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RECHARGE with Yale Library: Study Tips & Student Wellness

Put your phone on "Do Not Disturb"

Coloring page based on The Peter Pan alphabet, by Oliver Herford. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1907.

Phones are such a big distraction. One way to avoid them is to purposefully leave your phone in another room. When that isn’t an option – you might need your phone to authenticate using Duo – set your phone on “Do Not Disturb.”

If being connected to the Internet on a computer is also a distraction, try a website blocker such as “Self Control” for Chrome, or “Impulse Blocker” for Firefox. 

Image: Coloring page based on The Peter Pan alphabet, by Oliver Herford. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1907, Beinecke Library.

Take a break and download this coloring book page from the Beinecke Library.

Study Tips from Bass Library and Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning

These tips are brought to you by Bass Library and the Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning. Need help? Reach out to us at ask.library.yale.edu or poorvucenter.yale.edu/Undergraduates.

Create a dedicated space for studying

Coloring page based on Edward Hopper's "Western Motel, 1957"

It can be helpful to physically separate school work from other home and life responsibilities (like dirty dishes, laundry, and even Netflix).

Try setting up a dedicated space for school work. Then when you’re done with work for the day you can have a real break.

Image: Coloring page based on Edward Hopper's "Western Motel" (1957).

Take a break and download this coloring book page from the Yale University Art Gallery.

Exercise, stretch, and be mindful

Color a plate inspired by John Constable's Cloud Study.Exercise every day can help us avoid feeling sluggish and over tired. But did you know that stretching and practicing mindfulness can be just as beneficial?

Mindfulness can enhance your wellbeing, so why not close your eyes for a minute (or 3) and just… breathe (Chrisinger, 2020).

Apps like "Headspace" can help with mindfulness. If jogging is more your thing, try one of our Reading Week playlists, which you can find on the tab "Take a Study Break."

Image: Color a plate inspired by John Constable's Cloud Study.

Take a break and download this coloring book page from the Yale Center for British Art.

Get an accountability partner

Coloring page based on Roy Lichtenstein's "Thinking of Him" (1963).It can be easy to set a goal and continually push it back day after day (it’s called procrastination – we all do it). An accountability partner is an easy way to help keep yourself on track.

Pick a friend or family member and ask for their support. Then, create goals for yourself for each day and ask your accountability partner to check in with you every day to ask about your progress.

Image: Coloring page based on Roy Lichtenstein's "Thinking of Him" (1963).

Take a break and download this coloring book page from the Yale University Art Gallery.

Eat healthy and drink water

Coloring page based on "Fruit Stall" from the Lewis Walpole LibraryThis advice is universal: hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.

If you need help remembering to drink water, try setting a timer.

Image: Coloring page based on "Fruit Stall" from the Lewis Walpole Library.

Take a break and download this coloring book page from the Lewis Walpole Library.

Give your eyes a break

Coloring page based on "Black Figure Amphora; A: Birth of Athena; B: Frontal Chariot" attributed to Group E, Greek Attic, ca. 540 B.C.Screen time can be exhausting and can be associated with poor sleep (Christensen, 2016).

When you take a break from school work try to avoid added screen time (smartphones, Netflix) by reading a chapter in a novel or comic, doodling or using a coloring book, or taking a walk outside.

Image: Coloring page based on "Black Figure Amphora; A: Birth of Athena; B: Frontal Chariot" attributed to Group E, Greek Attic, ca. 540 B.C.

Take a break and download this coloring page from the Yale University Art Gallery.

Make sure to rest

Brontosaurus excelsus restoration From Explore! Highlights of the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History: A Coloring Book by Armand Morgan. Copyright 2019 Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University; peabody.yale.eduIf nothing else, be sure to get enough sleep! Sleep is a cost-efficient way to improve your well-being and academic performance (Prichard, 2020).

It’s really as simple as that! Oh, and don’t do school work in bed.

Image: "Brontosaurus excelsus restoration" from Explore! Highlights of the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History: A Coloring Book by Armand Morgan. Copyright 2019 Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University.

Take a break and download this coloring page from the Peabody Museum of Natural History.

Works Cited

Chrisinger, Benjamin W, and Tia Rich. “Contemplation by Design: Leveraging the "Power of the Pause" on a Large University Campus Through Built and Social Environments.” Frontiers in public health vol. 8 31. 28 Feb. 2020, doi:10.3389/fpubh.2020.00031.

Christensen, Matthew A et al. “Direct Measurements of Smartphone Screen-Time: Relationships with Demographics and Sleep.” PloS one vol. 11,11 e0165331. 9 Nov. 2016, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0165331.

Orellana, Minerva. "The anti-stress effects of therapy dogs on college students." Psychoneuroendocrinology (2019): S10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.12.049.

Prichard, J. Roxanne. "Sleep Predicts Collegiate Academic Performance: Implications for Equity in Student Retention and Success." Sleep Medicine Clinics 15.1 (2020): 59-69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsmc.2019.10.003.