8 Study Breaks That (actually) Make You Smarter

Zach Highley
8 Apr 202216:42

Summary

TLDRThis video script offers eight evidence-based tips for optimizing study breaks to enhance cognitive performance and wellbeing. It emphasizes the importance of adhering to break timings and suggests activities ranging from napping and cleaning to meditating and exercising. The top recommendations include taking mini exercise breaks and, most importantly, spending time outdoors to improve mental health and cognitive function.

Takeaways

  • 🕒 Importance of Adhering to Break Timing: Sticking to the designated study and break times is crucial to prevent procrastination and maintain the effectiveness of the study break method.
  • 📺 Watching YouTube Videos During Breaks: While convenient, they are ranked low as they involve screen time and lack physical movement, potentially disrupting the study-break cycle.
  • 🛌 Short Naps for Cognitive Performance: Napping for 5-15 minutes can boost cognitive function, but longer naps can hinder performance and disrupt sleep-wake cycles.
  • 🧹 Cleaning Up the Workspace: A tidy work area reduces distractions and can improve focus and performance, as messiness has been linked to decreased efficiency.
  • 🧘‍♂️ Meditation During Breaks: Meditating can reduce stress and improve focus, with evidence showing benefits for immune response and brain activity.
  • 🍎 Healthy Snacking: Consuming snacks with low glycemic index and high protein during breaks can help maintain steady energy levels and support brain function.
  • 💺 Changing Positions: Altering your physical location during breaks can create an association between spaces and activities, enhancing focus when returning to study.
  • 🏃‍♂️ Mini Exercise Breaks: Engaging in physical activity during breaks releases molecules beneficial for brain health and can improve memory and cognitive function.
  • 🌳 Going Outside: Spending time outdoors and in nature has been shown to enhance cognitive function and mental health, making it the top recommended break activity.
  • 🌱 Benefits of Green Space: Increased time spent in green spaces is linked to better health and well-being, suggesting that integrating nature into study breaks is beneficial.
  • 💡 Personalizing Breaks: The script emphasizes the importance of finding and sticking to study break routines that work best for the individual, to maximize effectiveness.

Q & A

  • Why is it important to stick to the study break timing?

    -Sticking to the study break timing is crucial because if breaks go too long or break-like activities are done during study time, it can create a procrastination feedback loop that eliminates the benefits of the study break method.

  • Why are YouTube videos ranked worst for study breaks?

    -YouTube videos are ranked worst because they involve screen time and lack movement. Additionally, if the video is longer than the allotted break time, it can disrupt the study-break cycle.

  • What are the benefits of taking short naps during study breaks?

    -Short naps (5-15 minutes) can improve cognitive performance. However, naps longer than 30 minutes can hinder performance by disrupting sleep cycles and leading to grogginess.

  • How can cleaning up during breaks improve studying?

    -A clean workspace reduces distractions and can improve focus and performance. Cleaning also provides a mental break from studying, allowing the brain to calm down.

  • What are the benefits of meditation during study breaks?

    -Meditation reduces stress and can improve focus. Studies show that meditation can increase brain activity related to learning and improve immune response.

  • What makes a good snack during study breaks?

    -Good snacks have low glycemic index, high protein, and slow-release carbs. They provide sustained energy without causing glucose spikes and crashes.

  • Why is it beneficial to change positions during study breaks?

    -Changing positions helps with classical conditioning, associating specific areas with certain activities. This keeps the study area focused on work and the break area on relaxation, improving overall focus and productivity.

  • What are the benefits of taking mini exercise breaks?

    -Exercise releases molecules like IGF-1 and BDNF that promote brain health and improve memory. Exercise also reduces stress and anxiety, enhancing cognitive performance.

  • Why is going outside considered the best study break activity?

    -Being in nature improves cognitive function and mental health. Studies show that time spent in green spaces is linked to better health and well-being, enhancing study performance.

  • How can incorporating these study break tips improve academic performance?

    -Incorporating these tips can help manage stress, improve focus, and enhance cognitive function. Taking care of mental and physical well-being leads to better study habits and improved academic performance.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Optimizing Study Breaks for Enhanced Productivity

This paragraph introduces the concept of maximizing study breaks to enhance both study efficiency and personal wellbeing. The speaker emphasizes the importance of adhering to a structured study and break schedule to avoid procrastination and maintain the effectiveness of the study break method. The paragraph also outlines the video's agenda, which is to present a list of eight activities ranked from least to most beneficial during study breaks. The activities include watching YouTube videos, taking naps, cleaning up, meditating, having a healthy snack, changing positions, exercising, and spending time outdoors, with a focus on the least recommended activity being watching YouTube videos due to screen time and potential disruption of break timing.

05:02

💤 The Pros and Cons of Napping and Cleaning for Breaks

The speaker discusses the benefits and drawbacks of napping during study breaks, highlighting that while short naps can improve cognitive performance, longer naps can hinder it and disrupt sleep-wake cycles. The recommended nap duration is five to 15 minutes. Additionally, the paragraph covers the advantages of cleaning up the workspace during breaks, which can lead to improved focus and performance by reducing distractions. The speaker shares personal tips on engaging fully in cleaning activities as a form of mental relaxation, separate from studying.

10:02

🧘‍♂️ Meditation, Mindful Snacking, and the Power of Position Change

This section delves into the benefits of meditation during breaks, suggesting it can reduce stress and improve exam performance. The speaker cites studies that link meditation to increased antibody production and changes in brain activity associated with better focus. The paragraph also emphasizes the importance of snacking wisely on low glycemic index foods to maintain steady energy levels for the brain. Furthermore, it discusses the concept of classical conditioning and how changing positions during breaks can create a mental distinction between study and relaxation times, thus improving focus upon returning to study.

15:02

🏃‍♂️ Exercise and Outdoor Time: Top Tips for Study Breaks

The speaker presents exercise and spending time outdoors as the top activities for study breaks. They discuss how exercise releases molecules beneficial for brain health and learning, and how it can reduce stress and anxiety, thereby improving study performance. The paragraph also highlights the importance of going outside and being in nature, citing evidence that it improves cognitive function and mental health. The speaker shares personal anecdotes about the positive impact of these activities on their study habits and encourages viewers to prioritize self-care for better study outcomes.

🌳 Integrating Break Activities for a Balanced Study Routine

The final paragraph wraps up the video by summarizing the break activities discussed and emphasizing the importance of finding a study break routine that works for the individual. The speaker provides a personal example of how they integrated various break activities into their study schedule, underscoring the flexibility in applying the suggested tips. The paragraph concludes with a reminder to stick to a study break timing that enhances productivity and a thank you note to the viewers for watching the video.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Study Breaks

Study breaks refer to the periods of rest taken between study sessions, which are crucial for maintaining focus and mental wellbeing. In the video, the theme revolves around optimizing these breaks to enhance studying efficiency and cognitive performance. The script emphasizes the importance of adhering to break timings to prevent procrastination and ensure the effectiveness of the study-break cycle.

💡Cognitive Performance

Cognitive performance relates to the efficiency with which one's cognitive faculties, such as memory, attention, and problem-solving, operate. The video discusses how certain activities during study breaks can improve cognitive performance, such as taking short naps within a specific time frame to avoid entering deep sleep cycles that may hinder subsequent focus and productivity.

💡YouTube Videos

In the context of the video, YouTube videos are mentioned as a potential activity during study breaks. However, they are ranked as a less optimal choice because they involve screen time and lack physical movement. The script suggests changing positions and devices when watching to minimize the negative impact on the study-break cycle.

💡Napping

Napping is presented as a strategy to improve cognitive performance during study breaks, with the video specifying that naps of 5 to 15 minutes can be beneficial. However, it warns against napping for longer durations as it can lead to a decrease in performance upon waking and disrupt sleep-wake cycles.

💡Clean Workspace

A clean workspace is highlighted as a factor that can improve focus and performance. The script cites studies showing that distractions, such as a cluttered environment, can significantly impair task performance. Cleaning up the workspace during breaks is recommended to reduce distractions and enhance the effectiveness of subsequent study sessions.

💡Meditation

Meditation is discussed in the video as a beneficial activity during study breaks that can help reduce stress and improve focus. The script mentions evidence of meditation's positive effects on brain activity and immune response, suggesting that even short meditation sessions can be advantageous for mental health and exam performance.

💡Snack

The video emphasizes the importance of having a nutritious snack during study breaks to maintain blood glucose levels and support brain function. It distinguishes between high and low glycemic index foods, advocating for snacks that are high in protein and slow carbs to avoid energy crashes and support sustained focus.

💡Exercise

Exercise is presented as a highly effective study break activity due to its role in releasing molecules like BDNF and IGF-1, which are associated with brain health and cognitive function. The script suggests that any form of exercise, regardless of duration, can be beneficial, with outdoor exercise being particularly advantageous.

💡Nature

The video underscores the significance of spending time in nature during study breaks, citing evidence that it improves cognitive function and mental health. The script recommends going outside and being in green spaces to reap the benefits of reduced stress and enhanced wellbeing, which in turn can improve study performance.

💡Wellbeing

Wellbeing in the video is portrayed as a critical component of effective studying. The script shares a personal anecdote about the realization that prioritizing self-care, including sleep, exercise, and fun, can lead to better study habits and higher performance on tests. It encourages viewers to consider their overall health and happiness as integral to academic success.

💡Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro Technique is an example of a time management method mentioned in the script, which involves studying for a specified period (e.g., 25 minutes) followed by a short break. The video uses this technique to structure study sessions and breaks, suggesting that it can be an effective way to maintain focus and productivity.

Highlights

Study breaks are crucial for maximizing studying efficiency and wellbeing.

Adhering to study break timing is essential to avoid creating a procrastination loop.

Watching YouTube videos during breaks is not recommended due to screen time and potential for extended breaks.

Short naps can improve cognitive performance, but should be limited to avoid entering deep sleep cycles.

Cleaning up the workspace during breaks can reduce distractions and improve focus.

Meditation during breaks can reduce stress and improve exam performance.

Snacking on slow carbs and high protein during breaks helps maintain steady energy levels for the brain.

Changing positions during breaks uses classical conditioning to associate different spaces with different activities.

Exercise during breaks releases molecules like IGF-1 and BDNF, which are beneficial for brain function and memory.

Spending time outside and in nature significantly improves cognitive function and mental health.

A clean workspace can enhance performance, as seen in studies with medical students and surgery residents.

Meditation can increase the immune response, as shown in a study with mindfulness meditation training.

The brain requires glucose for metabolic activity and the formation of new neuronal connections.

Associating specific activities with specific places can improve focus and productivity.

Exercise not only boosts physical health but also prepares the brain for better learning and memory retention.

Prioritizing wellbeing, including sleep, exercise, and fun, can lead to better study habits and performance.

The recommended duration for effective outdoor breaks is between 120 to 300 minutes per week.

Transcripts

play00:00

Let's talk about what we should do on our study breaks

play00:03

to maximize our studying and our wellbeing.

play00:05

So are there things we can do for our study breaks

play00:07

that actually help us out when we go back to study later,

play00:10

or maybe just help our mind be in a better place

play00:12

for when we go and study later?

play00:14

Well, I did the research and yes, there are things

play00:17

there are better activities to do during our study break,

play00:19

as opposed to other activities.

play00:22

So in this video, I'm gonna give you eight things to do

play00:24

during your study breaks from worst to best.

play00:27

(gentle music)

play00:30

Before we get into the individual tips,

play00:31

I just want to reiterate the importance of actually

play00:33

sticking to your study break timing.

play00:36

Suppose you set a specific amount of time

play00:38

that you wanna study and a specific amount of time

play00:40

that you wanna take a break, if you mess up that time.

play00:43

So for example, if you take a break that goes too long,

play00:46

or you start doing break like activities

play00:48

during your study time,

play00:49

it defeats the whole purpose of the study breaks format.

play00:52

It creates an awful procrastination

play00:54

conditioning feedback loop that eliminates the benefits

play00:57

from the entire study break method.

play00:59

Jeez fucking are you not studying?

play01:01

Hey, I'm gonna study gee, calm it down.

play01:03

God's sake, man.

play01:04

Just let me, I just want to study something it's studying.

play01:08

but you're telling me it's not, not to study.

play01:10

Oh, sorry.

play01:11

He's a little testy today.

play01:12

Okay.

play01:13

Things we can do during our break

play01:14

and remember we're going from worse to best.

play01:16

Number eight, I have watch YouTube videos.

play01:19

(gentle music)

play01:23

YouTube videos are actually often

play01:24

perfectly timed for breaks.

play01:26

However, they are ranked worst in my list of things

play01:28

to do during your breaks because you're looking at a screen

play01:31

again, you're not really moving.

play01:32

They're just not a great thing to do during a study break.

play01:35

Also the YouTube video you're watching is longer

play01:37

than the allotted time you're given for your study break.

play01:40

Then you might break the cycle of study break

play01:42

in the exact timing.

play01:43

And again, that is the cardinal sin.

play01:45

That is the thing we don't wanna do

play01:46

if you are using the strategy, which I honestly often do,

play01:49

then make sure you at least get up

play01:51

from wherever you're studying.

play01:52

So I study in that desk over there,

play01:54

move to a different position

play01:55

and kind of watch the YouTube video on a separate device.

play01:58

So I will never watch a YouTube video for like

play02:00

kind of relaxing on that computer.

play02:01

I'll usually go to my couch or lay on the floor over there

play02:04

and kind of watch it on my phone or iPad.

play02:05

And seriously comply with the break time.

play02:07

If you have a five minute break and it's a 10 minute video,

play02:10

maybe you watch five minutes now, you study again.

play02:13

And then you watch the second five minutes

play02:14

when you're done with your next study session.

play02:16

And watching a YouTube video isn't lousy option entirely

play02:18

because it does switch your brain off,

play02:20

from kind of the focused study mode

play02:21

to kind of a more relaxed mode.

play02:22

I would make watch a video that's kind of relaxing and chill

play02:25

as opposed to a video that's gonna make you

play02:26

think really hard.

play02:27

Bottom line change positions, change devices,

play02:30

and watch a fun YouTube video.

play02:32

(gentle music)

play02:34

So option number seven, we are just on number eight.

play02:36

Remember we're going worse to best is have a short nap.

play02:39

Naps actually have been proven

play02:40

to improve cognitive performance.

play02:42

Specifically, according to the paper I read

play02:44

five to 15 minutes, is this perfect zone for taking a nap.

play02:47

Once you get past 30 minutes, however,

play02:48

you enter this kind of sleep cycle

play02:51

shifting into a deeper phase of sleep,

play02:52

which when you come out of it

play02:54

actually it hinders your performance.

play02:56

This is one of the reasons I've ranked napping so low

play02:58

because it is so dangerous,

play02:59

and so easy to go past this 5, 10, 15 minute mark,

play03:03

and go 30 minutes, an hour and 90 minutes,

play03:05

and this will ruin your performance afterwards.

play03:09

More importantly, is this can mess up your sleep wake cycle,

play03:12

which I really don't like to mess up.

play03:13

If you sleep beyond kind of 10, 15 minutes,

play03:16

if you use this strategy make sure to only sleep

play03:19

for about five to 10 minutes,

play03:20

set that on the timer and stick to it.

play03:22

When you're done taking your nap, get up and go back

play03:25

and sit down in the place where you're gonna study.

play03:27

So bottom line take a five to 10 minute nap.

play03:29

Option number six is to clean up.

play03:32

(gentle music)

play03:34

A clean workspace can improve focus and improve performance.

play03:37

One study looked at 13 medical students

play03:39

and surgery residents,

play03:40

and had them perform laparoscopic surgery

play03:42

via a virtual reality trainer.

play03:43

Some of the students or residents performing the surgery

play03:46

had a distraction while others did not,

play03:48

not surprisingly the distracted surgeons

play03:50

took 30 to 40% longer to perform the surgery.

play03:53

Another study had people drive in a simulator

play03:55

and added visual distractions to certain participants.

play03:58

Distracted drivers had it's significantly worse performance,

play04:01

performing driving maneuvers than the nondistracted drivers.

play04:04

So fewer distractions may mean improved performance.

play04:07

So clean up that workspace.

play04:09

So cleaning up your workspace during this break,

play04:11

first of all offers the benefit

play04:13

of improving your studying later.

play04:15

Second of all, it's kind of nice to just get up

play04:17

and do something else.

play04:18

And when I'm cleaning up, I try to us clean up.

play04:20

I know this sounds silly,

play04:21

but I don't listen to music or a podcast.

play04:23

For example, if I'm doing the dishes,

play04:25

I kind of try and focus on the feeling of the hot water

play04:27

going over on my hands,

play04:28

the feeling of my weight and the feet on the ground,

play04:30

and like the smell of the weird like

play04:32

lemony dish soap that I use.

play04:33

Again, this sounds silly, but I think it is beneficial

play04:36

when you actually remove yourself

play04:37

from the study, study, study,

play04:38

and just get in the zone of doing something

play04:40

that really requires no mental effort whatsoever.

play04:42

I think it gives your brain a time to calm down

play04:45

and allows you to come back to studying that much better.

play04:47

Okay. So for when, if you use this break,

play04:49

the most important thing is to clean your work area first,

play04:52

because this may actually benefit your studying later.

play04:54

That means removing old coffee mugs, granola bars,

play04:56

all this kind of junk from the desk.

play04:57

Because as I mentioned, even though you think

play04:59

these distractions aren't hindering your performance,

play05:01

they really are.

play05:02

So bottom line, if you're taking a cleanup break,

play05:04

clean up your desk, and then the rest of your space,

play05:06

specifically, the things in your eye line

play05:08

while you are studying,

play05:09

are the most important things to clean up.

play05:11

(gentle music)

play05:13

Option number five is to meditate.

play05:14

Putting your body in a different spot,

play05:16

just focusing on your breath

play05:18

and just sitting there completely still can work wonders.

play05:20

Sometimes during exams I'll even take

play05:22

one of these mini meditation breaks during the actual exam.

play05:25

I remember a proctor actually poked me

play05:26

'cause she was worried that I fell asleep during the exam.

play05:29

And sometimes students will look at me funny,

play05:31

but really it helps me a lot to kind of just sit there

play05:33

for one minute or five minutes,

play05:35

and just do nothing and just kind of calm everything down

play05:38

so I can move on.

play05:38

So I can focus on the next parts of the exam.

play05:41

So where is the evidence for this?

play05:42

Well, I'm kind of making a connection here,

play05:44

but people who meditate are less stressed

play05:47

and people who are more stressed perform worse on exams.

play05:50

In one study, 25 subjects had their brain activity

play05:53

and antibody titers I know interesting, right?

play05:55

Measured after an eight week

play05:57

mindfulness meditation training program.

play05:59

So what happened is they had two groups of individuals.

play06:02

One went on this meditation training program

play06:04

and the other just kind of lived their normal life.

play06:05

And what they did is after they went on

play06:07

this training meditation program,

play06:09

both of the groups were vaccinated against the flu.

play06:12

So influenza and then their blood was taken

play06:14

and titers of antibodies.

play06:16

So titers of kind of your body generating an immune response

play06:18

against this vaccine were recorded from both groups.

play06:20

And there were significant increases in the antibody

play06:24

amounts in the group that went on the meditation retreat,

play06:26

as opposed to the group that didn't go

play06:28

on the meditation retreat.

play06:29

Also importantly to us, there was significantly increased

play06:32

left-sided anterior brain activity,

play06:34

in the people that went on the meditation retreat,

play06:36

as opposed to the people that did not go

play06:37

on the meditation retreat.

play06:38

Meditation can do crazy things in a good way.

play06:41

Also this short form meditation during your brinks

play06:43

is a great way to kind of just dip your toes

play06:45

into the awesome world that is meditation.

play06:47

I've meditated for about three years now.

play06:50

And I can say it is one of the few things

play06:51

that really has actually changed my life.

play06:53

What about me, what are you saying?

play06:55

Oh, fuck.

play06:56

Yeah, Freud you changed my life too.

play06:57

Okay. Now go back in the closet.

play06:59

Thank you.

play07:00

So bottom line is try meditating.

play07:02

Tip number four. Okay.

play07:03

We're getting onto the good stuff now

play07:04

is to have a good snack to eat during the break.

play07:07

(gentle music)

play07:10

So let's talk about what makes up a good snacks.

play07:12

Well, big carbs, big glucose, big sugar, big crash,

play07:16

bad news, slow carbs, high protein,

play07:18

low glycemic index, good news.

play07:20

So let's take a look at a little graph I drew here.

play07:22

Sorry, for the crappiness of the way it's drawn

play07:24

and let's look what happens when you eat

play07:25

a high glycemic index food,

play07:27

versus when you have a meal with low glycemic index.

play07:29

So you notice where the part where the kind of,

play07:32

your blood glucose levels dips below this line.

play07:34

This is the crash.

play07:35

This is the thing we want to definitely avoid

play07:37

when we have a snack, also the high you sometimes get,

play07:38

when you eat a bunch of ice cream or like really sugary food

play07:41

is almost too high.

play07:41

It's almost too hard to focus.

play07:43

Ever seen kids like darting around after they eat ice cream.

play07:46

That's because their glucose levels are super high

play07:48

and then shortly after they will crash.

play07:50

Unfortunately, keeping your blood glucose levels in control

play07:54

is kind of a tricky thing to do beyond that importantly,

play07:56

we do need glucose in our blood.

play07:58

We need it for metabolic activity.

play07:59

And guess what the most medically,

play08:01

active part of your body is?

play08:02

Your brain.

play08:03

Your brain accounts for 20% of your total oxygen metabolism.

play08:07

So please for your brain's sake, have some snackage.

play08:10

Have you ever tried to study on a day like

play08:11

when you're fasting before you're gonna, I don't know,

play08:13

get your blood taken or for some reason

play08:15

you're fasting for some religious reason.

play08:16

It's really hard to study on that day.

play08:19

We need at energy from food to generate ATP,

play08:22

to build new neuronal connections,

play08:23

which a lot of people believe is what memories

play08:25

and learning actually is.

play08:27

But recently, I've been like, really just,

play08:28

I like this kind of sucky water bottle.

play08:30

I know it sounds really weird,

play08:31

but you just kinda like suck it.

play08:32

Maybe I have an oral fixation or something where.

play08:35

You like it. You drink water bottle.

play08:37

I know. I see it.

play08:38

I see you like it, what are these?

play08:40

This is oral fixation classic.

play08:44

You know, you're conditioning me to hate you.

play08:47

Now I'm scared to say this,

play08:49

but tip number three is change position

play08:51

because when you change position,

play08:53

you're using classical conditioning, which is you...

play08:56

Where did you get?

play08:57

Is that a picture of, who is that?

play08:58

What is this picture of my mother?

play09:00

It's your mom?

play09:01

Do you just carry that around with you?

play09:03

I love her.

play09:04

You know, that's weird, right?

play09:05

Like weird.

play09:06

Oh, it is not weird. You are weird.

play09:08

Okay.

play09:10

Stupid take.

play09:11

Okay.

play09:12

Can you just take a break for this section please.

play09:14

I promise you can come back in the final tip.

play09:16

Okay? Sorry.

play09:18

So using things to make yourself think in a certain way,

play09:23

I will always do certain things in a certain place.

play09:25

I'll always study at my desk.

play09:26

I'll always do YouTube work at a seat,

play09:28

kind of in the room over there.

play09:29

I'll always sleep in my bed

play09:30

and I'll always relax on the couch.

play09:32

I don't intermingle these things.

play09:34

I only do these certain activities in these certain areas.

play09:36

This is the same reason why sleep experts say

play09:38

you should only sleep in your bed,

play09:40

because if you only sleep in your bed over time,

play09:42

you're gonna associate in your mind, your bed with sleep.

play09:45

If you go on like three hour Netflix session in your bed,

play09:48

then your body may not as closely associate

play09:50

the bed with sleep.

play09:52

So when I take my breaks, for example,

play09:53

I make sure to change positions.

play09:55

So if I'm always studying at that desk over there,

play09:57

I'll go sit on the couch or just sit somewhere else

play09:59

and use a different device to take my break.

play10:02

And then when I come sit back at my work desk,

play10:04

I don't have any of my break activities

play10:06

sitting at the work desk means work,

play10:08

sitting on the couch means break.

play10:10

Bottom line, only study in your study spot

play10:12

only take your break in your break spot.

play10:14

Okay.

play10:15

Number two, we are getting really, really good stuff here.

play10:17

Take a mini exercise break.

play10:19

(gentle music)

play10:22

This was competing in my head for the number one best thing

play10:24

or the number two best thing,

play10:25

but is really, really good thing to do.

play10:27

So molecules such as IGF-1 are released during exercise

play10:31

that may be responsible for the maintenance of brain cells.

play10:34

And it is also directly related to spatial,

play10:36

learning and memory.

play10:37

Another molecule of brain derived neurotrophic factor

play10:40

or BDNF is a major modulator of brain plasticity,

play10:44

and is also released more during exercise than non-exercise.

play10:48

Evidence shows that activity or exercise in humans

play10:51

and mice increases hippocampal neurogenesis,

play10:54

that part of the brain that's responsible for memory

play10:56

cell proliferation and dendritic branching.

play10:59

Exercise is a pretty darn good thing to do

play11:02

for your study break.

play11:03

Also, exercise is proven to reduce stress and anxiety

play11:06

and study shows that stress and anxiety reduce performance.

play11:10

Now, the great thing about using exercise

play11:11

as one of your study breaks,

play11:12

is that duration really doesn't matter.

play11:14

I will often like stretch or lay down,

play11:16

or some of my winter are always doing pushups,

play11:18

doing pull-ups think about the amount of pushups

play11:20

you will accumulate over the day.

play11:22

If every time you're on a study break,

play11:23

you just do pushups the whole time.

play11:25

It's like a great way to work out.

play11:27

And anecdotally there's something rejuvenating

play11:29

about just exercising and getting your heart moving.

play11:32

And if you wanna take this to another level,

play11:33

you go outside and do the exercise.

play11:35

Whenever I have a long day of studying planned,

play11:37

I will always plan an exercise session,

play11:39

preferably outside smack dab in the middle of this session.

play11:42

Well, why is this?

play11:43

Well, I remember from all those articles

play11:45

and papers that I've blurted out earlier,

play11:47

that when you exercise your brain actually gets in the mode

play11:49

to learn more information,

play11:51

that brain derived neurotrophic factor or BDNF and IGF-1,

play11:54

are making your brain ready to learn information.

play11:57

So when I come back from my exercise session,

play11:59

I'll actually learn better

play12:00

than if I didn't go out and exercise.

play12:02

I remember when I first started medical school,

play12:03

I used to think like I have to put every single waking hour

play12:06

into studying it is medical school, right?

play12:08

I will be treating human beings.

play12:09

However, I quickly found that like I was burning out.

play12:12

I wasn't for focusing on myself.

play12:13

I was only focusing on the schoolwork

play12:15

and I also started not studying like I usually do.

play12:18

I started like procrastinating and going on my phone

play12:20

while I was in a study session.

play12:21

And in my first couple of tests in med school,

play12:23

I didn't perform as well as I knew I could.

play12:25

I prioritized my wellbeing, sleep, exercise,

play12:27

and having occasional fun.

play12:29

And guess what?

play12:29

I studied less and I started performing better.

play12:32

This realization, this like epiphany is one of the reasons

play12:36

I started this whole YouTube channel,

play12:37

because I wanna share with other like students, learners,

play12:40

and everyone in the world,

play12:41

really anyone that will watch this video

play12:43

that taking care of your mind, taking your body,

play12:45

focusing on your wellbeing is so, so important.

play12:48

And if you still think, I don't really care about that.

play12:51

I just wanna do the best I possibly can do on the test.

play12:53

And trust me, I was there.

play12:54

I was in that mindset to do the best

play12:56

I possibly can on the test,

play12:57

no matter what your performance will improve

play13:01

when you improve taking care of yourself.

play13:03

I know it sounds silly, but really, really try it out

play13:05

and see your test scores go up.

play13:07

So bottom line, any form of exercise

play13:09

is a tip top tip for study breaks.

play13:12

Okay.

play13:13

We've made it to the number one tip the thing

play13:14

that I think is the best thing to do during your breaks

play13:17

and simply it's to go outside.

play13:19

(gentle music)

play13:22

This is backed by evidence

play13:23

and anecdotally it's the best for me.

play13:25

A couple papers show that nature improves

play13:27

human cognitive function and mental health,

play13:30

with the rapid pace of kind of cities getting bigger

play13:32

and more everywhere, it seems kind of globally.

play13:35

And even like are in my immediate environment

play13:37

that people are just having less contact with nature,

play13:39

less contact with green space.

play13:41

And the evidence is clear to a certain point more time

play13:45

in green space is better than less time in green space,

play13:48

specifically for mental health.

play13:50

Who do you think is going to study better

play13:52

and perform better on exams?

play13:53

Someone who has good mental health

play13:55

or someone who has bad mental health?

play13:57

In 2019 Nature released an article that took,

play13:59

not nature as in out there I mean like the journal Nature.

play14:02

So had an article that took nearly 20,000 adults

play14:05

and examined their time in nature.

play14:07

They weren't living in the journal.

play14:08

Okay, I'm done with this joke.

play14:10

They found at least 120 minutes of outside a week

play14:13

was linked with significantly greater reports

play14:15

of good health and high wellbeing,

play14:17

with peak associations being between 200

play14:19

and 300 minutes per week.

play14:21

So if you're studying nine hours a day,

play14:23

theoretically, if you use the 20, 5, 5 Pomodoro method,

play14:26

you'll have about 140 minutes of break time.

play14:28

So you could hit that week 120 minute mark in one day,

play14:32

but it's kind of hard because you have to leave

play14:33

your apartment and walk outside,

play14:35

find green space and come back.

play14:37

So usually what I'll do is I'll save up

play14:39

kind of one of my big breaks.

play14:40

So one of my 20 minute breaks

play14:41

and use that as kind of outside time.

play14:43

And again, when I'm doing this outside time,

play14:45

I go find the greenest place I can find.

play14:47

And I avoid using my phone.

play14:49

I avoid kind of listening to music or the radio.

play14:51

I just kind of focus on walking outside.

play14:53

So bottom line for my number one thing to do

play14:55

during breaks is go outside, and be in nature,

play14:58

chill out, and then come back to study better than ever.

play15:02

Okay. But those are all of my tips.

play15:04

Those are all the things that I think you should do

play15:06

during your breaks.

play15:07

And of course this isn't the end all be all.

play15:08

There's so many tons of other things

play15:10

you could do during your breaks.

play15:11

These are just the things that I found most backed

play15:13

by evidence and most actually supported by me

play15:15

doing those things.

play15:16

So really like any outside, any exercise,

play15:19

anything with no screens is usually a good break.

play15:21

So just to put out an example that is, so for example,

play15:23

this is kind of something I did the other day,

play15:25

I had a 25 minutes study.

play15:26

And then I felt like I still wanted to study.

play15:28

I was still in the zone.

play15:29

So I studied for another 25 minutes,

play15:30

but then I accumulated 10 minutes of break time.

play15:33

So I used that 10 minutes to clean my apartment.

play15:35

And then I did 25 minutes of studying.

play15:37

Then in the next five minute break,

play15:38

I had a snack which was an apple and some tea.

play15:41

Then I studied for 25 minutes again.

play15:42

And then I had my big 20 minute break, right?

play15:44

'Cause once you do four study, 25 minutes,

play15:46

you get the 20 minute break.

play15:47

And I went for a nice walk outside.

play15:49

And then I had my 25 minutes of studying

play15:51

and I did pushups for five minutes, 25 minutes of studies.

play15:53

I think I did pushups and pull-ups for five minutes

play15:55

after that, then I had 25 minutes of study,

play15:58

another snack while looking out the window,

play15:59

25 minutes of study.

play16:00

And then I did a 10 minute like yoga stretch

play16:02

and 10 minutes of meditation.

play16:04

And that was just for that section.

play16:06

But the most important thing

play16:07

is to stick to the study breaks that work for you,

play16:10

sticking to the study break timing is the most important.

play16:12

And hopefully, some of these breaks, you got an idea

play16:14

or you figured out,

play16:15

"Oh, maybe I can actually go for a walk outside

play16:17

or maybe I'll start to do like pushups during my breaks."

play16:19

Those are all good things that will benefit your study.

play16:23

But if you made it to the end of this video,

play16:24

thank you so much watching.

play16:26

And I will see you on the next one.

play16:28

I'm watching you.

play16:29

You know, I watch, I keep, I stay here.

play16:32

You think I do not pay attention,

play16:33

but me and my friend Pavlo, we have things we talk,

play16:36

you know, what are you doing over there?

play16:38

Are you not studying, you read?

play16:40

I beat you.

Rate This

5.0 / 5 (0 votes)

関連タグ
Study TipsBreak ActivitiesProductivityWellbeingMeditationExerciseNature WalksHealthy SnacksFocusMental Health
英語で要約が必要ですか?