The three of us learning scientists recently had a conversation about the summer and how much work academics and teachers should do over breaks. Sure, classes stop over the summer (or at least slow down for those of us in a college setting), but there’s always more to do. Teachers and academics often have a long list of things that “should” be done over breaks, and we know many teachers and academics (including ourselves sometimes) feel guilty about taking time during breaks to relax.

Yet science tells us that relaxing and taking a break is important! So today, we have compiled five resources all focused on the idea of taking breaks. Some are about the physical and mental importance of self-care, while others are blogs written by teachers about how important breaks can be. We even threw in a resource about the importance of taking breaks after class and while studying.  So, this summer, remember to take some time off, take a deep breath, and relax!

1) Why Self-Care is Important for Your Physical and Mental Health by Emily Roberts, MA, LPC

A reminder that taking care of ourselves is important for our mental and physical health! 

2) Break time may improve memory by James Devitt, @JamesDevittNYU

Discussing the research behind taking breaks, and improvements in cognitive functioning as a result.

3) Take a Break by Kristen Difiore

Kristen Difiore writes a blog called Teaching Sanity (@teachingsanity). In this post, she talks about the importance of taking breaks as a teacher.

4) How I Saved My Teaching Career: Step 2: Take Time Off by Siobhan Curious

Another teacher telling a story about the importance of taking time off and avoiding burnout. This teacher took a fair amount of time off and highlights the importance of taking the time you need. The comment section of this post was fun to read and filled with many sharing similar sentiments of needing to just take a break. This post is part of a larger series of posts “Triumph Over Burnout: How I Saved My Teaching Career". 

5) The Science of Taking a Break by OnlineSchools.org

This post focuses on the importance of taking a break while studying and cites a lot of great research with links. 

Every Sunday, we pick a theme and provide a curated list of links. If you have a theme suggestion, please don’t hesitate to contact us! Our 5 most recent digests can be found here:

Weekly Digest #11: Revisiting Standardized Testing

Weekly Digest #12: How To Make Standardized Testing Better

Weekly Digest #13: How Teachers Implement Retrieval in their Classrooms

Weekly Digest #14: How To Encourage Students To Transfer Their Knowledge

Weekly Digest #15: Working Out What Works - Highlights From ResearchED Maths & Science