It important to take time to truly rest as the year ends in order to ensure you recharge to begin the summer with energy, motivation and enthusiasm, no matter what level of study you are at.
Why Rest?
Rest is important to ensure that your body and mind are able to perform effectively. After another busy term, making time to rest is essential. This can also help prevent illness and the burnout that can happen when you don’t give yourself a break.
How do I rest?
Rest looks different for everyone. For some people, it will mean drowning tools and putting energy into different things: whether that’s doing a hobby, reading all those books you’ve got looking at you on the shelf, spending time with friends and family, doing exercise, completing Netflix- that is all valid. Whether helps you to relax, make time for yourself and lower your stress levels-do it. Try not to feel guilty if you can’t do all the things; do things that bring you joy, at pace that suits you.
Resting is about taking time out from doing things that feel ‘productive’. Yes, it might feel like getting ahead on making notes, revising and/or job applications-but really, you run the risk of burning out if you don’t take a break.
Unsurprisingly, sleep is really important part of resting, and creating positive and consistent sleep habits is beneficial, especially for students. Healthy habits like sleep, physical exercise and routine are important to have to shape your time as a student.
Reflect and look forward
After two years of living through a pandemic, take some time to reflect on everything you’ve achieved despite the huge changes this might have caused. Think of what you’ve achieved, how you’ve adapted and built resilience, and what you’ve got ahead of you. While you might not have the same type of ‘achievements’ as usual, you have completed another term of university. Taking this time to reflect, rest and reset is vital to keep your energy up and maintain your motivation to see you through the coming months, whether you are leaving or continuing at university.
Mediate and relax
Research has shown that regular meditation can be immensely beneficial for academic studies improving concentration and focus, reducing stress, encouraging creativity. Mediation, which involves focusing on the breath, encourages clarity of thought strengthens the pathways between neurons in the brain, allowing for better memory retention and performance of skills. It also helps us overcome mental blocks we may come up against when learning new material or tasks. One way to make meditation a regular part of your routine is set a reminder and block out 10 to 15 minutes of your day to meditate with all devices and distractions put away.