The importance of a good study break!

Last semester, I was very blessed to have quite an easy class schedule, and it was rare for me to devote an entire weekend to homework. Well...Spring 2012 is not as lucky. This weekend I find myself drowning in lesson planning, art projects, research papers, and required readings. Every time I look at next week's schedule in my planner I come dangerously close to having a panic attack. Don't get me wrong, I understand how fortunate I am to have the opportunity to be receiving a quality education, and I definitely appreciate it. However, at times like this I find myself longing for graduation!

So you are probably wondering why on earth I am spending valuable time blogging when I should be writing lesson objectives and studying AZ education standards? Well, I have come to the conclusion that taking breaks is essential to my mental health and level of productivity. Sometimes when I concentrate on one assignment for too long, my brain starts to "short-circuit", and I end up staring blankly at the computer screen, unable to process any more information. I have found that taking breaks can really help refresh and rejuvenate my mind. On friday night I went to go see "The Vow" with some friends, and today I will be blogging (as if that wasn't obvious) in between assignments and heading to the gym for a quick meeting with my good pal Mr. Stairmaster. I have found that doing these mindless sorts of activities really help improve my sanity in the long run. That being said, when I begin working on an assignment, I really like to get down to business. For me, the only way this is possible is through an application called SelfControl, which lets you block all sorts of websites for any amount of time (I always block Facebook, and Pinterest)! It is such a wonderful program for mac users...especially those who procrastinate like myself! 

I am hoping that giving myself a little bit of time off today will help me to approach my papers and assignments with more motivation later, as well as remind me that there is more to life than crossing things off of my to-do list! Off to the gym I go!