By Tressa Versteeg

Study breaks for your sanity:Here are a few study break ideas that are succinct enough to give your brain a break without stopping your mental momentum.Exercise: There’s a plethora of short exercises that don’t take long, but boost your adrenaline for a second (or tenth) wind. From wall-sits, planks, sit-ups, and push-ups, to wrestling and games like Pokey-anything that gets your blood flowing
will help you continue with your studies.

Free Movement: Turn on a favorite tune and let your mind and body go to the wind. This can involve leaping, running, rolling around or flailing your limbs, as long as you move and don’t think about how silly it is.

Stumble Upon: An Internet phenomenon that directs you to Internet sites catered to your interests. Just visit stumbleupon.com, take a second to set up an account and add the Stumble! button to your browser tool bar. If you need a break, just stumble a few times and then get back to work. However, this one comes with a warning label: highly addictive and can quickly turn from a short study break to hours of unacademic entertainment, which while very fun, is not conducive to completing your finals’ tasks. Stumble Upon is a slippery slope.

Google image search: If you are really feeling down and overwhelmed by clouds of finals doom, Google image search positive, endorphin-pumping images such as puppies, sunshine, or penguins. Find something that gives you the warm fuzzies and make it your desktop background.

Take a shower: A late night shower can be just the thing to perk you up. You will leave feeling refreshed, alert and ready to tackle your final projects.

Get away to get some grub: If you really need to get out, it’s past the magic hour of 1 a.m., and everything is closed except for the hopeless sinkhole-the Link-here are a few places that offer food and/or alternative studying locales. They take a little bit of getting to, but the fresh air is good for you.

Perkins: On University, open 24/7. It’s hard to beat all-day breakfast or pie.
Kowalski’s: This is a reminder not to travel down Grand to our formally open all day and night grocery store. Plenty to choose from, but only open until 1 a.m.; so stock up for later.

The Uptowner Café: Also located on Grand, this hot spot is open until 3 a.m. Thursday-Saturday and serves great breakfast.

Hard Times Café: This all vegan eatery is full of good food, spunky atmosphere, and students working hard and is open from 6 a.m. to 4 a.m. daily. The hipster staff at Hard Times Café can be a little intimidating and the bums outside slightly disconcerting, but entertaining at the same time. Remember your cash because they don’t accept plastic. Take 1-94W and exit 234C Cedar Ave. Hard Times is located at 1821 Cedar Ave., Minneapolis, near the University of Minnesota.

Mickey’s Diner: It doesn’t get much better than Mickey’s. Open 24/7 serving scrumptious grease-soaked food in an old diner car in Downtown St. Paul and it was filmed in “The Mighty Ducks.” Take I-94E, exit at 241B onto 5th St and turn left at 7th St. W and you can’t miss it.

Easy, fast and tasty snacks: Here are a few quick and easy snacks that will keep you going through the night and into the morning.

Single-serving oatmeal packets: Simply microwave a half-cup of water and pour it into the packet and stir. A spoon is helpful, but no bowl is needed. It can be a too hot to hold for a minute or so, but it will surely warm up your hands after spending any time outside.

Popcorn: A single serving or big bag, popcorn is a great late night snack. It’s light and tasty, and easy to share with friends. Its association with movies might create a mental illusion of actual fun that will make the night go by a little less painfully.

Saltines and oyster crackers: Available at lunch and dinner, these small packets are just the right size to tide your hunger during long study sessions after meal times without creating that after-Thanksgiving feeling that inhibits you from functioning on a basic level.

Fruit: Snag a piece of fruit on your way out of Café Mac and enjoy it as a small study break or while typing away. It’s healthy and nutritious, giving you long lasting energy to burn.

Vending machine candy: Sometimes, you just need that immediate surge of sugar to hammer out those last few pages. Anything from the vending machines might make you feel gross with multiple servings, but they will keep you from falling asleep.