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With online classes, it can be easy to let precious minutes between class go by between the endless cycle of one Zoom call and the next. You may only have 5-10 minutes in between classes, but that doesn’t mean you have to spend all of that time scrolling through social media. My last post highlighted 11 key focus areas to organize your life, and there’s no reason why you can’t start working towards a productive and organized life in short moments of your day. Here are 15 things you can do in 5-10 minutes in between classes!Â
5-10 Minute Break for
Mental Well-Being
Meditate
Meditation is such a powerful way to relax and take control of your mental stream of thoughts. If you’re feeling overwhelmed from class or the day’s tasks, try out a meditation in the 5-10 minutes in between classes. There are many apps you can use like Calm, Headspace, or Insight Timer.Â
Text Someone You Miss
It doesn’t take much to send a text to someone you’re thinking of, and it may just make their day! Is there an old friend or a family member you haven’t reached out to lately? In the 5-10 minutes in between classes, send a text saying hi and see how they’re doing.
Journal
Journaling is so healthy for de-compressing. Putting thoughts on the page can help clear your mind! In the 5-10 minutes in between classes, this Five Minute Journal would be perfect for answering prompts and feeling more relaxed before your next class starts.
5-10 Minute Break for
Physical Well-Being
Physical Well-Being
Stretch
After sitting at your desk during lecture, it’s time to reward your body by moving your joints. Staying static for too long is a sure way to get sore muscles. Stand up and stretch! You can find 5-10 minute stretches on Youtube. You can also look up ones designed for those of us sitting all day. Check out my post on things you need for online classes to help you alleviate body aches from sitting at your desk all day.
Walk
With less than 10 minutes, you may not be able to walk far, but even just walking around your house or out to your mailbox to check for mail is such a great use of your break! And hey, it’s a bonus if you get fun mail (minus if it’s a bill, but hey, at least that’s a productive use of time!)
Eat a Snack
Get a healthy snack like fruit or some nuts to help fuel your mind and body in the 5-10 minutes in between classes! That way, you won’t waste time in lecture feeling hungry and thinking about your next meal.Â
Water
Get those water goals in, and stay hydrated! Not only will a cold glass of water wake you up after lecture, but it will keep you refreshed before the next class starts up.
5-10 Minute Break for Organization
Update the day's to-do list
If you have a planner, write out your day’s tasks! Include hobbies and mental or physical well-being goals, class assignments, and extracurricular tasks. You can also write these out on a white board or to-do memo list so they’re front and center on your desk as a visual reminder.Â
Update your schedule
Along the same lines as your to-do list, you should also keep note of any appointments, meetings, important due dates, etc in your planner or calendar. Your professor might mention these dates in class or you might come across an email with an important date you want to keep in mind, so jot it down!
Check your emails
A 5-10 minute break in between classes is the perfect amount of time for catching up on emails! Reply to those you can and snooze the ones you can’t. Make sure you keep track of important emails and dates.
Organize notes for the next class
Okay, boring I know. But hey, if your class slides or notes aren’t set up for your next class, you’ll be fumbling in the first few minutes of lecture trying to get everything organized. I recommend getting everything set up the night before classes, but you know, things happen!
Clean desk or an area of your room
This one is kinda fun if you appreciate a well-organized space. If you have a messy desk or a messy draw, spend your 5-10 minute break in between classes putting some order to the mess. Class might be a mess, but your room doesn’t have to be!Â
Clean up some computer files
Similarly to your room, your computer can accumulate clutter. This can slow down your computer and lead to storage issues later on. If you haven’t emptied your downloads folder lately, start there and delete old files you no longer need, add files you need to organized folders, and then empty your trash.Â
5-10 Break for Your Mind
Language Learning
If you’re learning a foreign language or even just want to improve your vocabulary, practice, practice, practice! A 5-10 minute break in between classes is absolutely perfect for improving your language skills. In that time, you can practice a lesson or two on an app like DuoLingo or flip through some flashcards for some active learning.Â
Read
Reading in the 5-10 minutes in between classes is such a nice way to get your mind off the day’s hustle and bustle. You can read a few pages of the book you’re on or read an article on the day’s news or a topic you’re interested in!Â
