We know that the assessment period can be a stressful time, especially this year, with you studying from home and taking your exams online. It is important to make sure that you are staying well during this period and are having a good work-life balance. Here are our top tips and ideas for taking a break from studying.
We know that the assessment period can be a stressful time, especially this year, with you studying from home and taking your exams online. It is important to make sure that you are staying well during this period and are having a good work-life balance.
Here are our top tips and ideas for taking a break from studying:
Take regular breaks and schedule in things you love to do. This could be a 20-minute revision break in the day or a longer activity to look forward to in the evening or on weekends. For example, painting, cooking your favourite meal or watching a great film.
A classic one, but it’s key to get those endorphins pumping! UWE Bristol campuses are surrounded by great places to walk such as Stoke Park, Snuff Mills and Ashton Court. Why not download Strava and record the exercise you are doing? This is a great way to motivate yourself and connect with friends. UWE Bristol are also offering a variety of online exercise classes including Ab Attack, Circuits and Pilates. Click here to view the timetable.
Podcasts and audiobooks are a great way to give your eyes a break, just lie on your bed shut your eyes and lose yourself in a podcast. You can listen to a podcast at so many different times such as when you are cooking or when you go for a walk They can be a great way to escape and with so many that cover a range of genres, you’ll struggle to know where to start. A few of our favourites include Sh**ged, Married, Annoyed, Grounded with Louis Theroux, Brown Girls do it too and Guilty Feminist.
Mindfulness is about reconnecting with our bodies and being aware of our thoughts and feelings in the present moment. When we are mindful we can reduce stress and enhance performance. Happy Mind are providing free introduction to mindfulness sessions for UWE Bristol students until 28 February. Short videos designed to tackle everyday problems such as focus, planning, prioritisation and workload, sign up here. You can also access free UWE MOVE weekly yoga classes, check out the timetable here to sign up!
Cooking
When you're busy and tired it can be tempting just to grab another pizza or ready meal, but cooking from scratch saves money, gets you up on your feet and can also be a stress relief. Try this vegan lentil curry recipe made by Lauren from the student sustainability committee or find some more great recipes here.
While it is helpful to discuss topics with your peers, try not to compare other peoples’ work or results with your own. Everyone works differently and at different paces and has their own area of expertise. Also, remember everyone revises in different ways, so if your methods are different to your friends don’t worry, do what works for you.
If this is something you struggle with on social media, we would suggest evaluating the accounts you follow and make sure that your feed is full of content that makes you feel good! A few of our favourites are ‘Dude with a Sign, D.F.T.E, Visit Bristol, Innocent, Justme.Rod, National Geographic Travel, Humans of New York, Camping with Dogs, and of course, The SU at UWE (incredibly elite).
The values of a good night’s sleep should not be underestimated, especially the night before an exam or deadline. Ways to improve your sleep include, avoiding technology for two hours before bed, reading or trying meditation.
Do you say this to friends or family, but never actually do it yourself? Treating yourself can be as small as rewarding a good period of studying with watching an episode of your favourite programme of Netflix’s, making yourself a nice dinner or ordering a takeaway.
It’s important to reward yourself and celebrate an achievement, no matter how small it is!