Rest Is Fundamental to Productivity: 5 Ways for Students to Recharge Effectively
Many teaching and tutoring blogs discuss productivity techniques (and we do too!). One area that is critically important and criminally underdiscussed is rest.
Rest is essential. It might seem impossible to juggle school, extracurricular activities, a social life, and get your 8+ hours of sleep. The truth is recharging is not just required, but will actually improve the efficiency and quality of your work. Rest improves focus, reduces stress, and even forms stronger memories.
Here are five foundational rest habits for students:
Get 8+ Hours of Quality Sleep: Sleep is key to both retain what you learn and be ready again tomorrow. Teens should get 8–10 hours to keep energy high and minds sharp.
Take More Frequent, Shorter Breaks: If you’ve read our Pomodoro Method Series, you know that 5 mins (and not more) is enough to reset. Move around during breaks, and set a timer so you don’t get sucked into the internet (as we all do from time to time).
Separate Study and Relaxing Spaces: Construct a study space that works for you, and separate it from relaxing spaces. For example, never work in bed! Beds are for sleep; you don’t want to pollute them with study stress. For relaxing spaces use soft lighting, comfortable seats, some favorite photos or art - whatever relaxes you.
Practice Mindfulness Techniques: Build daily mindfulness rituals around mindfulness activities like breathing exercises, yoga, or meditation. Even 5-10 minutes of daily practice reduces stress and improves mood. Our favorite: the physiological sigh is a fantastic technique that can calm nerves in seconds - we teach it to all Now Test Prep students.
Limit Social Media Time: This is a hard one, but the data is clear that excessive social media use creates depression and anxiety in all of us, especially teens. Myles has time limits set on his social media, and only his wife has the password. Joshua leaves his phone in another room while working. Whatever works for you, try it for a week and see how you feel.
And there’s our top 5 - good luck recharging! If you have questions or want to tell us about some other technique we should try, please drop us an email.
