So, you’ve got a few weeks off from the grind of law school classes? Besides savoring all those precious moments of freedom, we recommend taking advantage of this opportunity to recharge your body and your mind. Follow these 10 AdaptiTips so you can resume studying in the New Year at your fighting best!
Re-charge Your Body:
- Stretch: Sitting rigidly in front of books and computers for hours on end takes a real toll on your body. Here are eight stretches you can do to combat atrophy, whether you’re lounging around watching Netflix or taking a much-needed study break!
- Sleep: If you’ve just completed exams, you’re likely in a state of “sleep debt,” which is no joke. In fact, the National Sleep Foundation found that if you’re sleep-deprived and you get behind the wheel of a car, you might as well be driving drunk. That means you’re severely impaired when you’re lacking sleep. Here’s a resource on tips to get you out of sleep debt.
- Eat: In times of stress, some people over-eat; some people under-eat, and some only eat junk. Regardless of your eating habits, now’s your chance to return to balance with a couple basic ways to eat healthily!
- Smile: A study found that smiling actually helps your body resist stress. This is true whether the smile is real or fake, so start practicing those grins!
- Posture: Another study found that having good posture helps you in all sorts of surprising ways, including experiencing better performance, less fear, a more positive mood, and less self-consciousness. So practice that posture!
Re-charge Your Mind:
- Go outside: Being in nature has been proven to improve your body’s well-being and stress responses by lessening anxiety, worry, and improving overall cognitive functioning.
- Do a breath meditation: A Harvard study found that a simple breathing meditation (AKA meditation for beginners) is an easy way to reduce stress and incorporate mindfulness into your whole life.
- Play: As adults, we often lose the element of play. But playfulness has so many benefits for people of all ages, including reducing stress. You could try playing with pets, or even hosting a game night with friends!
- Disconnect from tech: These days, we rarely (if ever) get a break from the inundation of technology. But going offline has so many benefits, beyond just reducing stress. It can positively impact our physical and mental health as well. You don’t have to stop cold turkey—try to take small breaks here and there.
- Connect with real humans: Now that you’ve put down your phone, at least momentarily, consider connecting with humans in real life. Connection with others (when done in a healthy way) has been found to offer numerous benefits beyond reducing stress. It can enhance your quality of life altogether. What more could you ask for?
So to all of you overly stressed and under-appreciated law school students: rest, replenish, repeat, and we hope you have a good spring semester and/or bar prep season. And remember, AdaptiBar is here when you need us!
