Studying is tough and when there are so many other things you would rather be doing, keeping the focus on your work is difficult. Here are a few ways we can minimise your distractions and help improve your focus on the things that matter.
1.Write a to-do list
This will allow you to keep track of all the tasks that need to be accomplished and will help you to focus. A list also helps achieve big goals (which can be overwhelming) by breaking them down and making them manageable.
2.Prioritisation
Your to-do list makes it easy to prioritise the tasks as you’d like. Although some say to do the hardest tasks first (as it supposedly discourages procrastination), others have found that they prefer to accomplish the quick and easy tasks first- giving you a sense of accomplishment. You just need to find whatever fits you.
3.Don't multitask
Multitasking reduces your efficiency and performance as your brain can only focus on one thing at a time. When you try to do two things at once, your brain lacks the capacity to perform both tasks successfully. Research even shows that, in addition to slowing you down, multitasking lowers your IQ!
4. Clean up your workspace
In a calm and organised environment, people tend to be less stressed and are more able to focus on their work. A study by Princeton University found that clutter makes it harder for people to focus on particular tasks. A clean and clear workspace eliminates distractions and can therefore help people better concentrate on the task at hand.
Try adding a soy candle to your workspace, even if it doesn't help, you'll have something nice to look at in between revision breaks.
5. Get Active
Exercising regularly is one of the easiest and most effective ways to reduce and improve concentration and ability to focus on the day to day tasks. Physical activity immediately boosts the brain’s dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin levels—all of which affect focus and attention.
6. Meditate
Meditation makes it easier for us to bounce back from distractions. Researchers say bringing attention back to the breath each time your mind wanders during meditation helps strengthen the brain’s focus. Translating this into daily life- when we notice that we’re distracted (perhaps when seeing a text come up) we’re more able to come back to the task at hand.
7. Start reading
In a single 30 minutes span, the average person will divide their time between working on a task, checking email, talking to colleagues, keeping an eye on social media, and constantly reacting to notifications. Reading not only improves your brain’s connectivity, but it also increases attention spans, focus and concentration. If you struggle to focus, reading can improve your attention span.
happy studying!
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