How To Keep Your Mental Battery Going During the Quarter

Soleil, MA in Middle Eastern Studies '27

The academic quarter may not be very long, but it’s intense. Staying focused yet balanced is often easier said than done, so I thought I’d compile some tips and tidbits that has personally helped me avoid burn-out. Hopefully, you’ll find them helpful, too! 

Break Up Assignments 

This one may seem obvious but splitting up assignments so you can digest them in pieces will help you loads. This especially goes for if you’re taking a language class—take a day to process the new information, then spend another sitting getting through the meat of the assignments. 

Establish A Support Network 

This one is easier said than done, but it is crucial to establish a solid support network during grad school. Friends and community are an important aspect of graduate student life, and holing up in your room or the library (especially over the dark winter months) to study is great when you can power through things, but taking a break and socializing is just as important. We are students, not robots, and when classes get challenging, that support is vital.  

Midweek Reset 

Saving all the household chores for the weekend can leave you overwhelmed and exhausted. Who wants to clean for eight hours on their day off? Not me. I try to do a little bit of tidying up and cleaning throughout the week to keep the maintenance load light on the weekends. Smaller but more frequent laundry loads, putting loose books and papers away from studying the night before, vacuuming the rug on your lunch break, etc. The deep cleaning can be saved for when you have a little more time and energy, but getting the little tasks done ahead of time will lighten your mental checklist. 

Designated Chill Time 

It’s easy to forget to rest during a busy quarter, especially when you have many assignments and projects to keep track of. I find setting aside a designated chill time to be incredibly helpful to stay grounded and refreshed – it also helps to avoid overthinking. No phones allowed during this time, just an hour or two dedicated to doing whatever you want. I personally have been using the two hours between my morning and afternoon classes to take a relaxed lunch break with either a little non-academic reading or video game playing to decompress. It may be back to grind when I finish my classes for the day, but this midday break has helped me stay in good spirits. 

Idealize Your (Study) Space 

If you study at home like I do, I find it very helpful to idealize my study space. This can mean anything from having a hot cup of tea to hold while I read, a warm cozy blanket to bundle up in, or some fun candles to light during the darker winter months. For on the go, I enjoy using atmospheric study tools like Virtual Cottage on Steam to get me out of that dreading-to-do-xyz-assignment mood. Another thing to note: if you have the option to rotate your study spaces (ie: home, library, coffee shop, etc.), refreshing your scenery can help you prevent burn-out as well. 

Inexpensive Treat 

There’s nothing wrong with treating yourself every once and a while. For example, I don’t do a lot of takeout food or drinks nowadays, but I’ve allowed myself a non-essential grocery store treat whenever I go. You could treat yourself to a fancy coffee at the end of the week, pick up that book you’ve been eyeing at Powell’s (it helps when they do merch discounts), or even just draw yourself a fancy bath with your favorite-smelling soap. It’s just a little something special to keep you going :) 

This has just been a brief compilation of things that have helped me, and I hope you’ll remember to be kind to yourself during the quarter. Burn-out is a serious thing! Please don’t forget to take a step back every once and a while—grad school is important, but it is not every aspect of our lives and being. Take care and good luck xoxo