Rest as part of your successful studies

Vol 27, Issue 7, 1 November 2024

As the autumn holidays have passed, I hope all students have rested well and now are ready to carry on with their studies. Some students went travelling, some stayed in the town, but hopefully everybody got their rest and reload their body, as well as mind. So why is taking time off is so important?

Starting from the most obvious, but significant aspect of relaxation – sleep. I know, during the holiday many of us started to fall asleep and wake up later, but that is totally normal, as we are letting ourselves relax and take it easy, realizing that tomorrow we do not have to go anywhere earlier. However, what is important is getting those precious 8 hours of sleep. While sleeping, our body repairs and lowers stress levels, letting go of any tension and anxiety that we have been having during the day. Sleep deprivation can cause irritability, mood swings, and a headache.

Now that we get our beauty sleep, it is time to take care of our mind as well. Some students, including me, keep forgetting an important rule – while resting, do not think of work. I would say that this problem is common for all human beings. Often, we keep coming back to all tasks that are waiting for us afterward or just thinking of what we are going to do after the holiday. By doing this, we are not giving our mind rest, as it is constantly reminded of work and studying. The right way to relax our mind is to try to get those thoughts out of our head and focus on the here and now. Try to ask yourself how you would like to spend this day and what you are planning to do, instead of worrying about the future.

Last but not least, think of all the stuff you enjoy doing and perhaps even plan your rest. In the world of technology and social media, without proper plan, we could just waste our time scrolling our phone. What I would suggest you to do is make a small plan of all things you would like to do on this day. That is how you will do what you love and genuinely enjoy your relaxation time.

Remember, slowing down and taking a rest is not unproductive and shameful. In fact, it is the other way around. The ability to rest properly is a skill of successful people and is vitally important to stay motivated.

And as the great artist Bansky says:

“If you get tired, learn to rest, not to quit.”