Mr Blue Sky: Please tell us, why do you have to distract us so much?

With the sun shining, birds chirping, and flowers blooming, it is easy to use your books as a sun shield rather than to study.  However, with assessments slowly approaching, the only season that should be on our minds is exam season! As a result, I will suggest a few tips on balancing productivity and the distractions of the beautiful spring weather the UK is blessed with once in a blue moon.

Firstly, it is important to dive into the science behind ‘Spring Fever, ’ which can excuse your moping around! Despite the mythical connotations of ‘Spring Fever, ’ there is a biological basis for this phenomenon. Research suggests that due to increased daylight, spring can cause students to feel a surge in energy which can result in students feeling restless and distracted. This increased energy also increases the urge to procrastinate. Michael Terman, director of the Center for Light Treatment and Biological Rhythms at Columbia University Medical Center, also describes the phenomenon to begin ‘as a rapid and yet unpredictable fluctuating mood and energy state that contrasts with the relative low of the winter months that precede it’. 

Now that we know that there is method to the madness, let’s explore how to treat our attested ‘Spring Fever.’ As paracetamol and ibuprofen are not suitable cures for it, our productivity in nice weather can be stimulated through other means. For example, finding a cool and calm workspace is essential. Although this could be found outside, beneath the fierce rays of sun, it would be fair to say that there are more distractions beyond the university’s walls. When working outside, the following situations may seem familiar: conversation trailing off about summer plans, the noisy sounds of nature diverting your attention and the itching feeling to lay down and sunbathe. There could even be the unexpected distraction of one of the Leeds campus rabbits hopping on your lap—and this is based on a true story! Working in a library is instead the more sensible option, free from bees buzzing and paper flying away. All in all, working while the sun shines through the library window is the perfect compromise.

However, don’t turn into Rapunzel and become trapped in an academic tower! I should also stress that good weather is not productivity’s enemy, since it can be used to your advantage. For instance, you can set study goals which, when achieved are rewarded with activities which embrace the warm weather—just envision that Aperol Spritz in a beer garden and your pen will fly across the page! After all, becoming a social recluse behind a laptop all day is unproductive in its own right. 

Ultimately, ‘Mr. Blue Sky’ is not academia’s biggest threat, so there is no need to behave like vampires. Restlessness in the spring weather should instead be combated with small study sessions inside cool, quiet spaces, which can be interspersed with walks and picnics in the midday sun. Fresh air and Vitamin D has been proven to boost one’s mood, therefore beautiful weather can be a helper as well as a distractor. You can do both: beer gardens and books! After all, in the words of Electric Light Orchestra ‘Mr. Blue, we’re so pleased to be with you’!