Coursework Advice

The Importance of Taking Breaks when Writing

There is no need to work insistently until you have squeezed every single idea that you have out of your head. Tiring yourself out to the last drop will not make you productive. When writing an essay, staying up for several straight hours is not advisable. People are mostly functional when they are in a restful state. Taking short breaks are important. It is healthy to stand up and stretch from time to time; otherwise you risk having tension in your muscles without knowing it.

Writing your essays with short breaks in between does not only help you relax and stretch but it can also stimulate new ideas. Taking a walk to the kitchen or making yourself a cup of coffee can introduce a thought or bring back a forgotten concept.

Quick trips during a writing session after every 40 minutes or so will be far more practical than pounding on for several hours without any breaks at all. You have to remember that your essay will not be judged according to the number of hours that you spent for it, but for the content that you have produced.

You can spend five hours or five minutes writing a single paragraph, but what is important is the sense that you put in it. The quality of your work – the strength of your arguments and the sharpness of your points – are the things that you should consider above everything else. But when you do take a break, make sure that you come back to work. Be careful for distractions because they will always be around, especially if you already feel worn out. Be conscious of the time. Discipline yourself. Take a break but do not wander off.