By Sofie Astrup and Matilde Albrektsen, AAU Communication and Public Affairs
Photo: Anders Fast Nielsen

Spring sun and colourful flags adorned the canteen area at CREATE in Aalborg. Students were invited to Study Environment Day where they were inspired to take breaks to promote a healthy balance between studies and leisure time. The program included workshops on everything from zero waste cooking and yoga to music, bonfires and knitting. 

"All brains need a break. We know that, but we still tend to push ourselves and especially our brains to the limit. That is why this year's Study Environment Day is a reminder to all of us to give our brains a break," began Pro-rector Anne Marie Kanstrup.

So, AAU Student Guidance teamed up with the Study Environment Council to create a day that brings students together on topics that affect day-to-day life. According to Iben Skov Bertelsen and Maria Paninnguaq Rafaelsen of Study Service, it is important to create a community with a focus on study-life balance.

"At Aalborg University, we want to spread the message that a good student life depends on a good balance between books and life outside. At Study Environment Day, we want to boost that message so we toned down the academic content and upped the social activity content today," says Iben Skov Bertelsen, Special Consultant, Study Service.

Breaks from the working day

With 249 places filled for the event, there were activities for everyone. Some students shouted along to song and music, and others spent the day finding inner peace with yarn between their fingers. Whether they wanted to try something familiar or something completely new, they could find an activity that suited them. The different activities can also be used in other environments to make space for healthy breaks.

"Some of the students describe pushing themselves too far or having fellow students who need peace of mind. This is a message that applies to all of us. Work-life balance and an interplay of work and breaks is also something employees need in the working day," says Maria Paninnguaq Rafaelsen, Guidance Counsellor, Study Service. 

See photos from Study Environment Day below

What are your takeaways from today?

Maria Bjørk Bols Skaftadóttir: We've only been to one workshop, so it's kind of hard to say. But a grounding technique that we learned, it does a lot for me just to breathe and get my mind on something completely different.

Joanna Lilly Juncher: We work a lot on project work, so I also thought that I would force my group to sing together, because that's what we've just done, and we're a very social group, so maybe that's good for us too.

Alesiya Antony Joseph: I learned from the presentation we had in the beginning how to plan and schedule our studies and balance work with positive breaks and how that can be productive.

Julie Kristine Moeslund Kristensen: A definite takeaway for me is that you plan your procrastination so that you have time for it.

What do you do to improve your own student well-being?

Joanna Lilly Juncher: I will try to take things one step at a time, and take it as it comes instead of thinking five months ahead. I also just realized that I have a project submission in a month, but it will be fine because you just take it as it comes and then you get it done.

Alesiya Antony Joseph: I draw or dance, and these were some of the things to do here with lots of other people, which is different from doing it alone, so that was really fun.

Julie Kristine Moeslund Kristensen: We try to schedule breaks in the study group so that we remember it.