why I don't really take study breaks

Lots have people have asked me why I don't seem to take a lot of breaks when I study. In this video, I address this, explain why this works better for me and offer some advice which you might want to take away.

DISCLAIMER: as I mention in the video, I am not advocating for a study routine without any breaks at all. Rather, I offer a new way of looking at breaks which might be able to help increase your productivity. Remember that the most important thing is that you look after your mental and physical health and that you take the time to recharge that you need.

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FAQ:
How old are you?
19

What are you studying?
English Literature (first year).

What are some of your favourite books / some recommendations?
Cat's Eye, Jane Eyre, Great Expectations, A Little Princess, The Overachievers: The Secret Lives of Driven Kids, The French Revolution (by Christopher Hibbert), The Harry Potter Series, The Odyssey (Emily Wilson translation), Frankenstein, Catalyst, Rebecca, History of the Rain, A Story of an African Farm, Fahrenheit 451, History of Wolves, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, The Institute, A Monster Calls.

[RubyGranger]

If you couldn’t tell, I am 100% behind #renewannewithane

[vanessarahimi]

When I was younger, I used to study based on this idea of "flow" without ever realizing what it was. I could study 5 hours straight and not feel "tired." As I got further into university, people kept saying that one has to take breaks. It's proven fact that you can only remember something for so long before it declines so breaks are important. I didn't see that in myself, but thought well it's science right? So I started taking more breaks. I've noticed my productivity and my learning declined dramatically. Seeing this video reminded me of how I used to do school and that I also used to do "productive breaks" instead of the conventional ones. I don't think studying/learning methods are a one size fits all situation. People need to study in their own way. Everyone needs to find what works for them. Thanks for the video and sorry for the long response!

[aparajitabanerjee]

my breaks are equal to her study sessions

[moodsmoody]

Tldw:
•Avoid having breaks as rewards because it will trick the mind into thinking that studying is daunting which is why we take breaks in the first place. (The sawyer effect)

•Only have a break when you need it, when you feel that you are performing worse.
*make sure that break will help you get back to study stronger. (Ex: exercise, drink tea, have some fresh air)

•you can have a sluggish break when you have finished everything.

[lanawang]

I do house chores in my study breaks. So after i’ve finished studying i have everything done including dull things like wiping boots without purposedly giving it extra time. Plus my body gets to move around if i’m doing chores

[lara_Penzel]

Well I think this can mainly be applied to the type of studying you do. Your course is rather slow pace, hence you enjoy studying because You get to write essays, understand and reflect on things, read books etc. As a third year medical student I can tell you that is very different from e.g. having to learn crazy amounts of Anatomy vocabulary by heart in short amounts of time. If I didˋt take recreational breaks I would have no recreational/fun/free/time with friends or my boyfriend anymore. Also we have a system where we have examens every 3Weeks that you need to pass! Best wishes from Germany.

[arshia]

For anyone who struggles with their screen time and productivity, the biggest tips i have are to keep your phone aside till lunch time. Make a commitment to yourself to do something other than looking at your phone till lunchtime. At lunch you can perhaps use it for a set amount of time
Another tip is to not look at the time while studying. This makes your brain think that you need a break cause you've been studying for an hour or half an hour or whatever.
Please try using these 2 tips, are definitely gonna help you a lot!

[sc-iutq]

I somehow never liked pomodoro, and now I kinda understand why. I just get to the flow in 25mins and then I should have a break. Now I just study until the flow isn't there anymore, and then take a break or go to another subject. Aandd Anne with an E is the best <3 I was on holiday when season 3 came and watched it in 2 days :D

[katherinev]

I know that you said "I'll watch Anne with an E" just to prove that taking a break to watch an episode during studying will have disasterous effects, BUT OMG ARE YOU WATCHING ANNE WITH AN E CAUSE I LOVE IT

[LeilaleilaZ]

girl this came at the exact perfect moment? I've been studying for the past two weeks for an exam I have on february (I started with a lot of time because I know I tend to procrastinate a lot), and for the past week I've been taking "playful" breaks only to realize I end up getting SO distracted and lose half the day; my breaks consist of "lemme just check my phone for two secs", and then I watch two hours of youtube, go downstairs to play with my dogs for another two hours and so on and so forth. So you have absolutely no idea how helpful this was

[kaffeekohi]

There is no "best way" to study. You have to find out which works for you. Even if enormous studies have been done on which methods are effective, in the end, it won't work if it does not fit you. How do you find out which method works? By studying. Lol.

Just.do.it.

[helenawoods]

I also think it's important to remember that this strategy works well for Ruby and it could indeed work with other people. But everyone studying needs to check in with themselves first and ask what works best for them before committing to a study/work routine. I personally get a lot of motivation and focus when I take breaks. Doing things that bring me enjoyment and bring me in alignment before working has a better result for me personally. And when I work coming from a starting place of joy/peace/ease/alignment/flow - as opposed to striving/results-oriented, the work quality and efficiency turns out to be 10x better. Everyone works differently. Ruby has a lot of influence, so please everyone just make sure you check in with yourself (your intuition, gut, etc) and see what works for you personally. :)

[ROCKY-xwod]

This video really has some "out of the box" study tips. Unlike any other traditional study motivation videos. I hope it works out for me. Thanku for sharing with us. God bless u

[grangerproductivity]

Congrats in 400k, I also don’t like taking breaks because whenever I take breaks, i usually go over on my ipad and after that I won’t study anymore. Whenever I just keep studying I feel more focused which is weird since people often feel sluggish after studying long period of time but I feel perfectly fine.

[judegrindvoll]

Interesting video Ruby. I do think the subject and purpose of a study session needs to be taken into account. The Pomodoro Technique has shown that studying subjects which require enormous amounts of memorization (languages, science, etc) benefit substantially from regular, consistent breaks that might not be necessary say in studying humanities. Equally working on essays does not require as many breaks as effective exam revision, which again benefit from optimizing breaks. Bottom line - if memorization is a core aim of your study session you should consider shorter sessions with a definite delineation between them.

[mirna]

I somehow really enjoyed watching this video!! I love the fact that you can see that you put a lot of effort in it by adding clips etc

[aud]

girl i do the same thing!! i only take breaks when i really feel like i need them! often times, the longer i work without a break, the more motivated i get!

[xxymgxx]

When I was doing my A levels, I actually used to practice maths in my 'productive breaks' because it didn't require my memory and was just a practical application of what I already knew.

[larafiolic]

I've always been studying this way and it's amazing to hear you address it as well! My primary reason is the fact that I enjoy studying and I get into a flow that I can terribly interrupt by watching a tv show. My only exception is watching videos like yours that are in the same direction or my favorite taking a short nap. Wish you all a great day :)

[saravuckovic]

This came as a LITERAL BLESSING outta complete nowhere.. THANK YOU SO MUCH!