As we head towards to the business end of the semester, you are no doubt very busy studying and writing up assignments. You may feel like you must spend every spare moment studying, with no time to take a break.

The truth is, taking study breaks will increase the amount of time you are able to effectively study and retain information. Taking a study break every hour will help you to:

• Better retain the material you are studying
• Improve focus
• Improve creativity
• Improve motivation
• Prevent fatigue

Having a break of 15-20 minutes is ideal but try not to make them any longer than that, as you will likely lose motivation to return to your studies.

Here are some activities proven to boost alertness and assist study to try on your breaks:

• Get moving
  • Stretching or taking a short walk are simple ways to get re-energised
• Take a quick nap
  • Be sure to set an alarm – sleeping too long will make you drowsy
• Practice mindfulness
  • There are many free apps that can help with this, such as smiling mind