1. You've been working for 5 hours.
Okay, please don't do this to yourself. If you have, take at least an hour off and just relax. Try the Pomodoro method! If you don't know what that is, it's where you work for 25 minutes at a time, and take short breaks in-between. It makes things easier and gives you a set time to breathe so you don't end up working for 5 hours at a time.
2. You've been trying to perfect your essay/project for hours.
Sometimes when you focus so hard on something, you just get too close to your own work, and it really helps to take a step back. When you come back after a break, you'll be refreshed and you'll have a new way of looking at it than you did before.
3. You've dedicated all of your time to studying for one test and totally ignored another.
Also don't do this if you can help it. Try to switch it up, do 25 minutes of math, then 25 minutes of essay writing, etc. This will help keep your mind on it's toes and give you a break when you feel like if you do one more minute of math, you're going to scream.
4. You forgot to eat today because you were so stressed.
Eating is not only fun, but it's important. Good foods keep you focused and will give you energy to power through the times where you want to quit. You do have to make sure you're eating the right stuff, though. Eating chips and junk food will not do much for you, but you know that. I've always been told that oatmeal is good for your brain, so try that before your next exam.
5. College is hard.
Nobody really says anything to us, but it's really important that you hear it from time to time. College is hard, being a teen/early twenty-something is hard, it's a lot of work and a lot of stress and it's really awesome that you've gotten this far and tried this hard. So go ahead, watch some Netflix and eat some popcorn, because you truly deserve it. Just try not to watch a whole season of "The Office" and try to pass that off as a short study break.
