The Mycenaean

The school day can be a big source of stress for high schoolers, with 61% of teens reporting feeling significant pressure when trying to meet academic goals. The stress continues beyond high school as 36.5% of U.S. college students name stress as the biggest reason why their academics have suffered in the last year. 

The concept of brain breaks can help students overcome the stress of an academic workload and allow them to be more productive. 

Brain breaks include any activity that allows a person to relax from mental work — for many people, it is a reset before continuing on a difficult task.

Mrs. Fields, one of Leesville’s librarians, said, “Whether it is 5 minutes or 20 minutes to just decompress, take a break from the pressure and stress of a to-do list, the things they [students’ are doing in class. It just gives them a moment of peace.” 

A recent poll from the LRHS Mycenaean Newspaper Instagram found that 76% of students feel less stressed after taking a brain break.

Parker Aiken, sophomore, said, “I feel like I need to take a little bit of a break, just think about what I am doing, and then I can jump back into my assignment easier.”

What Aiken’s experiences align with research done by UNC-Chapel Hill: Taking breaks can actually boost productivity more than working continuously without rest. 

Brain breaks should be intentional — activities like stretching, drawing, or eating a snack can be a productive way to spend a brain break. A brain break should not include doom-scrolling or distractions. 

The main difference between a distraction and a brain break is the intended purpose. 

A distraction pulls someone away from their work, while a brain break is a purposeful pause designed to refresh focus and energy before completing the rest of the task. 

UNC suggests creative, active, and social activities are among the most effective ways to take a break. For a break to be effective, it should be spent on an activity that is personally fulfilling. 

The Leesville Road Library has different brain breaks set out for students. 

Mrs. Fields, said, “Students can come before school or during lunch or after school and do a puzzle. We have coloring out right now. Sometimes we do sudoku challenges.”

Leesville provides students with brain break activities that help them reset before diving back into the stressors of life, allowing them to recharge, refocus, and perform at their best.