Things to do when you get exhausted while studying
It happens to many students – your head and eyes start to ache because you have been staring at your laptop for a long time. Your back hurts too because you have been seated orleaning for too long in the same position. You just want to close your eyes but you have this project that needs to be submitted in a few hours. You head to the tap and wash your face but 30 minutes later your eyes start closing again that you almost hit your desk with your forehead! Yes, taking a nap sounds like a pretty good idea. Watching an episode of Breaking Bad would also relax your mind. But if you are like most students, that few minutes nap will turn into six hours of sleep and that one episode of your favorite TV show will turn into an entire season of the show. Fight the urge to postpone your assignment to when yourmind has rested better because later is not guarantee. You don’t want to miss your submission deadline just because you couldn’t beat your fatigue. There are several things you can do to refresh your brain and keep working. The purpose of this article is to provideyou with tips on how to fight study fatigue so that you can conquer that assignment and submit it on time.
What causes mental fatigue?
Mental exhaustion does not necessarily come about by things going wrong or being upset (although these can be the reasons at times). It is a sign that your mind has accumulated too much. May be you have been studying for 4 hours nonstop or have been working on your school project the entire evening. Perhaps you have been revising for your end of semester exams without taking a break. All these scenarios can result to mentalfatigue. You are doing too much work and there are so many things going on in your mind. You need to pause and “restore your brain to factory settings” so that you can be able to think properly.
Mental exhaustion kicks in when the volume of activities and tasks exceeds what our brain can handle. Sometimes, it can be brought about by health issues such chronic illness, heart disease or depression. But if you are having enough sleep, eating healthy, and feeling satisfied in your life but still getting mentally tired after handling a few tasks, you should try taking breaks between these activities so that you can keep your mind fresh. It will be difficult to complete your assignment or prepare for your exams if you are not thinking straight. If you don’t learn the secret to overcoming study fatigue, you may start developing stress related illnesses and physical issues with time. So, have your mind restored as soon as possible because later may be too late.
How do you know you are mentally and physically fatigued?
Your body and mind feels tired and you would rather lounge with an ice cream corn than go for a jog in the woods, even though you spent the better part of your day seated in the library.
You snap easily. You get irritated by small things and people you love.
It gets hard for you to concentrate and finish your tasks. Focusing on one activity at a time, finding the right words, or making decisions gets more difficult and you would rather sleep than go on with the tasks.
How to beat study fatigue
How can you deal with study and mental fatigue without letting it weigh you down? Here are a few suggestions.
1. Get some motivation
Before you start working on your tasks, you may need some motivation. I could be from friends, your professor or anyone else who has been your source of inspiration. Hook up with a study group and discuss what you are about to do and some of the things you have learnt. If you want to start your assignment, for instance, discuss the requirements and have everyone chip in some ideas so that it can get easier for you to handle later. However, you need to make sure that the group you join has the same motive as you. You do not want to be discussing things that don’t make sense when you should actually be talking about ways to complete your project on time. A study group will help you stay motivated to carry out the task at hand and remain on track. Just make sure to set an agenda on what to talk about before the meeting so that every individual knows what is expected of them.
2. Reward yourself
Do not drive yourself crazy by staying glued to your task for a long period. Take some time to reward yourself. For instance, if you have completed a task that has been giving you sleepless nights, take a few minutes and grab a cupof coffee, walk around, or have a snack. This will keep you motivated to work on the next activity. If you reward yourself after successfully working on a task, you will feel the urge to keep working other than postponing things for later.
3. Plan properly
Organize your activities so you know what needs to be done and when. If you can, try working on different tasks every day so that things don’t get boring. It would also help to break down complex tasks into smaller manageable ones so that they get more interesting and easier to tackle. If you are working on your project for instance, divide it into sections and handle each section as a task on its own. Just remember to allot enough but reasonable time for each task.
4. Take breaks
Working your brain for a long time without taking a breather is one of the causes for burnouts. You want your mind to function efficiently so make sure to include ten-minute breaks or on your tasks planner. You can plan your breaks after every 60 minutes of work but if you will be working for longer periods, have longer breaks built in between the sessions. While making your work plan, it would be wise to leave some slots blank so that you can take complete time off work and give your brain enough time to rejuvenate. For example, if your plan runs from 6 am to 6 pm, leave the last hour blank. You can use this time for extracurricular activities or thinking about how to improve your study habits.
5. Seek help from professionals
Sometimes you may be totally exhausted such that you can’t even handle some of the mostimportant tasks like revising exams or working on your school projects. Seeking help from a professional at such times would be a great idea, because it will put your mind at ease. If you can’t get started on your assignment for instance, you can avail homework help from academic writing services to have your work done by an expert. This will give you time to think about other school workload and take care of it promptly. And since your mind will not be handling more tasks than it can hold, it will be relaxed and you will be able to think straight and perform the rest of the activities effectively.
6. Meditate
You don’t have to attend the most advanced yoga classes to have good meditation. You can just lock yourself in a quiet room before you start your studies. 30 minutes will be enough to get your mind straight and in working order. You will be able to reduce stress and even boost your levelof understanding. If you are stressed about a tight assignment deadline or exam, taking some time to mediate will be great, as it will help declutter your mind. At the end of the session, you will feel brand new and will be able to prepare for your exams, work on your projects, and carry any other task effectively.
7. Think about why you are studying
One of the reasons why many students feel demotivated to study is that they don’t love the course they are enrolled in. For instance, if you have a passion for cooking but you found yourself in a music class because your parents wanted you to do it or the fees was what they could afford at the time, then chances are good you will not find any good reason for getting your degree. You feel that you would rather take a course in cooking than attend music classes. Similarly, you won’t feel the enthusiasm to study and when you do, you probably feel fatigued to continue perusing your notebook. If you just got started with your course and the vibe is already lost, your best bet would be doing something you love. This will save you the time you spend worrying about the course and give you a peace of mind.