Will people let the students finally be? 

By Anna-Maria Kulykova, February 11 2026—

The beginning of the second semester is finally here, and it is exceedingly important for students to find time to relax and regenerate to their prime selves through “unproductive” activities amidst the hustle and bustle. 

While people disagree on certain strategies, it turns out that activities many deem “unproductive” are among the most effective ones to rejuvenate sleep-deprived, emotionally drained and burnt-out students. With the commencement of the second semester, it might seem that the time to rest and recover has come to an end, but that isn’t true at all. Indeed, after much thought and research, I have found enough evidence to show that every student must have “unproductive” days and breaks in order to better function in their day-to-day responsibilities.

This may sound easy, but I always find that something gets in the way when I try to enjoy a restful and pleasant weekend. There’s always someone nearby telling me to go out, have fun and fill my off days with amusing and lively activities. But that’s just not how I relax, so when I refuse, I’m left feeling guilty not only for being unproductive, but for failing to meet my friends’ expectations. The unfortunate reality for students is that the fear of falling behind, not living up to a certain potential or letting friends down can often feel debilitating, and prevents many of us from fully letting go of our responsibilities, even if only for a few hours. As a student who yearned for a break throughout much of last term, I will come upfront and say it: sometimes I need everyone to leave me alone and let me do what I need to recover.

The American Psychological Association (APA) presented an interesting analysis showcasing the alternative side of being “unproductive” in their article titled “Give me a break.” Studies revealed that students were actually able to better perform in their work when they were given extra time to regenerate their energy and replenish themselves.

The key difference here is between constant unproductiveness and intentional recovery. Procrastinating every evening and using lethargy as an excuse to allow yourself more free time will only create supplementary bad habits. Recovering intentionally means allowing yourself opportunities to rest productively — not excessively or aimlessly — to benefit your mental and physical state whilst improving your studying capacity.

The article conducted a series of tests on office workers, teachers and students, ultimately revealing an increased performance rate in those who took breaks and activities ranging from simply stretching to watching comfort TV or dog videos. The message here is quite simple: if you’re trying to make a machine of your brain, you have to take care of it — get it tuned up every now and then. You shouldn’t leave your refrigerator door open all the time or leave old oil running through your engine; just the same, you shouldn’t overwork your brain to the point of degradation.

Two groups from George Mason University were given a 45-minute window to complete a series of small tasks which required their entire attention. One group received a five-minute break to do a random relaxation activity, such as sitting quietly, enjoying music or watching videos, and the other group was told to sit through the activity without any breaks. Ultimately, the five-minute break gave the students in the first group the chance to recharge, lower their cognitive depletion and boost their morale. The first group performed better and excelled without feeling drained at the end, while the other group failed to achieve a satisfactory performance level.

In the article, author Kirsten Weir paraphrases George Mason University professor William S. Helton, saying that a rejection of self-care and balanced productivity only leads to mental fatigue, depleting your energy and making it harder to move forward. 

Certain methods of relaxation allow your brain to become more adaptable to stress and react better when it is placed within stressful environments. Your brain becomes more persistent in resisting stress and becomes more adaptable, permitting cognitive mental activation in which your cognitive reserve rises, granting you more space for critical thinking, decision making and task processing. 

In the article, YoungAh Park, an assistant professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, worked with her colleagues to determine the best relaxation methods to lower cognitive depletion. Stretching, daydreaming, socializing, reading, watching videos and eating snacks were some suggested methods, but the best methods are the ones that work best for you! But make sure to choose different activities than your task — activities that are actually restful — or else you will cause yourself more harm. “If you take a break from doing your taxes to do some calculus problems,” said William S. Helton, “it probably won’t help much.”

Giving yourself a day — or even an hour — of unproductivity gives your cognitive system a chance to recover from periods of extreme focus. Not only does this alleviate whatever mental pressure has been compounding — which, if left unchecked, can lead to exhaustion and burnout — but it actually helps build stronger concentration skills, allowing you to do better work than you would’ve without the break! 

Too often, the actions we’ve done for ourselves to relax have been frowned upon, since they are often deemed “ineffectual.” But that mindset harms more than it helps, and it’s time we break the stigma around being “lazy” and provide our bodies with the self-care they deserve.

I always hear from people that I’m supposed to be living my alleged golden years — chasing crazy adventures and living every day to the fullest. It took some time to understand, but I’ve come to realize that there are no rules or guidelines that dictate how students need to spend their free time. 

Thus, as the new term begins, feel free to incorporate relaxation into your schedule without guilt: watch your favourite shows and be at ease. Enjoy those extra hours of sleep when you can — whether the sun is radiating warm sensations through the window or the cold air is blowing in vain outside — and relish in the sound of serene calm at the end of each bustling day. 

If I choose to watch all ten seasons of Friends during my free time this term, I will do so, and yes, it is very much possible. If I want to sit and stare at a wall between classes, I will ensure it is the most glorious staring contest ever known to humankind. 

No matter who you are, or how productive you think you are, nobody is a machine with an unlimited power supply. You can work hard and be productive every day, but in return, you must provide your mind a chance to recover in order to do the best you can this term. 

Believe me, you’ll thank yourself come exam time.