Skip to main content
LibApps staff login

Wellness at ASU Library

Sharing wellness resources and activities for students to do in times of stress, especially around Finals Week!

Why Take a Break?

Whenever there's a looming deadline, a difficult research question, or a frustrating assignment, it may seem counterintuitive to step away from it and take a break. However, taking a break can actually help you in the long run! Taking breaks lets you refocus on what you need to do, reduces your stress levels, and improves your recall of information. Breaks can also boost your mood and energy levels.

A break is not the same as procrastination. Procrastination occurs purposefully since tasks are avoided for longer time periods, leading to stressful outcomes. Breaks can align with your study sessions (between 5 and 60 minutes, depending on need and activity). Instead of only scrolling through social media posts or videos on your phone or laptop, find activities that allow you to zone out, express creativity, move around, and show mindfulness of what you need. Some activities include socializing with others, having snacks or small meals, stretching, doing something creative, or playing games.

In addition to these activities, click on the tabs to discover more resources and ideas for brain breaks, and see where you can take a break at the ASU Library.

Works Consulted

Learning Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. (n.d.). Taking breaks. 

Mishra, G. (2020, May 9). Benefits of taking breaks during studying: How rest can improve your focus and retention. [Post]. LinkedIn.

The Wellbeing Thesis. (n.d.). The importance of taking breaks. 

Take A Break With...

A yellow spray bottle next to a blue sponge, red sponge, and yellow sponge stacked in front of a black wall.

"Cleaning products," rawpixel.com, CC0 License.

Colored pencils, spanning colors of the rainbow, on a wooden table.

Multiple colored pencils 07.jpg from Wikimedia Commons by Jonatan Svensson Glad, CC-BY-SA 4.0

 ​​​​​Digital artwork of a bowl of ramen, by hyamei, posted on DeviantArt. On the bowl to the left, chopsticks rest on top while ramen noodles, egg, scallions and pork belly are steaming hot. The right bowl top is empty.

Artwork by hyamei, on DeviantArt, used with CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 DEED license.

Two pandas laying on a tree limb in their exhibit.

"ZOO Atlanta Panda Cam - panoramio (1)," on Wikimedia Commons, by MARELBU, CC BY 3.0 License.

Take A Break at ASU Library

Interfaith and Ablution Rooms

  • An interfaith reflection room is located on the concourse level of Hayden Library. This room provides the ASU community a quiet space for contemplation, meditation, reflection, or prayer. Within this larger room are three private reflection rooms, each of which accommodates one person. We ask that users of this space limit their use of electronics.

  • An ablution room is located on the concourse level of Hayden Library, across from the wellness and lactation rooms. Please stop by the Information Desk on the concourse level to pick up your room key.

Wellness and Lactation Rooms

  • There are two wellness and lactation rooms on the concourse level of Hayden Library. Each room can be reserved online and can fit up to one person.

Wellness Nook

  • Located in Hayden Library's South entrance (across from the Memorial Union) is the "Wellness Nook." This area features natural lighting, seating, and a table equipped with colored pencils and a puzzle. This nook occasionally hosts outreach events, such as visits from therapy dogs and crafting activities.