Routine and good habits help you stay on track to reach your goals. But, if you’ve been studying in the same space day in and day out, staring at the wall and reading the same material over and over again, your brain is ready to call it quits. It’s a struggle to stay focused and on task.

Your mind is wandering to the chores you need to get done, the projects you have due at work, the latest episode of your favorite television programme... anything but the terminology you need to remember for your next test. Instead of letting study burnout take control, it’s time to shake up old habits and stale routines with a “study vacation.” Here’s how.

First, what’s a study vacation?

The word “vacation” or “holiday” makes you think of relaxing days on the beach or quiet nights in a cozy mountain retreat. A vacation is a break from real life worries, a chance to slow things down, focus on yourself and your family, and have fun without stressing about the projects at work you need to do or the laundry you’ve let build into a pile.

Besides having fun and relaxing, a vacation away from your everyday life helps you recharge and refresh so you can go back to your routine ready to tackle any obstacles in your way. A study vacation is not about taking a day or two off away from studying; it’s all about shaking up that stale routine in order to improve your concentration and interest in what you’re doing.

What can you do to revive your motivation on a study vacation and make the most of the valuable study time you’ve carved into your regular schedule?

Make an effort to separate home life and student life.

The big benefit of completing a degree or diploma online is that it’s built to be flexible, giving you the ability to choose where and when you study. You may find yourself curling up on the sofa with a warm blanket, cup of tea, and your study materials while you’re watching a movie with your children. Or, you may find it easiest to throw your books and notes on the kitchen table while you multitask preparing dinner, washing the dishes, and making sure no one sneaks a snack before the meal is ready.

That ability to multitask and balance your life and your schoolwork is a plus, but it can be tough to focus when you have a million other things cluttering your brain. You’ve got a life outside of your education and the pursuit of your career goals and that is going to leak into your study time.

The opposite is true as well. Instead of trying to do it all in the same space, give separating your work space and your study space a go. Putting the separate parts of your life into physically different places can help you concentrate on what you need to accomplish in that particular space.

Does your normal study routine find you hunched over your books and study units in a recliner in the family room? Try taking some time to head to your local library or a cozy coffee shop instead! You may not be able to get away to those locations every day, but even that small, regular break from your usual go-to study space can give you a new focus, without the distraction of everything else you need to accomplish at home.

Similar to the idea of having a good work/life balance, it’s important to have a good balance between life and studies. You don’t want to be stressed about your assignments at home when your family wants to spend some quality time and you don’t want you attention taken away from an important piece of information when you’re studying.

Claim some private study territory at home if going out doesn’t work with your schedule.

The idea of leaving work or home to study at a new place every day is nice, but the truth is that you may not be able to make that happen more often than a day or two a month. Does that mean you should only study on those two days per month, getting behind on your goal and your projected completion date?

Not at all! Claiming a quiet spot in your home as your personal study space can give you the refresher you need to really focus on your studies, without sacrificing some of the other obligations you have.

If you don’t have a spare room you can turn into an office, no worries. You can make your bedroom the private place you study, off limits to interruptions. Not an option? You can also make sure your family understands that at a certain time each day, you need quiet to concentrate on your school work. They’re there to support you, just like you support and take care of them.

It’s okay to take a real study vacation every now and then, too!

You may be motivated and ambitious, ready to take on the world and start a new, successful career as soon as possible. That’s amazing! But, every now and then, you need a break from studying, just like you need time away from work or family.

You can only do so much and absorb so much information at one time. Without a break, your not going to absorb everything you’re studying. Make time for a day off each week, where you put aside your studies and focus on fun. That could mean taking a Saturday to spend with friends at a bookstore or park, enjoying a new activity, or even just reading a good book that isn’t related to the career you’re studying for.

It may seem like you’re slacking, but a break to just enjoy life is essential to finding success. You’re allowed to have fun without feeling guilty. Your books and notes will be waiting for you the next day, right where you left them.

You’ve got our support.

When you’re completing your education online, you can easily push yourself to a study breaking point. If you don’t allow yourself a change of pace or the ability to shake up your study routine without consequence, you can get mired in distraction, losing your focus.

Moving to a new study spot, creating some distance and balance between home life and school life, and even taking a day off will help you get back into a confident study groove. If you’re still stumbling with the material or can’t see to absorb all of the information, your ICS instructors can offer you support and suggestions!