School/college has started nearly everywhere, so I thought this would be a good time to diverge from my medical analogy articles and talk about the main overachiever habits that resurface with the start of school. I’ve already felt the impact, so I know my fellow overachievers have as well.
Let’s cover three common school habits that overachievers tend to ignore and brush off as harmless.
Mistake 1: Skipping Transitions
On the surface level, this habit seems helpful. Starting homework immediately after school ends is efficient because it saves time, right? Using every lunch period to do work is smart because it helps you get ahead of others, right?
Unfortunately, not really. Skipping breaks—even in the context of school—is harmful for the same reason neglecting sleep is harmful. Its harm is rooted in the way our brain works. A study evaluating university students showed that a type of “mental fuel” is consumed in intense, sustained focus sessions. Without breaks, this “mental fuel” remains depleted and your brain operates less efficiently. Additionally, an NIH study found that during short breaks, the brain consolidates and strengthens memories of newly learned skills. By skipping breaks, you prevent your brain from optimizing learning and memorization.
Through a student anecdote, we can see this harm in action:
The bell rang for lunch, but Alex stayed glued to his desk. While everyone else headed to the cafeteria, he opened his Chromebook and started his math homework. Might as well get ahead, he thought, ignoring the growl in his stomach.
But when the next period started, his brain felt foggy. The teacher was explaining a new concept, but Alex’s brain kept drifting. Focus, he muttered to himself, scribbling notes he wasn’t really processing.
That night, when he sat down to review, he couldn’t remember any information – none of it stuck. It was as if his brain never hit “save.”
So what’s the solution? It’s simple: don’t work every second of the day. Some days it might be necessary to work during lunch or right after your classes, but you need to prioritize genuine breaks during these times when you can.
Let’s see how this change helped Alex:
The next week, he tried something different: leaving the classroom for just 10 minutes during lunch to grab a snack and sit outside. To his surprise, he was mentally sharper in the afternoon. He completed his assignments after school in half the time, and he actually retained all the information. He finally realized the importance of taking much needed, short breaks.
Part 2 coming soon…
Sources: