Driven to Distraction

This week I am trying an experiment. In order to finish my summer research proposal (Due Thursday) and not fail my upcoming Neuroscience exam this Monday morning, and keep reasonably up-to-date in my other classes, I am going to cut out the two most common time-wasting activities: Reading the "news", and playing Lux on my iPhone.

The news for a few reasons. First, I'm mostly reading it to procrastinate. I like the self-educationnews can provide, but that is secondary to my work avoidance. Also, every time divisive topics come up in the news, I find my ability to concentrate completely gone. I feel like I need to read every article as though eventually one of them will eventually will refute the facts I learned in the first article. Divisive political news does not lend itself to learning how the body works (at least not for me). Lastly, the "news" I read seems each day to be less about important world events, and more tech gossip, celebrity gossip, legal gossip and even political gossip. I can't justify that with all the other things I need to do.

Lux, a knockoff version of Risk, is available as a free version for the iPhone, which I have played relentlessly (to Janelle's, and my own, dismay). I openly use it as a coping mechanism for stress. It is completely ineffective though, as even after having won the game three times in a row, I still crave world domination just as fiercely as when I started. "Lux! I delete you!"
[I am now deleting this off my phone. You'll just have to trust me about that.]

I do sometimes need a break from the books, but I am determined to do that through more productive means. It's getting nicer so I might even try taking walk or two in our wetland trail. I don't know if I'll have time, but going for a run would be nice too. Any other suggestions for a quick (<10 minute) study break/stress buster?