The Brain Break before The Brain Break
Any brain break might be unsuccessful, if you have not first had a brain break.
If you are trying to rest and rejuvenate your brain (take a “break”), your efforts may prove futile if your brain has not yet been able to “break” free from its former task.
Sometimes—even though the task at hand might be absolutely awful—your brain might not be able to let go of it. This is when it can be helpful to distract your brain. Force it to focus on something else.
Don’t worry. You do not need to “focus” in the same manner as focused study. In fact, it’s best if you activate completely different areas of your brain.
Write with your Non-Dominant Hand
By "Write Wrong" I simply mean, write with the hand that feels wrong—your non-dominant hand.
Most people consider themselves “right-handed” or “left-handed.”
Even people who consider themselves ambidextrous typically prefer one side over another—even if the preferred side varies by activity (cross-dominance).
Fun fact: this preference is referred to as “laterality.”
Trying to use your non-dominant side can require a surprising amount of focus.
An action that happens by automatic muscle memory on your dominant side can feel entirely foreign on your non-dominant side. It feels as though you are learning the task for the first time. In some respects you are.
Yes, you may know what brushing your teeth is, but you have not created or strengthened the neuromuscular pathways necessary to not feel like Bambi on ice while you do it.
You may start with something simpler than writing—like brushing your teeth.
I suggest writing because there are few actions we do as humans that (a) require as much dexterity as writing, and (b) have been rehearsed as often and ingrained as deeply as writing.
Down the Rabbit Hole!
Research indicates there may be other benefits to developing your non-dominant side.
For example, when people use their dominant side, they often only use one side of the brain (the side opposite the hand).
By contrast, when people use their non-dominant side, they use both sides of their brain. Over time, research suggests that this increases the size of the corpus callosum—which connects the brain’s two sides.
A larger corpus callosum increases communication between the brain’s two sides.
This is thought to enhance memory and creativity.
However, these benefits require developing your non-dominant side over time—not doing a quick brain break here and there.
For law school, there might be an even bigger incentive to become ambidextrous.
Let’s pretend you find yourself in the harrowing situation where your computer decides to give up on life during a law school exam or bar exam. If you must handwrite the exam, at least you can use both hands to tag team it.
I am 100% joking.
It is likely an unwise use of your study time to work on your penmanship in the unlikely event that you need to write an exam by hand.
As I said, I am merely suggesting this activity as a brain break because the focus it requires can force your brain to break free from study materials.
Tips for Writing with your Non-Dominant Hand
Nope. I'm not going to tell you that.
I am not suggesting you google it for yourself.
I am suggesting that you explore the activity by actually doing it.
You already know what you need: a writing implement and a writing surface. You do not need help to make your handwriting better or to make writing with the opposite hand easier.
Why?
Unlike so many endeavors in your life, you are not graded or judged on this. You are not trying to achieve a particular result with your penmanship.
Sure, I may not be graded or judged on baking cookies. Yet, I look up recipes online because I would like to achieve a particular result—I would like the cookies to be edible.
Rather than trying to achieve a particular result with your penmanship, you are trying to achieve a particular result with the process.
You are trying to effect a breakup between your brain and its study material. The more you focus on figuring it out as you write, the better it will serve as a brain break.
Try it out!
Congratulations!
You just took a brain break!
Even if you don’t end up using this particular brain break idea, just reading this light little post gave your brain brief relief from dense legal texts and lectures.
Yay!
If your brain is ready to get back to work, great! Get after it!
If your brain is not ready to go back to work, that’s okay, too.
You could try writing with your non-dominant hand.
You could also take a look at some of the other brain break ideas, check out some motivational music, or peruse the tips and tricks.
No matter what,
feel free to congratulate yourself!
You took a brief brain break, and you explored ways to help optimize your brain, your study habits, and—ultimately—your performance!