The Importance of Taking Breaks While Studying from a Time Management Expert

Why breaks are actually more beneficial than you probably think 

As exam season ramps up across Australia, new research reveals social media could be the key to distinction, not distraction. For Gen Z, study culture isn’t just about working – it’s about human connection.  

With over 60 per cent of students leaning on group chats, study apps and constant digital check-ins, Gen Z is building a digital safety net during exam season. 

And with 78 per cent of Aussie students feeling stressed and lonely during exam season, the KitKat team is connecting mates with a new ‘Break with a Study Mate’ Snapchat lens and IRL ‘Study Break Booth’ at uni campuses across Sydney. 

Plus, you could score a post-exam Contiki Europe trip for two when you take a pic of a friend deep in the study grind with the Snapchat lens. 

We spoke to time management expert and author, Kate Christie about the importance of taking breaks during study season, avoiding burnout and making the transition from high school to higher learning smoother. 

How to set up for success. 

The best way to ensure you can get the marks you’re after without overloading yourself is to plan ahead.

Balancing study, rest, work and personal time during exam season can sometimes feel impossible but Kate says it’s important to get organised sooner rather. 

“[Students] really should be planning their week in advance so that each study session has a purpose - then you can also build in breaks into your study schedule,” she told us. 

Figure out how many hours you want to study, adding breaks in between and break down each subject into chunks so it’s easier to manage.

When your whole week is planned out, it makes it way easier to fit in time for things like going to the gym, work and hanging out with friends. 

If it helps, you can use our free resources for planning out your study here. 

Time management expert and author, Kate Christi.

Recognise the early signs of burnout. 

Be mindful of the early signs like feeling exhausted all the time, having an inability to focus and feeling constantly agitated. 

Kate says it’s important to take it back to what your plan is going to be, figuring out how long you want to study for, when you plan on taking breaks and taking the time to get in some light exercise like walking or meditating to calm yourself down. 

“Breaks are known as wakeful rest and they're crucial,” she told Student Edge. 

“They basically allow your body to have a rest, but more particularly your brain.  

“And it allows your brain to compress information.” 

Figure out what location and time works best for you when trying to study.  

“Use the time when planning to work out, do you study best when you're with friends in a group? Do you study best on your own? Do you think you study best at home? Will it be better for you to take yourself off to a library or even a cafe?” Kate said. 

“Think about the location, think about where you feel most comfortable.”  

She also strongly recommends not studying in bed and setting concrete goals like studying for a certain amount of time in a day with a break scheduled in between. 

If taking breaks makes you feel guilty.

“I think that a lot of students do put a lot of guilt on themselves,” Kate told Student Edge. 

“And I think when they understand the science of breaks and how your brains work, it can remove a lot of that guilt.  

“You know, having regular breaks allows your brain to compress and consolidate the information you've just taken on or you've just spent time working on.” 

Constantly studying with no break in sight can be a lot more ineffective, causing you to remember less and feel more stressed out when the exam day comes. 

 At the end of the day, your results don’t define you.  

If you feel really stressed out about what results you think you’re going to get or feel like your future has no hope in sight, take the time to talk to someone about how you feel.  

Whether that’s a trusted friend, parent or counsellor, it’s always important to let someone know how you’re going mentally and if you need that extra bit of help. And remember, there’s always more to life than good grades. 

Best of luck to all the Year 12s taking their final exams!