Responsibility is a broad concept with multiple meanings, ranging from working hard to taking care of one’s self. Anyone can point to a student who is always studying and say that they are responsible for taking care of their education. But this can lead to a case of burnout or all-nighters, wholly unprepared for classes the next day. On the other hand, someone else can point to a student who takes excessive breaks in between studying sessions. However, this can potentially lead to laziness or an aversion to studying. So what is it? Is it responsible to always work hard or take breaks? Or is there a balance between these two extremes?
Hard work is a quality that is both widely valued and debated, with many advantages and disadvantages. The most immediate advantage is psychological, where it can often boost confidence and self-esteem. This psychological process was defined by scholars as learned industriousness, where effort can be a reinforcer or reward in itself. As an example, you feel more pride in being able to cook something instead of just buying it at the store. Other writers like Scott Nicholas claim that hard work cultivates better time management in individuals. This has even managed to enter the Adventist space through the idea of hard work being a Christian duty and linked to moral virtue. We can actually trace this back to a man named Max Weber and his famous work, “The Protestant Work Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism,” where he really spread this idea. Though Protestant in origin, it has spread to become a cultural interpretation present in Christian circles.
On the flipside, an article posted by The Lancet Regional Health discovered that overworking can lead to increased physical risks in cardiovascular diseases, stroke. Yet it can also mentally affect you through fatigue, stress, impaired sleep and unhealthy lifestyle changes. Not just that, but it can lead to reduced work performance and productivity.
Recently, there has been a push for breaks in between study sessions and prioritization of self-care. Over the course of my college years, I have heard many professors recommend students to take breaks in between study sessions and not push yourself too hard. One of them even recommended a schedule of studying for 30 minutes, taking a 10-minute break, and then studying another 30 minutes.
Research done by scholars from West University of Timisoarahas found that taking breaks of less than 10 minutes tends to keep someone energized and less exhausted, regardless of who takes them or how they are done. It even suggests that longer breaks mean better performance. But before you go off to take a 30-minute nap and say it is a “micro-break,” the article also points out some rather glaring disadvantages. The most glaring weakness is when it comes to more mentally challenging tasks, taking these short breaks doesn't seem to improve performance afterwards. Secondly, taking longer and unfulfilling breaks can make it harder for someone to get back to studying. After all, if you spend those five minutes watching YouTube or scrolling the internet, you don’t want to go back to studying.
Having taken a look at both sides between relentless work and excessive rest, the question becomes how we are supposed to balance the two responsibly. To me, the best way to balance these responsibilities is planning and scheduling. You would be surprised at how fast time can go by, and soon enough, so make sure to spend this limited resource wisely. As the Bible says in Ephesians 5:15-17: “So be careful of how you live. Don’t live like fools but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.”
Set aside chunks of time to study and work while taking moments for breaks in between. Plan to make those breaks count, though I would suggest filling those break times with physical activities, as that has always helped me get back on track.
Did you know that we are practically wired to take a break on Saturday? It’s true! In an article done by scholars in the Anderson School of Management, they discovered that people who actually treated the weekends as a time for rest returned to work happier than before. The Lord set aside the whole day of the Sabbath to take a break and be in His presence. Six days of work, and then the seventh as the day of rest.
If there is anyone who knows how to balance these two opposites, it is Him. So we should be as wise as God and plan our steps in His vision. Look out for yourself and make sure not to fall into either of the two extremes, whether it be hard work or taking one too many breaks. Find the best way to responsibly balance both sides of the equation, and success is in the near future. Even Jesus knew when to take breaks, such as when He went atop a mountain to pray after feeding the five thousand or going out early in the morning to pray after healing so many in Capernaum. As Jesus called His disciples to rest before the feeding of the five thousand, so too does God call us to rest in Him before pursuing hard work.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.