PSA: It’s OK to take a break April 28, 2022 — by Christina Chang Photo by Christina Chang Taking purposeful breaks amidst a taxing workload can enhance focus and bolster productivityInstead of winding down from a month and a half of tireless schoolwork and extracurriculars, many students use their Spring Break as a time to catch up on schoolwork, study for finals and AP tests and apply for summer programs or jobs — essentially working nonstop. Yes, breaks are a time to catch up, but it’s also important to use them for their intended purpose: breaking the routine from the rest of your life. Students here are too often unhealthily engaged in a black-and-white school mentality with no middle ground for flexibility. For example, they believe they will either get an A or an F (read: anything below an A). Either get into a prestigious university or attend community college. This implies that students must be productive at all times to achieve their goals, when in reality, striking a balance between work and rest is critical to attaining success. Academic pressure has become so ingrained in school culture that many feel the need to surpass their peers. Students overload on AP courses and extracurriculars with the main purpose of creating gleaming college résumes. Burnout often becomes the norm. This is especially true of second semester, where after five months of school, students suffer another few months frantically preparing for AP exams on top of finals and organizing plans for summer break (which ironically is far from a break, usually packed with programs and internships for many students). After four to six hours of school, students typically wade through several hours of homework, not to mention fitting in their extracurriculars. For student athletes, that means another two hours of practice every day. With the constant workload, numerous upperclassmen sleep past 1 a.m, according to a Facebook poll conducted by the Falcon in early February. This cycle repeats every day. Even during the weekends, many students have back-to-back extracurriculars in addition to homework, resulting in minimal time for relaxation. It’s no wonder that so many students suffer from burnout. A Stanford University study on workplace productivity found that you can work and work nonstop, but only to a certain extent — past that threshold, you lose productivity. One of the root causes for the lack of breaks when working is that it may seem counterintuitive to productivity. However, many studies show that taking breaks is beneficial in many ways, from reducing stress to increasing memory retention. According to a 2011 study at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, taking breaks while performing long tasks, such as studying for finals, enhances focus and productivity. There are an array of techniques that can be used to split up work and break time. One of the most popular methods for doing dreaded tasks is the pomodoro technique: 25-minute increments of work are followed by five minutes of break, and after four pomodoros, a longer 15 to 30 minute break is taken. However, it’s not only about taking breaks; it’s about taking purposeful breaks. For example, instead of scrolling through social media — which results in plummeting mental efficiency — breaks must be utilized effectively to re-energize. Cornell University suggests strolling outside, taking 15-minute power naps, stretching, listening to music or talking with friends. In a school where students feel immense pressure to work nonstop, it’s important to remember that taking a break does not make you a bad student. So, my dear SHS community, take a break: Not only will you catch up on much-needed time for yourself, but you will also return to work even more efficiently than before. 6 views this weekAbout the contributorsChristina ChangChristina Chang, Class of 2023, is an Editor-In-Chief of the '22-'23 Falcon staff. Previously, she served as a Sports Editor and local events beat writer for the '21-'22 staff and a Reporter and Layout Artist for the '20-'21 staff. During her time with The Falcon, she covered community news like the breakdown of city budget allocations and the first Blossom Festival post-COVID; wrote a series addressing mental health; profiled teacher friendships amid the pandemic; reported on the return of in-person learning and sports after shelter-in-place; and authored a narrative reflecting on her own basketball journey of eight years. Christina was named one of four finalists for Youth Journalism International's 2023 Student Journalist of the Year and one of seven finalists for the National Scholastic Press Association's 2022 Writer of the Year. She has received 23 journalism awards at the international, national and regional levels; her works have been recognized by Youth Journalism International, National Scholastic Press Association, Journalism Education Association of Northern California, Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and Santa Clara University. To further her journalism experience, she attended workshops during summer 2022 hosted by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, California Scholastic Press Association and Stanford Daily. She will fondly remember The Falcon as a highlight of her high school years, and will forever cherish the memories created during monthly deadline nights, enjoying catered food and chatting with fellow staff members while rushing to finish each print edition. Outside of the J-room, she enjoys getting involved in the community through volunteering with local nonprofits and school clubs as well as exploring her interests and creativity through art.