Happy New Year! As much as I love the winter holidays and all the joy and relaxation that comes with it, I (and most likely you) have to snap back to reality. Usually, after a nice break it takes a while for my productivity levels to hike back up again but thankfully I found a great application that has helped with my productivity in the past and will help in the upcoming semester!
One major thing I had trouble with was staying focused and productive for long stretches of time. I've found that the lines that separate break time and work time are blurred for me, and they have been that way for a while without me noticing. I discovered a free app called Endel, that has been really helpful with keeping me calm and focused while solving complex math problems and I need to pay attention. It has three settings: relax mode, focus mode and sleep mode.
The relax mode is very essential to me as a student because I struggle with truly finding relaxation during weekdays and even weekdays. I found that my mind simply does not stop thinking about what work or school related item I have to get done next. This has led to a lot of burnout for me, and upon talking with some of my friends they struggle with the same thing but perhaps on different levels. One thing we had in common was that we had issues with stopping our minds from going on and on, and thankfully this is where Endel steps in.
The relax mode in Endel helps to calm my mind using circadian rhythm and soothing soundscapes. Every rhythm and soundscape is engineered to rise and fall in line with my immediate conditions, which means my surroundings and the settings I chose. Using an app like Endel has made me realise that I respond well to rhythmic beats and it helps my mind relax when I focus on the sounds and nothing else. Last semester, I was able to use Endel during short 15 minute breaks I gave myself during long study sessions and it boosted my productivity and mental health.
As students, it's important to keep healthy minds despite how much work we seemingly have to do. We have to learn to relax!
Goodluck with the new semester! 🙂
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