Small study habits, big self-care wins
By Emily Dudash & Carissa Andorf, past Key Club International Board members
With input from Key Club International partner Erika’s Lighthouse, we’re providing tips to help build healthy habits that support your mental health and school success.
- Take strategic study breaks
When you’re feeling overwhelmed, taking a 5-to-10-minute break while studying, or even stepping back from work for a couple of days, can make a world of difference.
- Why it works: Prolonged study sessions exhaust the prefrontal cortex, which handles attention and decision-making. Taking structured breaks helps your brain consolidate memories and connect new ideas.
- Read the science: Learn more about how the Pomodoro Technique and structured micro-breaks boost cognitive focus.
- Prioritize sleep (stop the all-nighters)
Pulling an all-nighter for chemistry or staying up until 2 a.m. to finish a history paper might feel productive, but sacrificing sleep actively backfires. Establish a consistent sleep schedule, aiming for around eight hours each night. Your social media feed always is tempting, but a vital part of self-care is limiting exposure to screens before bed to create a comfortable sleep environment and a relaxing routine.
- Why it works: While you sleep, your brain resets and stores long-term memories. Skipping sleep impairs executive function, making it significantly harder to retain facts, solve complex math problems or focus the next day. Additionally, blue light from screens, like your phone, tricks your brain into thinking it’s still daytime and delays restful sleep.
- Read the science: Explore how adolescent sleep duration directly impacts cognitive performance and test scores.
- Take intentional screen-free time
Limiting screen time isn’t just important at bedtime. Consider how much time you spend alone on your cell phone or computer. Gauge how many minutes or hours you need to start taking off before you reach your goal. Ideas include leaving your phone in another room while doing academic work or setting up timers that signal when you’ve been on your electronic device for too long.
- Why it works: Even when silent and face down, a phone within sight or reach exerts a subconscious pull on your focus. Your brain has to actively expend cognitive resources resisting the urge to check it, leaving you with less working memory and lower problem-solving capacity for the task in front of you.
- Read the science: Read about The University of Texas at Austin’s study on how the mere presence of a smartphone creates “brain drain.”
- Get outside for fresh air
Simple habits like taking a brief walk or doing your homework at an outdoor table can immediately change your mindset.
- Why it works: Natural environments give your focused brainpower a break by engaging “soft fascination,” low-demand sensory experiences like rustling leaves or sunlight. Time spent outdoors lowers cortisol (the primary stress hormone), reduces heart rate and triggers a release of endorphins that lift your mood and increase energy levels.
- Read the science: Check out research on how exposure to natural spaces lowers psychological distress in teens.
Thank you to Erika’s Lighthouse for helping Key Club identify the science behind these tips! We appreciate our partner for providing resources that help members break the stigma around talking about mental health — while bringing healthy habits into their schools.