Take a break from screens

With everything going on in the world today, it is nearly impossible to turn on your phone or computer and not see something stressful.  So turn off your electronics for a few hours and decompress.

Listen to music

Music helps the mind to relax and can also boost your mood.  If you’re feeling stressed out, try listening to some calming tunes.  If you need to get pumped up before studying, listen to something upbeat.

Exercise

This one often elicits an eye-roll, but it’s true: exercise helps the mind to calm down.  Even if you just go for a short walk or decide to do a quick run, exercise allows you to have time to think and decompress.

Meditate

Doing yoga or even just taking several deep breaths helps to clear the mind.  If you get up and stretch for a few minutes and focus on your breathing, you’ll definitely feel better prepared to hunker down and study for awhile.

Study in increments

Trying to study for five hours straight only causes more stress and doesn’t actually help you retain information any better.  Instead, study for 30 minutes at a time and then take a 15 minute break before hitting the books again.