If you’ve ever wondered how to stay focused on a task while you’re studying, you’re not alone. Whether you’re at school, college or university campus, you’ve probably encountered moments where you struggle to stay productive while working and studying on different subjects. When your focus wanes, you’re much less productive and you waste a lot of time.
While there is no easy fix on how to focus, you can be strategic in your working plan. This article will give you some tips and tricks to help you to concentrate while studying as well as some key productivity rules to help you make the most of your time.
Five key tips to help you stay focused
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There are many different ways you can help yourself concentrate and some ideas will work better for different people. The idea is to keep trying new things until you find some tips and tricks that work for you. Without further ado, here are five key tips to help you stay focused:
1. Create a to-do list
Whether you’re working on a computer or on paper, it’s very helpful to have a to-do list by your side where you can see it. Having an active to-do list that you can cross out when a task is done really helps to give you a sense of achievement and accomplishment. Even add on things that are really quick so that you can tick them off and see your list getting smaller – this really helps with motivation.
2. Know what your distraction triggers are
It’s hard to know why you’re losing focus, but in order to become more focused, you need to understand why you’re finding it hard to do so.
Everyone is different and needs different input to be able to concentrate. Some people can work happily with a messy desk and music on while others prefer a quiet and tidy environment away from other people.
The key to understanding your triggers is to observe yourself when you’re distracted and use introspection to help you identify why this is happening. Are you experiencing discomfort, for example?
It won’t be possible to avoid all distractions but if you know what your triggers are, you might be able to mitigate them.
3. Set boundaries
By setting boundaries with people and things, you’re more likely to be able to concentrate. You can create emotional, spiritual, digital and physical boundaries to things and people.
Being able to create boundaries is vital if you want to limit distractions and disruptions. With healthy boundaries in place, you’ll be able to focus on the task at hand. Don’t forget, though, that everyone has different boundaries and limits, so it doesn’t matter if you need more than someone else.
4. Avoid social media
Social media can be a real wormhole. One minute you’re reaching for your phone to watch a friend’s new TikTok video, the next you look up and a whole hour has gone by while you’re mindlessly scrolling through your feed.
Discipline yourself and set a schedule of when you’re going to look at social media. People often spend much more time than they intend to on these sites as there is always something new and interesting being uploaded. It’s also really easy to get annoyed by things you see and read on social media, which can then make returning to your work even more of a challenge.
5. Be “invisible” and unreachable during set times
Just because you can be contactable 24/7 thanks to your mobile phone, it doesn’t mean you have to be. Turn your phone on silent while you’re working or activate your voicemail. Most modern smartphones have notification settings that can be altered so if you’re using your mobile for work, you can avoid being distracted by messages and notifications.
What to do if you’re in danger of missing a deadline
If you’ve searched online for tips to help you concentrate with your education and for any course, you may already be starting to panic about missing a learning deadline or exam, or letting down your teachers.
While these tips will certainly help you in the future, they might be a bit too late for some people and the stress of an upcoming deadline or the thought of poor grades might be detrimental.
Fear not, ‘write my essay for me’ services do exist and you shouldn’t feel guilty about needing to use them for online help if you’re struggling with online studying for difficult subjects like mathematics with formuals and integrals.
Final thoughts on different things you can do to help you concentrate
As well as following your own set rules, don’t forget to help yourself too. Making sure you’re hydrated and have eaten healthy meals and snacks is vital in ensuring your comfort. Fresh air is also a good idea if you find yourself struggling. A two-minute breather outside (even in winter!) is a really good way to wake yourself up and get back to concentrating again.
Another thing you can do is to take a movement break. This might mean a trip to the bathroom, a walk to the kitchen to get a drink, standing up to look out of the window. While you might think that doing these things is taking you away from your work, what usually happens is that you find the movement breaks, springs you back into action and refocuses your attention. There are also exercises to help you stay studying for a long time – yoga is excellent, for example. But don’t forget, ask for help when you need it!
