Taking a Quick Break from Courses? Keep Your Brain in Learning Mode

Traditional students usually have a few breaks during the school year and for summer months, which can be both beneficial and detrimental to learning, depending on how they use their off-time. As a nontraditional student at CSU Global, you have more control over when you take your breaks, since courses start on a monthly basis, year-round.

If you’re thinking about taking a month or two off from classes, consider the following tips — they’ll help you maintain your mental fitness, so that you’ll be prepared to return to class whenever is convenient for you.

Read books. Consider picking up a book to exercise your brain. Reading has been proven as beneficial for overall memory and brain function, in addition to boosting emotional intelligence and empathy. It can also help you relax and improve your ability to focus on tasks. Read at a pace that feels comfortable for you, but a relatively easy starting point could be to read for about 20 minutes every other day.

Try a new hobby, or pick up one which you may have abandoned. If taking a break from classes means you have more free time on your hands, consider using it to practice a new or old hobby. If you’re having difficulty choosing an activity, think about what you found exciting and fun as a child, and use that as a basis for your decision. Or, think back to those activities that may have interested you but that you may have never attempted. Still at a loss for ideas? Click here for some relatively inexpensive hobby and activity suggestions.

Balance activities and rest. Unless you’ve decided to take a break for military duty or to work increased hours at your job, one of the benefits of taking a break from your courses is that you may have some extra time to spare. However, just because you have extra time, it doesn’t mean that you need to fill that time with back-to-back tasks and activities. Yes, you may have a busy lifestyle, but it is just as important to make time to rest, relax, and spend leisure time with your loved ones. Taking some downtime can improve your overall health (physical and behavioral), ability to focus, and decision-making skills.

Once you have incorporated these habits and actions into your break time, you may find your motivation is renewed. After this time away, you may notice you’re once again ready to resume moving forward with your education. When you do, you’ll feel rejuvenated and prepared to move full speed ahead on your academic and career goals.