We all do this to ourselves; we forget (or procrastinate) everything until the last minute, and then need to spend all day Sunday working on it. And sometime it works. We start early in the morning and then finish by the afternoon, we feel good about ourselves, and end up doing it again. Other times we get stuck, no longer want to keep going, and in the end, we still do the same things again. When you get stuck, or work hard for a long time, it's okay to stop what you're doing and take a break.
1. You need to eat.
This is something super important that we shouldn't forget about. We are not machines nor are we cars. We cannot run just on coffee or other amounts of caffeine. We need food to keep ourselves going and keep our minds bright. It's not enough that we continue getting cup after cup of coffees at Aromas or Starbucks while neglecting the needs of our bodies. Stop what you are doing and find yourself a sandwich, a bag of chips, a granola bar, some fruit, SOMETHING that adds food to your stomach.
2. You have to sleep.
Having all-nighters at Swem or in your dorm may seem like a good idea at first: You get work done. But in reality, messing up your sleep cycle and circadian rhythm is bad for your body. You'll likely be falling asleep throughout the rest of your day, and coffee won't be enough to keep you awake. You'll also not be putting your best work into your assignment. Working off of no sleep is not good for your brain and you won't be thinking as well as you could be.
3. You just need a break.
Sometimes we just need to stop what we're doing, stand up, walk around, and clear our heads. Going at the same assignment for a few hours on end will not yield positive results for your work. It's healthy to give yourself a brain break of ten or so minutes for every hour that you work on homework. If that means you take your breaks to eat, use the restroom, play on your phone, etc. because you really need to get your work done, then do everything you need to in the times you give yourself a break.
4. You've done a good amount of work and just need to stop.
Trying to accomplish everything in one day is not an easy feat. Sometimes we need to break the work up over a period of days so that we're not cramming all our brain's work into 24 hours. Take the time to do everything listed above and when you feel like you need to just stop after a good day's work, do so. Pushing yourself past your limits will only make you resent having to do the work in the first place and then you'll start the cycle all over again by piling up your work to do in one day.
