Why Taking Breaks Is Not Laziness—It’s Strategy To Ace CAT 2025

Why Taking Breaks Is Not Laziness—It’s Strategy To Ace CAT 2025

Everyone’s been there: you have multiple assignments and tests to study for, and you feel like you have no time to waste. You may be tempted to cram, using every last minute to get everything done. But what if taking a break can help you study more effectively?

Multiple studies have found that taking breaks from 5 to 60 minutes can help improve energy, productivity, and focus. "Purposeful" breaks allow your mind to rest, so social media does not count. A study from the Journal of Behavioral Addictions found that participants who took a phone break took longer to complete their assigned tasks.

During your break, you can refresh your mind in various ways. Meditating, going for a walk, eating a snack, taking a short (15-20 minute) nap, organizing your workspace, or listening to music are some options. Meanwhile, unhelpful breaks include taking an extended nap or eating a large meal. Both choices can make you more tired, so be mindful of how you spend your breaks.
In this article, we will discuss that taking shorter breaks during CAT preparation is smartness, not laziness. Yes, you heard it right.

Importance of Taking Breaks

Taking breaks is critical for reducing preparedness burnout, maintaining focus, and increasing overall efficiency, all of which lead to better performance on exam day.
Additional information on the significance of breaks includes:

Burnout Prevention:

Long study hours without breaks can cause mental fatigue, reduced concentration, and ultimately reduced performance.

Maintaining Focus:

Short breaks can help the mind; when you take a break, you will feel more energized and focused on your studies.

Increasing Efficiency:

You would benefit from taking a break because it improves your studying efficiency. Moreover, it provides time for your brain to process all the information.

Stress Reduction:

CAT preparation is stressful; breaks would assist in relieving stress and nurturing a better mindset.

Mental-Friendly:

Breaks will allow you to do something that sparks joy within you. Such activities elevate your mood, soothe your mind, and enhance your well-being.

Time Management:

Breaks will also assist in time management. You may take a fixed-time break or a quick walk, stretch, and clear your mind before returning to your studies.

Consistency:

Breaks can also help you to remain consistent with your study schedule. Because when you feel overwhelmed or burnt out, it is the breaks that can help create space for rejuvenation and help you get back and fight the battle rather than give up.

Why should one think about taking a year off to prepare for the CAT?

Putting aside all other things for an uninterrupted preparation for the CAT looks very tempting at the surface level. The mechanism underpinning this logic is that the fewer distractions one has, the greater the ability to focus, spend time grasping various concepts, attempt a lot of mock tests, and cultivate test strategies.
Many candidates believe that this gives them an advantage over others because it allows them to get a thorough education on the topics without having to juggle multiple responsibilities. Nonetheless, the decision presents numerous challenges. A sudden interruption in a career or academic life represents a set of risks that should be weighed against the possible rewards of such a decision.

To improve your chances of earning an MBA, optimize your sleep cycles

Good sleep is one non-negotiable element of time management and CAT preparation. Here is how one can optimize his/her sleep cycle:
Sleep for seven to eight hours every night.

Stick to a schedule.
Create an evening ritual that promotes relaxation and signals the body that it is time to unwind.
Put the gadgets down an hour before going to bed.
Make your room sleep-friendly: dark, quiet, and cool.

By prioritizing sleep, you not only improve your health but also make it easier to remember information and perform well on the CAT exam.

Time-management strategies are extremely beneficial in developing a successful CAT preparation stage. Use the common cliche: Work smart, not hard. Optimizing your accessibility, utilization, and productivity will help you achieve your MBA goals.

How do you know which breaks suit you best?

All breaks are different. What might be a great break for your friend would not be the best for you. The best thing you can do is self-monitor how different breaks make you feel. You might also ask yourself, "What do I want out of this break?" "How do I want to feel?"

If you wish to feel motivated, consider an active break that moves you. On the other hand, if you want to feel productive, some breaks combine goal setting or learning something new with a little bit of mindless activity. If you want to feel creative after a break, consider changing your surroundings and going outside.

Consider creating a "break menu" of activities that meet one or more of the above criteria. That way, instead of automatically pulling out your phone to check social media, you will have a menu to choose from. It can also be beneficial to have a partner for accountability during breaks. You can share strategies for breaks and help one another from succumbing to the temptation of that thirty-minute break stretching into three hours! In the end, it's up to you!

Does this mean I should take breaks regardless of how tight my study schedule is?

Yes, take breaks! It sounds strange, but taking breaks improves productivity and helps with burnout even if caught short between study times. If one does not study effectively, the amount of time spent studying is usually meaningless.

Final Words

You have unlocked the secrets of the science of rest and productivity. Strategic study breaks will improve focus, unleash your creativity, and dramatically enhance memory retention. So take a break and let your brain do its work.
It is a myth that there is no end to study and through that, one cannot achieve academic success; it is about work and rest. Breaks will help you, so start treating them as a friend.

Sambhavi Prakash