By Juliana ’24
After experiencing the academic rigor of junior year, I learned many strategies to balance school and the rest of my life. These include learning how to make a to-do list, learning how to adequately study for each subject and, most importantly, learning how to perfect the power nap.
A power nap is a short 10-30 minute nap to “power up” and recharge in order to get everything done. To help the Marlborough community, I have curated a step-by-step process on how to take a successful power nap.
Step 1:
Accept defeat The first step in perfecting the power nap is to accept defeat. Accept the fact that the cup of coffee or Celsius is not enough to keep you energized. Accept that as you read the 15th page of your history textbook and can barely keep your eyes open, you must take a break.
Step 2: Secure a location
The next step is to move from your studying location and find a place to take a nap. My furniture of choice is a couch. I grab a blanket and a couch pillow and call it day.
Step 3: Set an alarm and sleep
The next step is to choose how long you want your power nap to be. I usually take a 15-20 minute nap, which I find to be a perfect amount of time. So choose a time, set an alarm to avoid accidentally oversleeping, close your eyes and finally go to sleep.
Step 4: Wake up and recharge
The next step is the hardest. When you hear your alarm, you will be confused. For a second you will think it’s the next morning, but will soon realize you have a whole night of work in front of you. Once you realize you have to wake up, it’s go time. Get up from your nap as fast as you can. I have found that walking around my house and grabbing a glass of water before I return to my work is what makes the power nap beneficial and makes me feel rejuvenated.
Learning how to power nap saved me this year and I feel that I have perfected it. These steps will allow you to take a nice power nap and will help you take a break to energize yourself during busy work nights. However, sometimes what you really need is a good night of sleep.
