Homework, cramming, learning, remembering, training your brain. All these are very important whether you are a student trying to pass your exams, trying to create a presentation or an actor learning a role.
CREDIT: © peus DepositphotosBut free time, downtime is equally important, because the brain needs time to rest, recharge and store all the information given.
Unfortunately the brain – and the person carrying that brain- enjoy and crave that free time a lot more than all the learning stuff and the time to learn becomes smaller and smaller, until you find yourself a days before your exam, performance, presentation with a nice clear brain, but nothing learned. What do you do? You study non-stop and pull all-nighters and turn up at your big moment like a zombie, often failing because you’re too tired to focus and your brain has overloaded. Or sometimes you just give up.
Or sometimes you just give up.
This is something that can easily be avoided with a little planning. If you play your cards right you can both study and enjoy downtime. So, how do we do it?
Study planning
Studying and downtime can coexist
Rest is essential.
You need free time
The best thing to do is think about what you want to accomplish in a day, see if it is feasible and then make a list.
This list could read:
6.00 Get up, do some last minute checks, breakfast, wash, go to college/work/rehearsals
15.00 Go home, eat something start study immediately.
18.00 Take a break, do what you want.
21.00 Check in if you haven’t forgotten anything.
22.00 Watch some TV, read or whatever.
23.00 Go to bed to get at least a 7-hour rest.
At the weekends? Use Saturdays for all the studying, and keep the Sundays for yourself for one day all free, all for you.
It really is that easy!!
This really is the most effective schedule to keep. There is you time and study time all together in the right place.
But sadly we often don’t keep to these schedules. Life gets in the way, or you lose track of time.
These days that last part can be fixed easily, we all have mobiles, and an organiser app can be downloaded easily and be tailored and programmed to fit your needs.
So yes, make a schedule and learn to keep to it as much as humanly possible. Maybe through Mindfulness, there are great free courses online. Maybe through sheer will power. There is always a way to a better, more organised life.
If all else fails and you really feel you need more help there is another option open to you: a life coach! A life coach is someone who’ll guide you on your journey and keeps you on track. If you think you need the help of someone trained in reorganising peoples lives for the better, you can find out all there is to know on life coaches and what they can do for you here: http://www.lifecoachspotter.com/how-to-find-life-coach-guide/
Whatever you do, just remember: The answer is out there for you, and if you really want it, you can do it!!
