It’s a bummer when batteries die on the job. But that’s what’s supposed to happen, right? Every day, we somehow use batteries whether it be a small lithium battery for our cell phone or a large 12-volt battery for our cars. We suck up all of their energy and put it to good use. So what happens when these conventional energy packages die? We’ve worked them too hard and now they need a break. But don’t worry, we can just recharge them of course!

Just like rechargeable batteries, teens need to rest and regain energy every once in a while. We spend the day at school and the night at home doing homework. Our brains can only handle so much work. If we don’t take care of ourselves, then we will die and burn just like batteries that do not recharge.

Instead of sticking limbs in electricity outlets (don’t do that, you really will die), we can take power naps throughout our day to rest and recharge ourselves.

A power nap can be anything from a 20-minute nap to an hour rest. According to Dr. Maoshing Ni, 38th-generation doctor of Chinese medicine and an authority in the field of Taoist anti-aging medicine, taking a 20 or 30 minute nap during the day is one of the best ways to refresh the brain and to improve productivity. Taking these power naps can also lead to a longer, healthier life span.

After a long, tiresome day at school I like to rest for about an hour so that I can relax my mind and recharge my brain so I that I can focus on homework afterwards.

Sure, some may ask why not just do homework right after school, but I highly doubt most of us do that. If I wasn’t napping after class, I would probably be watching the television to “take a break,” but I wouldn’t get anything out of it. Gluing my eyes to the television does not recharge my mind. Actually, it probably drains my brain even more by getting anxious to find out who will be America’s Next Top Model.

Over the past year, I’ve found my recharging sessions to also be de-stressing sessions. I’m not exactly sure what I’m actually thinking during my naps because I rarely ever dream during the,. To me, this means that I’m able to clear my head which is exactly what I need to do in order to recharge my mind.

Napping during the day and then doing homework is a great alternative to just doing homework and not comprehending anything and still not getting enough sleep later that night. By taking power naps, I can catch up on sleep and focus on my work.

Every day, we are constantly being pushed to work hard and do the best we can, but if we burn out from all of the work, then we can’t succeed. We need to pause a second and reward our hard work with a short power nap. Just like a rechargeable battery, we need to re-energize ourselves to finish the tasks we’re powered to do.