Rule number one: Your lunch hour needn’t be a lunch break. Break out of your usual midday routine with these tips that could even boost your productivity

by Joyce Gao / Illustrations by Don Tan

Avoid the midday slump with a high-intensity interval training workout. Held at the North Hill Gym every Friday, the invigorating hour-long classes work every part of your body in short bursts.

If you’re in your hall room and don’t feel like stepping out, try desk yoga – a series of stretches you can do either seated at, or standing near your desk. Or do some dips or desk push-ups. Either way, you’ll get your blood flowing and may even be perked up enough to skip that afternoon cuppa.

Look out for regular lunchtime concerts by classical maestros or jazz greats at LT19A. The healing power of music has been proven by science. Now and then, you can also catch hall jam bands live or toe-tapping dance routines by student groups at Canopy K or the performance area outside One Stop@SAC.

This is easier said than done, with everyone taking different classes as you progress through the semesters. But talking to a chum can boost your mood and meeting new people through a mutual friend will broaden your perspective, help you learn new things, and potentially solve that niggling problem that you thought no one could.

Sweating over a midterm or a lab report due next week? Put these stressors aside for a moment. Instead, take a break and let your mind wander. You are more likely to approach your to-dos with a fresher mind, which could translate to better quality work and grades.

HEY! student writer
Joyce loves an adventure, such as cycling 18km from her home in the west to Starbucks at East Coast Park for a morning cuppa. She hopes to travel to see as much as she can.

This story was published in the Oct-Dec 2019 issue of HEY!. To read it and other stories from this issue in print, click here.