Day after day, week after week, school can become a tiring task, especially when there are no brain breaks involved. Research and students from EHS agree that, in order for students to perform their best, they should be given a small break in each class.

According to an article titled “17 Brain Breaks Tailored for High Schoolers” by Paige Tutt, “No matter how good someone’s attention span is, a small break from learning can prevent feeling overwhelmed during a school day and instead provide a student with a refreshed mindset.”

Brain breaks are important for everyone no matter the age or grade level. It’s important to give students the break they need, especially after 7 hours of straight learning. 

In the same article, Tutt states, “By high school, according to neurologist and classroom teacher Judy Willis, concentrated study of ‘20 to 30 minutes for middle and high school students calls for a three-to-five-minute break.’ “ 

This research proves that students should be getting at least one five minute brain break for every 50 minute class.For some, it can be frustrating when assignments are piled one on top of another. When this happens, stress can occur easily,and students at Elkhorn High wish they had brain breaks.

“I need brain breaks the most when teachers keep giving you assignment after assignment,” sophomore Tala Dababneh said.

Teagan Plathe, a junior, also agrees that brain breaks are important and beneficial for students. One of those benefits is that they help students to focus for longer periods of time. 

“Yes I do,” Plathe said. “I think they let students get a refreshed mindset which then they can go into things and actually be able to focus better.”

Brain energizers can be as simple as taking a walk or checking a phone notification. No matter the type, it can help one to refocus and start their next task with ease.

“I’ll take snack breaks or give myself five minutes to check people that have snapchatted me or have texted me, and I’ll respond,” Plathe said. 

Certain classes can act as brain breaks for students as well, especially those that involve physical movement or those that allow for down time.

“Study hall serves as a brain break for me because sometimes I can just sit and do nothing and recollect,” Dababneh said.

Overall, the main reason for brain breaks is to simply re-energize students so they are ready to learn again with more focus. After a brain break is complete, the work seems to flow at a much easier rate with less distractions.

“I feel like I can go back into things and actually work through them faster, instead of staring off into space and just distracting myself,” Plathe said.