable bags/sacks but no, I am not referring to tiny sandwich bags nor am I referring to department store bags so big they can fit an entire men’s suit, because the grocery bags I’m referring to actually can open up enough to catch air so that once you throw them up in the air by one of their handles they float back down which provides a significant amount of time to react juggling 3 bags, but are not so big that throwing 3 at a time becomes impossible. The handles are simply manufactured holes at the top of the bag on both sides, the handles are NOT separate attachments. Do your best to continue to catch them again by the handle in order to keep the bag open. Ultimately test out different types & sizes of plastic bags to find out what works for you. JUGGLING MORE THAN 3: Increase your air time (hang time) with each throw. Search YouTube for “Juggle 5 balls” or 6 or 10 or etc. Ultimately you’ll notice that the more balls a juggler can juggle the higher in the air each ball must be thrown.
How did you literally describe my exact journey with juggling? I learned about a year ago. My jaw dropped when you started on the metaphor when you drop a ball, I thought about that every time i was practicing. That, and having real proof that I could learn something new still. Incredible feelings brought on by something so seemingly silly lol.
Another learning that was beneficial to the brain Thank you! I practice the 20/20/20 rule for my brain break. I saw this rule on Instagram where, for every 20 minutes of work, take a break and look away for something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. By looking at the distance, we give our brain time to relax and reset. helps us to be more alert, focused, and productive.
I keep a ukulele by my desk and sing a song or two. I feel energized by the music, my breath, and the strumming! It’s best when I play the song from memory. Your teaching on movement, the tetra union of brain, heart, breath, and body, has inspired me to make a playlist of songs that put me in a good mood. Taking 3 min to flail around is exactly what I need. YouTube is redeemed by content like your’s.
just took my finals today, didn’t realise i was doing everything right, i only started to study yesterday trying to memorise everything from 0, around 20minutes of studying i will stand up to have some water, then sit on the floor close my eyes and focus on my breath for 2minutes and then continue to study, i never learn things so fast
I’ve had the Pomodoro Smart Timer app on my phone for ages, and only just tried using it after perusal your article. I never really knew what to do during my breaks, and you gave me a practical, feasible guideline to follow. I gotta say, I got my work done so much more quickly and I feel much more energized afterwards as a result. Thanks, Jim!
I don’t really have a brain break method since I usually keep going until I’m forced to stop out of habit. I’m incorporating more walks in my day, deep breathing, or simple light exercises. The advice presented here has been eye opening and I’m glad I took a break to watch this and to finally learn to juggle. 😊
I’ve been juggling for years now, I just love the fun of it. Even one ball is great if you try to do some fun tricks like throwing behind the back and it’s great for coordination and body awerness. I didn’t realize it could help the brain that much so I’ll keep doing. And dancing is the same, I love it. Even though I practice meditation and deep breathing, I realized that intentional moving (with body control in mind) was much more beneficial in trying to calm down and focus.
10:00 Other forms of cross laterals can include alternate-nostril breathing (both the pranayama where you actually close nostrils with your fingers/thumb as well as the mental version done by focusing on flow of air into one nostril and out the other), rotation of consciousness body scans, EFT tapping, EMDR-related exercises, and modified progressive muscle relaxation exercises.
No other words else to say but THANK YOU for this short and useful article. As a busy postgraduate student who stays indoors 24/7, I tend to forget to take care of my health, I rarely exercise which makes me more lethargic than ever, sleepless nights etc. Simple body movements REALLY HELPS, so THANK YOU for this!!!
Mr.Jim I would truly appreciate it if you make a article explaining the types of concentration (cuz out of experience I deeply believe it has many types not just one) and how to sharpen each of them . your help in this would mean the world to a lot of people including me … cheers brain coach you’re the best !
My favorite brain break is going for a short walk. Sometimes that looks like simply walking out the front door and taking a stroll around our court with my dog for 5-10 minutes. It’s a small amount of time but gives my brain and eyes a rest. Something about fresh air and looking at the beautiful colors in nature that refreshes my mind 😊
For the last 12 years or better, I found myself throwing a ball between 2 opposing walls in my bedroom. I would go back and forth, mixing up my throws, left/right hand, ceiling – wall – floor – hand, floor – wall – ceiling – hand. Sometimes fast, mostly finding a nice pace. I never really understood why it worked for me, but it did. Thanks for explaining one of my quirks.
I love how you take your time to explain concepts clearly. Also, if you wouldn’t have told me about 3 times to really get up and juggle, I probably would have stayed laying and would’ve put this article on a “should try someday” list. But instead, I tried all the methods introduced in this article and had instant results of mental relief. I love the practicality of this article!
my brain break is hydrate with more water (because my habit is to be caffeinated whenever I work) and put on my dance playlist. sometimes I go high impact dancing to get the stress messy yarn untangled (esp after exam crunch or hefty work day), some other time I go low impact and just use the music to help me feel energized again. i’ll add juggling to my brain break list, thank you 😀
I am digital marketer/ coder, I spend most of my time in front of a screen. I started workin during Covid as well so I work from home. What I usually do is to start the day with a quick walk, I come home and work. When it’s noon I go for a walk again. I come home and work again. Once it’s evening, I go for my last walk. These walks really help me empty my mind and spending my time at home really feels overwhelming once you are there to work and live. If you keep your walking gear clothes etc. ready the process becomes really smooth. It might sound boring but it’s way better than spending 30 minutes scrolling mindlessly 😉🤙🏻
Loved the reason to breath hydrate move and just let your mind wander review etc. Is it create more moments of primacy and decency to aid in memory learning. Brilliant. I feel facing our emotions can often be a reason we don’t take those long walks so learn to do that. I had some abandonment trauma in work and relationships that fused meaning together in my head and yup I’ve been self sabatoging and finding things that confirm my thinking.
Can’t thank you enough. I wasn’t even going to watch this article in the first place because I don’t like to watch motivational articles and I thought yours is a motivational article. But I tapped it anyway and the moment I saw you saying “Breath Hydrate Move” I realised it’s not just any regular motivational article and I finished the whole article and got reminded of many flaws I knew but were pretending to be oblivious about. I really needed this article. Thank you so much ❤
Till I watch this article, my brain break was to head to new tab open youtube and watch some article from my feed. But now I am gonna change it and do some physical moment brain break, which will help to my brain to circulate more blood into it. I will start with juggling and some basic exercises. Thanks Jim, got perfect resolution from you.
Well im not 100% sure I agree. If you can get into deep focus for hours then you should do it for insane productivity. Its called flow state and it can be quite incredible. You forget everything else while you are in it, and having a break can ruin it. So if you need break, take it. But if you dont need it and you are in flow state, keep going. Not everyone can do it, but if you can its a gift.
Training the lateral sling as movement prep for more demanding exercises has been great for me. After glute and lateral sling activation, working on a compound exercise, focusing on form and speed help improve the mind body connection when also being mindful of form and flow. Always clears my head. And of course some cardio / conditioning before and it after help with getting things firing, and warmed up pre training, and recovery post training.
Thanks so much, i really enjoy, learn and practice things in your many lessons. 5 -10 min break i drink water. Do 14 or 21 squats and breath and keep the air 9 secs and the release it.. Or stretch by touching the tip of the feet. And sometimes some yoga poses. Thanks for your tips . i will practice them too. Inclusing juggling.
I love the “fail forward” advice. Although not clearly stated, I understand it as getting the inhibitions and fear of dropping the ball out of the way thereby eliminating the focus which would in turn result in actual failure. It’s like riding a bike fast and spotting a pole you want to avoid but the mere attention you keep giving it pulls you right into crashing with it.
Thank Jim for bringing this up! At first i was skeptical once you mentioned Pomodoro Technique, because i already implement it and i knew for sure it works for me, but i still can’t find a way to do the break, everytime i do breaks from my pomodoro routine, my brain constantly spinning and can’t stop thinking about what i was working at the moment. So i always felt it was useless. But then, you explain how to do the brain break, and suddenly i want to try to put juggling to my break routine. I’ll update after i test it tomorrow at work. *sorry, for my bad english
Your article is a 🩹 on my soul…. ❤ in my childhood if I used to make mistakes at learning I had to start over and over again until it was perfect… it feels good to know mistakes are ok… sometimes someone needs to say it … thank you ❤ These exercises we made in school with our teacher, who wanted to support us.. we were also allowed to chew gum while writing exams… 😊 he was a great teacher My brain break is a small relaxing meditation or just lying down with closed eyes… just Listen the sound or my environment 😊
Brain break examples: Breathing consciously and drinking water if you were thirsty Moving – walk/exercise/calisthenics Juggling Do whatever you love I’m trying juggling soon, this has been my wish from childhood. I think everyone gets amazed seeing juggling. Now that i got to know the worth of the sport, I’m more interested in performing this
My brain breaks : Follow Baroque Musics while trying to recall the key concepts and the relationship between them ; I skip the rope by listening to Ryan Caligiuri motivation2study podcasts or yours on Jim kwik podcast ; I go for walks while checking out my YouTube notifications about your news articles amongst others ; I ask for my friends ; Or I simply lay myself down on the floor while my legs are up.
Thank you Jim for making this article public. It’s particularly helpful for relieving stress and helping us focus on something new, allowing us to regain energy for our remaining work. The juggling is truly amazing. I hope that anyone who watches this article receives blessings from the Universe. God bless you, Jim; you are an incredible person
Great article! I’ve never had a problem focusing, especially when I’m writing. It takes me a little while to settle in to the “Flow”, but once I’m in, man, I can sit and write for hours, not a problem. But I realize too much sitting is a problem. I’m a morning person. Awake between 0430 – 0500. Work out for an hour Mon-Fri, then at my desk by 0600-0630. So I’m getting a daily dose of movement. What I’ll do is augment the morning routine with a complementary set of exercises every 40 – 50 mins. This article gave me some more ideas on what to do during those breaks. It’s disruptive to interrupt the “Flow”, but I generally need to get up and get coffee (n e e d c o f f e e …), so I use those times to move…
I’m definately going to be trying jugglin, walking and that super brain yoga a lot more. As someone with ADHD, I tend to forget to get up and move around or make myself set up a routine that I often forget (example: 2 times a week for running, yoga etc.) just getting up multiple times after 30 mins-1 hour sounds so much better than just setting up a routine to do this or that every week. Routines are hard, but I’ll try to keep this in my mind. Maybe put sticky notes up or something to help me remember. 🙂
coming from someone who’s pretty lazy unless motivated or have a required task, I really love “when the body moves, the brain grooves” 😂 I tend to remember little rhymes (learned that studying in college 😅) and that ones definitely going to stick and may spark some motivation to get going. thank you for the article, im glad I found this page!
I like to sing . It is so freeing a wonderful way to relax. Someone else had posted a youtube article about how relaxing happens through vibrations in the back of your neck. When I sing I love the inspirational part of singing the Psalms because this also gives me the emotional benefit of life’s experiences being worked out with real world experiance. Maybe itis joy or sadness disappointment or lonliness. Then you think about hopeful things
Excellent article! The three “brain break” actions described are critical to managing my ADHD effectively. But where breaks are concerned I often choose not to take them. My justification is that the chances of getting sidetracked is too great to risk taking a break. I try to balance it so I take enough quality breaks to avoid burnout. I’ve used the pomodoro technique for years, but not exactly as intended. My primary use is for time management, so that I don’t spend 2 hours on something that could be done in 1. Since it’s so hard to get into a focused state, and so easy to get distracted, the thought of taking breaks is very daunting! But I’m convinced enough to give it another try!
This is hard to describe, but juggling reminds me of the last boss battle on Sekiro 😀 The moments I was in control of that fight were the moments my eyes weren’t focusing on one part of the screen, I honestly was seeing a blur, but at the same time I was perfectly timing my blows. I can’t force myself into that mode but I was impressed of how it worked.
“I used to juggle, especially when I had too much work, to give myself a break at. It made me feel good. However, when I moved, I lost one ball. Today, by chance, I found it and felt so happy. Then I came across your article talking about the benefits of juggling. It’s just amazing; the world is telling me to take a break.” Some one is perusal after me, thanks God ❤
You’re the first person who reminded me of my high school art teacher. He sounded so random and nearly seemed to jump from one thing to another, often ending up in nonsense. BUT then he’d pull out a word, a concept and everything would be so clear and almost obvious. Thank you so much, saving this precious article! 😀💖
My brain break has usually been to move, even if I’m sitting. In settings where I’m expected to be still, that can be exercises with my fingers and toes, changing my sitting position repeatedly and including stretching, or moving my torso with small movements. When I’m on my own or with people I know, I’ve usually changed tasks frequently, which often includes changing spaces. This is also helpful for my learning, because when I return to the learning task, there has to be a mental recap to continue. I always drink a lot when learning.Where I now live, I’ve been told only people who are overwhelmed do this. Where I come from this was encouraged and supported. It helps me tremendously. Now that I’ve watched this, I want to add the deep breathing and input my dance more often as well as be more courageous about bigger movements in classes etc. Thank you so much for the confirmation, for spreading this valuable info, and for what I just learned. Thank you for the dance!
Study tips I use which proved to be effective: -Using anki -Listen to brown noise while studying -Occational walks outside maybe buy food to eat just to get some air -Closed room lights but I use a bright lamp to lighten my desk space -I usually do tree diagrams of terms to help me visualize the content of what I’m studying
Hey I never thought about the amount of primacies and recencies increasing by taking regular breaks. Thank you for highlighting that exploit, it motivates me with a tangible reason to take breaks inbetween sessions. Also from around 7:54 – is this related to the relaxing effect of right/left alternating brain stimulation of EMDR?
It’s fun to browse the feed and then a completely unrelated article to my daily views pops up and the thumbnail/title speaks directly to me. I play guitar and judo, I’m thinking my brain + movement combined activities are at least covered for brain health. Playing guitar eyes closed/looking at the wall/whatever is pretty relaxing when not learning new, and in judo you don’t tend to look in the eyes of your partner because you lose focus (of being relaxed and sensing the movement and weight shifts, you also don’t look at the feet although the key factor is the feet). In both you also need to try unexpected and unfamiliar things regularly (you’ll never find something new and interesting in music otherwise). Furthermore in judo you practice both sides until you’re professional or at least know “the basics” and start to develop your own style (probably after 5-10 years), it feels really alien to practice the weak side but also feels like it really rewires and challenges your brain. And is rewarding once you start finding the movement pattern. My brain break is doing the household chores because I would never have time to eat otherwise since I’m a student. On the other hand between judo training sessions I feel more like lying down.
That about juggling is special to me. In my college days I had a professor who included juggling as a part of our finals The class was physiological psychology. I later learned that he was doing research on memory. In each class he would conduct a Q and A on previous class information. The retention rate at least for me was amazing. It was one of the best classes I ever took!
I started playing table tennis because I heard its great brain training … and I plan on playing table tennis into old age. I think its great because it makes you grounded and balanced to the floor through the pushing off with one leg and catching with the other. You use your whole body in rotation through the core and into the squeeze of the fingers. Its very fast, so you need to use “instinctual” brain processes as well as thinking strategy inbetween rallies.
Actually i am juggeling since a year now and came here randomly and i can say it somehow changed my life, i am learning multiple languages and playing guitar very successfull and im using that guys technics, which i came up with my self. of course by reading studies and stuff at least i had benefit by smarter people xD
College I did both juggling and tightwire extended extensively. I found that were fantastic breaks for the mind, eyes, and getting the blood moving. It really helped to reset when my head wasn’t working so I could hit the books again. Note, Tightwire focuses/locks the eyes on a single point then opens the peripheral vision to balance… But the body is constantly adjusting the position as you balance so your eyes must constantly adjust to stay fixed on that point. Much better than coffee. 🙃
My ideal break activity: clapping counter rhythms on my knees, for instance 2 (one hand hits your knee on beat 1 and 4 of 6 beats) against 3 (with the other hand hit your knee on beat 1, 3 and 5 of 6 beats) or 3 (1, 5, 9 of 12 beats) against 4 (1, 4, 7, 10 of 12 beats) or playing the bodhrán (the left and right hand act independently).
for take a rest im gonna try about sth for example, jugling like waht u said, walking, push up, sith etc. and im totally with u, cuz all this time during im learning sth i never take a rest so what is the consequence of this. im fu*kin lazy to study idk, but this happen to me, instead my brain tell me to open tiktok or any social media, i hate that, and then after i realized im wasted my time, i immediately feel bad and regret. I hope after i watched this article and take a noted, i can change about my daily routine and i hope this things will be sth valuable for me. Thanks Jim. God Blessed You.
During break I ususally stretch and take a 10-20 minutes nap, just breath, relax and calm my mind. I know it isnt the best option, but still. Windows are always opened and I have a bottle of water by my side. During big brains I excercise or sunbath at the balcony. I must move my body during every brealk. Very often i cant even stop after 30 minutes bc i am too much concentrated and invested in what i do. I feel like its too hard to bring back my attention after even a small break. Thank you for your article, i will definitely add cross laterals, brain yoga and juggling to my daily routine.
Thank you! Amazing! I will start to use this techniques also with my students in class. They have to sit quietly for so many hours and then we wonder why so many experience learning difficulties… Could you maybe do a article especially for techniques we can use in class? A trainig for teachers ? I am trying to motivate my students to stand up and move but it ‘s not easy…they are so letargic and don’t want to move… but these are some great ideas. Thank You so much!! I am so happy I found your website, I am learning a lot!
I learned this in my science for peak performance class at USC! It was an elective for my business major. Our professor taught us about how beneficial juggling is for performing well (in general) and we were all literally just juggling in class and dropping balls everywhere. I’m going to start practicing this so I don’t go crazy at grad school
I am a japan grand sumo fan, and I love doing shinko foot stamping and other match rituals throughout the day. I do it cause I love sumo so much, I never realized the benefits it could have for remembering. But I believe. I have learn rikishi’s names and sumo rules fast and can recite them.pretty effortlessly. When I watch sumo, I typically do the shinko and rituals with the wrestlers between each match! Awesome article!!! I can now give more reason on why i do my shinko foot stamping at work!
Im autodidactic and a philomath and spend much of the day learning or engaged in practice. I smoke a bit of herb and do variations of burpees throughout the day and weight lift every other day, taking Saturdays completely off as a rest/cheat day of sorts. Stretching in the mornings even saturdays and again before any weight lifting.
The lesson about failure being an integral part of learning translates very well to submission grappling. More grapplers need to see tapping out (saying “Uncle”) as progress rather than “losing”. It would cut down on the number of injuries and increase the speed at which people improve. I’ve noticed that the better people are at jiujitsu, the less likely they tend to be to try new things, since they don’t want to “lose” to a less skilled opponent. It’s a poor mindset for growth that is fueled by our egos.
I do a lot of physical work so I’m normally too tired to get moving. Sometimes I like to pace, but usually I like to play a game that doesn’t require a lot of focus. Minesweeper and solitaire are my go to games. With the rest of my attention I either do some mindfulness meditation or just let my mind wander.
Love the article, thank you. I found this online Pomodoro timer. Will test it today. I have hand weights at desk that I use during breaks. I started doing lateral squats w/wgts last week. Love the idea of the juggling. That is a must-try challenge for me. Thank you again (so much). Always looking forward (to your vids).
There is a dip in concentration after 25-30 minutes. **Primacy**: You tend to remember something at the beginning. **Recency**: You tend to remember something at the end. You should use the Pomodoro technique as you will have more primacy and recency moments. After 25-30 minutes take a break. Steps — 1. Breathe Deeply – Refuel your energy! 2. Hydrate – Your brain becomes 30% more faster and optimized. 3. Move – As your body moves your brain droves. BDNF – Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factors – Acts as fertilizer for the brain. > It’s never about perfection it’s about progress. > > Failure is not the opposite of success, it’s a part of success. > Movement Exercises (anything that will pump the blood faster in your body) — 1. Jumping Jacks 2. Burpees 3. Calisthenics 4. Push-ups 5. Sit ups *Cross Laterals* – Going across the middle line of your body. The left and right brain is split by the *corpus callosum.* Exercises — – Table Tennis – Juggling – Ballroom Dancing – Super Brain Yoga