I think I speak for all med students when I say that more studying equals more boredom. And have we ever been doing a lot of studying.
There’s almost nothing less fun than being bored. Maybe being bored during class. But still. Boredom’s an attention-killer. And when you’ve got 2 years of notes to plow through, attention is both crucial and in short supply. So how to do we guilt our focus into coming back to us? (Hint: it’s not flowers, chocolates, or desperate texts.) Prepare to be amazed, people.
One word:procrastination. Seems counter-intuitive, doesn’t it? But think about it – filmmakers have had it figured out for ages. The truly insightful directors know that to hold an audience’s attention for 2+ hours, you need built-in breaks so that the audience doesn’t have to think about or look at anything specific for a few moments. A soft reset, if you will. The bottom line is this: If you’re bored, you probably shouldn’t be studying. Find a way to spark your interest.
CAVEAT: You must keep your procrastination on a leash. It will get away from you if you’re not paying attention. It’s delightfully easy to spend an hour putzing around on the internet (or 4.5 hours watching the whole first season of Sherlock). Set an unbelievably annoying alarm if need be. 10-15 minutes should be all you need.
- Run around your building (warning: people will look at you funny)
- Watch a “best of” clip from Whose Line is it Anyway?
- Dance like a maniac to Lady Gaga
- Learn one tai chi move
- Take stupid pictures of yourself. Show no one.
- Play a game of Minesweeper. Get awesome at it.
- Make your own meme
- Have an imagined conversation with a celebrity
- Watch an 80’s music video
- Write a poem about how bored you are
- Turn that poem into a song
- Pray a decade of the Rosary
- Learn the “Hoedown Throwdown” (Please. I desperately don’t want to be the only person I know that can do it.)
- Build an animal out of LEGO (mythical/imaginary creatures encouraged)
- Facebook a friend you haven’t seen in a while
- Play Draw Something
But really, when it comes to prime entertainment and procrastination, there’s only one website you need to know about. #whatshouldwecallmedicalschool. It’s amazing. And hilarious. I can’t even look at it in class anymore; it usually reduces me to silent giggles and tears of mirth. People tend to stare.
What do you do when you’re bored? Leave a comment below!
– Atalanta
Photo courtesy of: Ambro | FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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