Ah, the life of a student! I recall my undergrad years being filled with anxiety, stress, and a whole lot of crying. Now it’s been about two years since I’ve graduated, established new boundaries, and standards that I’m not willing to give up any more. *Ahem, sleep…* I took a couple years off to gain some working experiences and fast forward to the present, I’m two semesters into my post-bacc program, which will lead to a few years in a master’s program. After trying out several studying techniques and attempting to find a healthier way to combat studying, I’ve come up with list of positive tips on how I’ve made studying suck less:
Positive Tip #1: Take Breaks!
Yes, I know how hard it can be to take a step back when you’re in the zone, but take those breaks. Even if it’s only for 5 minutes: Stretching, breathing, and/or getting a little social media break may be exactly what our brains need to reenergize.
Because of how resilient humans are, we forget to slow down and take time away to let our brains absorb the material. If computers need breaks, so do people. I promise that taking 5-10 minutes away will not hinder your success. If anything, it’ll improve your productivity and lead to you taking preventative steps from burning out!
Create Cute Messages on Sticky Notes
Write yourself something uplifting on sticky notes and leave them for your future study-self to find. Simple, straight forward, and an immediate reminder of your hard work.
You can write messages like:
- “You’re working hard. Good job!”
- “Hustle, but breathe!”
- “Keep on going!”
I like to leave sticky notes on my monitor, so I can look up and easily feel good about the energy that I’m exerting into my studies! Sometimes we need to be our own cheerleaders, so if you’re feeling like you need a pick-me-up, this form of affirmation could be exactly what you need!
Make Studying Suck Less With Positive Comments
On par with the last tip, but this is more in the moment. Say you’re doing practice problems in the your workbook and just compared your answers. Didn’t do so bad?
Reward yourself by writing a compliment above that section! I like to think of it as giving myself a gold star for doing my best. If I make mistakes, I leave an encouraging message for myself like, “Nice practice. Keep on going girl!”
It’s another way of adding a glimmer of positivity and awareness to your studies!
Mental Health Tip: Confront Your Stress
Stress always makes studying suck so much more. As students, we all deal with stress, whether that has to do with studying for an upcoming exam, completing an assignment on time, or working on a challenging lab.
When your stress begins to put pressure on you, stop what you’re doing and start with recognizing how you feel:
“Right now I’m feeling overwhelmed because I have two exams to study for. It doesn’t seem like enough time to prepare.”
Then take a breath. I like to think of breathing with this visual in mind:
Breathe in peace, calmness, optimism.
Breathe out negativity, anxiety, stress…
After breathing, try to confront your stress and ask yourself if putting pressure on yourself contributes to your productivity. Odds are the stress is weighing you down. The assignment, the exam, the essay will still be there at the end of the day.
Hone in those positive focus skills and get back into the groove.
Pat Yourself on the Back
Celebrate yourself! It can be easy to fall into the negative mindset that you’re not good enough or that you’re dumb because the information isn’t sinking in… Whatever it may be, dismiss those toxic thoughts and instead, appreciate what you’re doing.
You studied for 30 minutes? Praise yourself for using your valuable time to do school work. You went over your flashcards a million times? Pat yourself on the back. You are rocking it!
Look at the Big Picture
A final tip for making studying a little more bearable and suck less is to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Studying, even if it’s a little bit at a time is way better than not studying at all.
Whether you’re listening to a ridiculously long lecture or working your way through homework, you are taking meaningful steps in the right direction. Even though it may not feel like you’re making progress, the bigger picture shows that you are.
Try this exercise as a way to regroup and appreciate your own efforts. This tip has definitely made studying suck less for me!
Mental Health & Studying Habits
I hope you enjoyed my tips for meshing mental health and studying habits together to make studying suck less. Hey, I know how hard it is to follow these tips! Coming from someone who used to stay up all night studying, it’s taken me over 5 years to figure out healthier ways to combat the demands that come with my studies.
I’m certainly not perfect! I still fall into my old habits and have to constantly remind myself that I’m doing a pretty awesome job. So go easy on yourself, work hard, and leave room to breathe!
Good luck on your journey,
Harumi
Great post! Your undergrad years sound a lot like they were the same as mine have been- super stressful. However, all of these tips are helpful. I especially like your idea of creating cute messages on sticky notes. I have heard of people doing that, but I have never found the extra motivation to do that myself. I think I will finally give it a try. Thanks for sharing!
Yay! I’m glad you’re going to give the positive sticky notes a try! It’s a new habit for me, but a lovely way to add positivity to my environment and situation.
Great post! All your tips are perfect. I especially like the ‘pat yourself on the back’. It’s so important for us to see how much we’ve accomplished so we can conintue to move forward and make progress. 😊 Thanks for sharing!
Absolutely! And the cool thing about these tips is that they’re transferrable. Whether you’re studying or working, everyone could use a pat on the back.
Another great article from my favorite blogger
Thanks Bob! This also applies to students of life. Really anything that is stress-inducing!
I love these tips! I wish I read them back when I was in university as it definitely would have helped me! But I bet it is helping current students 😄 personally, I find uplifting phrases to be very encouraging so I like that idea of using sticky notes. Great post!
Aww thank you for the lovely comment! I’ve also been getting in the habit of stating affirmations before I start my day and that really sets me up for success!!
Such an informative read, Harumi! I really enjoyed it and read it as a a fulltime blogger at home as I feel these points are relatable! I’m always studying new techniques and strategies! Thank you for sharing x
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Thank you for your lovely comment! Learning techniques that work for you is so important.
I loved this post! So informative! I am trying to work on taking breaks. I find if I sort of “schedule” them into my working time I am more likely to take them. I really like the point about writing cute messages on sticky notes! I am totally doing that now! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for your lovely comment! Let me know how the sticky notes go for you. They do awesome things for me!