Even though we know it’s important to have a break, I’m sure we’ve all felt guilty for not studying. But what if you could have some guilt-free fun and still get things done?
Well today we have the solution for you! A method that’ll help you procrastinate less, be more efficient with your time, fit in some fun and relaxation, all the while getting your work done.
Maybe this sounds too good to be true… but hear us out!
Relaxing VS Recharging
Earning the Fun
Changing Your Mindset
Make Yourself a Commitment Statement
Relaxing VS Recharging
When most of us get home from school we relax, have a snack, maybe watch a show, or go on our phones. After all, you did just spend 6 hours at school, you need time to relax. But the next thing you know, it’s 5 or 6pm, you go to have dinner, and suddenly nightfall hits.
Firstly, we need to establish the difference between relaxing and recharging or re-energising. Relaxing is more fun, you get to do the things you love — think relaxing on the sand at the beach, chilling with friends.
Whereas recharging is taking a power nap or re-energising with a healthy snack. It could mean taking the dog out for a walk, or reading a book… unless you’re an avid reader and will finish a book in one sitting!
Earning the Fun
It’s probably safe to assume that the average routine of a high school student is to come home, hop onto Netflix, Instagram, Snapchat etc. to take a ‘break”, and then do some study by the time it reaches 10pm.
What this creates is a negative feedback loop because you have fun as soon as you come home from school, and then there’s no motivation to do school work, because you just want to keep having fun. Say hello to procrastination!
However, now we’ve identified that your after school break is a time to recharge, you won’t end up stuck on the sofa for hours on end. After a quick nap, snack and/or walk, you get right into studying, finishing off homework tasks, researching for assignments and all the rest of it.
Once you’ve completed your school work for the day, that’s your time to relax! Watch a show, play games, chat to friends and all that fun stuff.
Essentially, you’re earning the fun — your relaxation time is an incentive to motivate you to study more. That way you won’t waste time on your phone saying you’ll do work after this YouTube video.
In our research conducted over the past 10 years on top-performing students, this has been proven to be the most effective use of time to allow more guilt-free fun and making sure that school work is done.
Changing Your Mindset
Crucial to making this method work is changing your mindset, in order to have guilt-free fun. You need to make sure that you intuitively understand that coming home from school is recharge time, then you study, and then you relax and have fun.
- Recharge
- Study
- Relax
The great thing about this idea of ‘earning the fun’, is that you don’t have to be seriously focused and study orientated, 24/7 during high school. You are still making time to have fun, do the things you love and get work done.
We’re basically flipping the process from; fun → procrastinate → study, to recharge → study → relax.
Making sure you’re leaving time for yourself to relax is vital for your mental and physical health. It makes sure you’re moving around and not sitting at your desk all day. Your mind is also being stimulated by everything around you, and you’re not forced into an academic tunnel.
The best part about all this is that you can say ‘goodbye procrastination!’
So there you have it — earning the fun! Get yourself into that study zone right after you’ve recharged, and save the things you love as a reward for later.
Make Yourself a Commitment Statement
Now you know the secret to having guilt-free fun, we want you to take this into action!
Come up with a commitment statement and keep yourself accountable! Maybe it’s ‘no study, no games’, ‘no study, no Netflix’ or ‘no study, no phone’.
Whatever it is, make it your motive and earn the fun!
Looking for some extra help with your studies?
We pride ourselves on our inspirational coaches and mentors!
We offer tutoring and mentoring for Years K-12 in a variety of subjects, with personalised lessons conducted one-on-one in your home or at our state of the art campus in Hornsby!
To find out more and get started with an inspirational tutor and mentor get in touch today!
Give us a ring on 1300 267 888, email us at [email protected] or check us out on Facebook!
Nandini Dhir is a Content Writer at Art of Smart and is currently studying a Bachelor of Arts (majoring in Marketing) and a Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Media and Communications), as a Dalyell Scholar, at Sydney University. She enjoys covering local issues in her area and writing about current events in the media. Nandini has had one of her pieces published in an article with the Sydney Morning Herald. In her free time, Nandini loves doing calligraphy, ballet, and sewing, or is otherwise found coddling her cats.
