How to Relax and Study During the Holidays

But you’ll also get 3 ways to study during the holidays so you can be super productive but also have plenty of time for fun and relaxation.

5 ways to unwind and relax during the holidays

1. Enjoy some sleep!

While I’m trying to improve my sleeping habits, I still revert to sleeping less when my workload is heavy. When you’ve gone to and from a long day of work in the dark the last thing you want to do is study. But you sit down and open your books anyway because you’ve got deadlines.

Hands up if you ever get a case of ‘twitchy eye’ when you’ve been studying for too long?

Sometimes it can feel like all you do is work, study, sleep and repeat.

So when you DO get a chance to get up later or sleep a little longer…take it! Get those festive pyjamas on and enjoy the great feeling of going for an early night without an early alarm for work or the guilt of an open textbook nearby.

2. Read something…that isn’t a flipping textbook!

Enjoy reading a book that isn’t drier than an old flip flop and has you falling asleep in seconds. When your head’s stuck in a textbook most evenings it can be hard to pick up another book for fun. So grab a good book, some Christmas tree chocolates and curl up on the sofa for a while.

Here’s a list of some great Christmas reads

Or, for something distinctly un-Christmassy, I’ve just finished an incredible series of 6 novels centred around the darker side of Tudor history. I wasn’t sure when I started but they’ve gripped me and I’m now mourning the end of the series. The first book is Dissolution by C.J.Sansom.

3. Plan fun things to look forward to

Schedule in some fun plans for the next few months to get you through your studies. You’ll thank yourself when you’re struggling to see the light in January.

· Organise a catch up with some friends

· Organise a catch up with some friends

· Find a new restaurant to take your partner or friend

· Pre-order an exciting (*ahem* trashy) novel to escape in

· Book a massage or facial for a few days after an exam or essay submission date

· Search for a concert or play you’d like to go to

· Plan a movie marathon

4. Catch up with friends and family

If you’re like me, opportunities to see friends and family are pretty thin on the ground when you’re in the grips of essay writing or revision.

The holidays are a great excuse to meet up anyway but really enjoy the chance to make memories you can look back on when you’re studying in a few months.

Take photos of these fun times the print and stick them up around your desk. Don’t forget to celebrate your studying successes with your loved ones or seek support from them if you have any struggles.

5. Have some ‘me’ time

When studying is crazy there’s rarely time for anything else. So take the opportunity to do some of the things that make you feel like a person.

Early on in my studies I use to love spending an evening painting my nails. But that luxury soon disappeared as my studies increased, along with plucking my eyebrows, looking after my hair, practicing yoga and cooking great food.

So whatever your favourite ‘before-study’ activities were, do some of them!

So now I’ve covered the fun part, here’s some tips for those who don’t get to relax for the next two weeks. (And by relax I mean, wrap presents, cook mountains of festive food, host parties and spend time with everyone you’ve ever met!).

2 ways to study during the holidays

1. Study in short bursts

So you don’t have to interrupt too many fun plans, try to develop your ability to study in short bursts. Studying in 30 minute slots each day can be more effective than studying all day once a week.

So the aim here is to sit down, get the work done, then go off and drink mulled wine and watch Elf for the 67^th time.

So, you may know what I’m going to suggest here…good old Mr. Pomodoro is coming to visit.

You know the score by now…

Study for 25 minutes with no distractions and no breaks. After, take a 5 minute break to move around or get new snacks. This is 1 completed Pomodoro. Fitting 1 or 2 of these in most days in the coming weeks could be enough.

2. Reduce distractions

If you want to get back to relaxing quickly you have to practice studying without distractions. It is difficult and I’m definitely not perfect. But try out different techniques until you’ve found a system that keeps you the most focused.

• Ask your friends/family/guests not to disturb or distract you while you’re studying

• Disable the Wi-Fi on your computer…

• …unless you need it for studying. In which case, use free software such as Cold Turkey to temporarily block certain websites

• Put your phone on airplane mode, put it in another room or give it to someone in your house to look after

• Turn off the radio or television if it normally distracts you

• Tidy your desk and make sure you have everything you need

• Find some non-lyrical music to play quietly and help you focus – try movie or video game soundtracks.