You’ve been sat at your computer for hours, trying desperately to turn your notes into something resembling a coherent essay. Try as you might, you haven’t written anything in almost an hour. You just sit there, staring at the cursor as it blinks slowly: blink, blink, blink…
We’ve all had this experience at least once in our student lives, as it’s impossible to be at the top of your game all the time. As such, should the need arise, you may want to try these five simple tips for re-energising while writing an essay.
1. Tea, Coffee & Snacks
The most fundamental thing you need when writing any essay is a steady supply of hot tea/coffee. Similarly, it’s hard to concentrate when you’re hungry, so a snack break now and then will help stop your mind wandering.
2. Talk to a Friend
You’re never alone when writing an essay, as you’ll usually have a classmate or two in a similar situation. If you find yourself flagging, meeting up with someone to talk it through can help. With any luck, you’ll return to your essay feeling refreshed and inspired by their company!
3. Do Something Else
If you’ve been working on the same essay for a long time, it may be that you just need to clear your head a bit. Taking a few minutes away from your work can help in, even if it’s just to do the washing up or another household chore.
Likewise, if you’ve been reading up on your essay topic for so long that none of the words make sense any more, it might be wise to take a break and read something unrelated for a while (a chapter in a novel, a newspaper, even a BuzzFeed article).
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4. Go for a Walk
Or a swim, or a run, or whatever else floats your boat. It doesn’t really matter what you do: the important thing is to get away from the computer, go outside and get active.
Sitting at the computer writing (or struggling to write) for a long time can feel draining simply because you’re physically inactive, so a little bit of exercise will help wake the body up.
5. Zzzzzz…
Ideally you’ll be well rested before starting on your essay, but student life makes the occasional late night inevitable and lack of sleep will seriously impact your ability to work efficiently.
As such, sometimes all you need to get back on track is a bit of a nap! Remember to set an alarm though, otherwise you might end up losing more time than you expected…