Listen to the audio version: on iTunes or stream below.
The other day someone approached me after Friday Prayer.
I told him a bit about Seera Masters and he said:
“No way! I downloaded your concentration toolkit yesterday!”
What a coincidence! SubhanAllah!
He went on to ask me how he can relax but maximise the amount of time he spends on his studies. This blog post is the advice I gave him.
Ok I know, it may seem obvious. We just don’t want to/can’t work non-stop. There are some specific benefits to keep in mind too though:
Real, Satisfying Breaks vs. Distraction
Have you ever played PlayStation or a computer game for hours and hours only to want more time to play as soon as you stop? You get that buzz of fun while you play but as soon as you finish you feel unsatisfied and want more.
That’s because distractions like video games aren’t satisfying! When you finish playing you haven’t accomplished anything.
“Playing isn’t supposed to be an accomplishment!”
I hear you…
BUT in order to relax and feel charged up for your next session of hard study you do need to feel accomplished and more importantly satisfied.
If playing video games doesn’t give you the satisfaction you need to go on and tackle your studies then what does?
I’d suggest:
Simple. They fill up your bank of satisfaction.
When you’ve done any of the above you can tick it off your to-do list, you feel a sense of accomplishment and you feel more productive.
Notice how they aren’t mentally draining things to do but they aren’t brain-dead things to do either. A balance of accomplishing something whilst not spending a lot of brain power on it.
It depends.
I recommend 5-15 minute breaks between study sessions and longer breaks for meals and in the evening. Also I’d suggest leaving an hour or two free after sunset to do some of the above activities to give you a sense of satisfaction for the next day.
It’s important to feel accomplished in your studies and in other parts of your life for optimum focus and productivity.
Drop me a comment below with some of the things you’ll get up to during your breaks to fill that satisfaction bank! I read every single one.