When you’ve been in a productive work period and getting a lot done, it can be tempting to pour another cup of coffee the moment you notice your focus starting to fray. Maybe you don’t want to lose momentum – or you might be so close to finishing that big thing. So you push through the growing brain fog and antsiness. You write three more (bad) sentences, send a convoluted and unclear email, zone out at the screen for half an hour, and crash.
But what if the energy dip isn’t something to push away? What if it’s your body flagging that this work block has hit its limit? Maybe those three forced sentences were never going to survive your next editing session anyway. By pushing through, you didn’t actually save the time you thought you were protecting – you just borrowed it from future you, with lower-quality work in between.
We’re all familiar with what our work looks like when we keep pushing ourselves over the edge. We’ve all read the paragraph the next morning, completely unable to follow along. We’ve had to send a clarifying follow up email. We’ve had to add “edit” in-front of the previously crossed off task.
And we’re all busy people with no other option but to push through right? It certainly feels that way sometimes.
Using Energy Dips As Movement Cues in Grad School
We often interpret a drop in focus as something to overcome rather than information about what we need next. We tend to treat losing focus as a personal failure or a sign that we need more discipline. But sometimes it’s simply information. Your attention isn’t disappearing because you’re lazy – it’s telling you that this particular work block has reached its natural limit.
What if you started reading that fatigue as a cue to move? A sign that you’ve been hunched at your desk for too long and your body (not just your brain) needs a break.
Instead of grinding out 30 more low-value minutes, you go move. And you come back sharper, get those three sentences down, and actually keep them. Those 30 minutes weren’t time away from your work – they were what made the next block productive.
Understanding Focus in Grad School
This isn’t about pushing off important tasks and deadlines. I’m not saying every time you’re having a hard time focusing you should just go take a walk or go to the gym. I’m saying that giving your all for 3+ hours is unsustainable for your brain, body, and ultimately your output. Pushing through for the sake of your to-do list isn’t doing you (or the list) any favours.
Part of using energy dips as cues is learning how to tell them apart from your brain wanting to flee from difficult work.
Ask yourself two questions.
Did I actually work?
If you’ve just spent two focused hours writing, reading, or analyzing data…
…that’s probably fatigue.
If you’ve spent twenty minutes checking email, rearranging your desk, and avoiding the document…
…that’s probably resistance.
The solution to those two problems probably isn’t the same.
Then:
Would a ten-minute walk make me more willing to come back?
If yes…
it’s probably an energy dip.
If no…
the problem may be something else.
Movement Isn’t a Reward You Have to Earn
Oftentimes in grad school, movement is treated as a luxury. Something we can only allow ourselves to do once everything else is done. The irony is that stepping away from your desk often feels unproductive in the moment. But if it helps you come back with clearer thinking, better writing, or more patience for a difficult task, it wasn’t time away from your work – it was part of the work.
Most of us can recognize the point where our work becomes slower. Fewer of us recognize the point where it becomes worse.
Sometimes the most valuable thing you can do isn’t push through another thirty minutes.
Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is stop before the quality of your work does.
If this post resonated with you, I’d love for you to stick around. Feel free to like, subscribe, or leave a comment below. I’d also love to hear from you: how do you know when it’s time to step away from your work? Do you notice any signs that tell you your brain has reached its limit?
Enjoyed this post?
If you’re interested in building more movement into graduate school without treating it as something you have to earn, you might also enjoy:
The Importance of Movement: How Exercise Supports Productivity and Balance in Grad School
Leave a Reply