Studying effectively is all about prioritizing one’s time and focus. Indeed, in a world saturated with all kinds of digital distractions focus becomes a rare and valuable asset. Never in the history of humankind have we been bombarded with so many stimuli vying for our attention, from social media notifications to endless content at our fingertips.
In this environment, the ability to carve out memonents of deep focus can prove essential to our productivity. So how do we reclaim our focus and make the most of our study sessions? To answer this question, I come up with a list featuring some practical tips to help you improve your focus and create study routines that work for you.
1. Optimize your study environment
Clutter whether digital or physical is a big source of distraction. Reduce clutter in your study room and try to eliminate all kinds of digital distraction. Put your phone on flight mode or keep it somehwrre far from where you study. If you use Internet connection in your study, try to disconnect from your social media accounts and only keep one tab open. Productive people have strict work habits. For instance, in his memoir, On Writing, Stephen King explains that :
“If possible, there should be no telephone in your writing room, certainly no TV or video games for you to fool around with. If there is a window, draw the curtains or pull down the shades unless it looks out at a wall. For any writer, but for the beginning writer in particular, it is wise to eliminate every possible distraction. If you continue to write , you will begin to filter out these distractions naturally, but at the start, it’s best to try and take care of them before you write.” Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (p. 156)
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro technique has gained so much in popularity during the last few years. The technique revolves around working in short and focused bursts (e.g., 25 minutes) with scheduled breaks. While there are tons of pomodoro apps that an help you make the best of this technique, I recommend you use your own timer to keep things simple and avoid potential distractions from unnecessary app notifications. I also find that using a basic timer makes the whole process natural and less rigid. Youm ay want to start with the classic 25 minutes of focused work followed by a short break (3 or 5 minutes) and after four sessions increase the break to 30 or 40 minutes.
3. Take Meditation Breaks
During your Pomodoro breaks you may want to take meditation breaks. These breaks can help recharge, rest your mind, and improve your overall focus. During your meditation breaks, simply close your eyes, focus on your breath, and let your thoughts settle, as simple as that. The point here is not to engage in any activity that might stimulate your mind. Closing your eyes eliminates all visual stimuli that might trigger unnecessary thoughts and result in waste of cognitive energy.
4. Set Clear Goals
Clarity is power and unless you are clear about what you want to do during your study sessions, chances are you will find yourself digressed into low productivity and mundane activities. Make it a habit to set clear and well defined goals before each study session. You need to be able to clearly articulate what you want to accomplish. If you are planning to work on bigger tasks, break them into smaller manageable steps to avoid feeling overwhelmed and take action.
5. Learn Actively
Unlike passive learning, active learning engages both your sensory and cognitive capacities and requires you to engage with the material through various activities including highlighting key ideas, summarizing important insights, taking notes, teaching it to peers, self-rehearsing, providing critical overviews, and more. When you learn actively, you do not only take in information but you develop nuanced understanding that helps deepen your grasp of the material.
6. Review and Reflect
Make it a habit to review study materials at the end of each study session. Reviewing enables you to retrieve information, make connections among learned insights, enhances your comprehension, and improves your retention rates. A review take take different forms: you can write summaries of the main points, jot down questions, record a video of yourself explaining what you have learned, or use graphic aids to visualize your learning.
7. Provide Encouraging Self-feedback
There are times when you will not be able to meet your scheduled plans or study goals, and that’s completely okay. Take it light on yourself and remember that hurdles are part of the learning experience. Instead of dwelling on what went wrong, acknowledge your effort and progress and move forward. When you catch yourself getting distracted or not meeting a target, view it as an opportunity to regroup and try again, rather than a failure. Over time, this positive approach can strengthen your motivation and help you develop a more productive and forgiving study routine.
8. Move and Refresh
Like meditation breaks, physical breaks can also boost your motivation and prime your for focused study. Taking short walks, stretching, or doing a quick exercise routine during or preferably before your study session can increase concentration levels. Even small actions, like stretching at your desk, walking around the room, or doing a few jumping jacks, can invigorate your mind. Studies have shown that even a 10-minute walk can enhance cognitive functions, so incorporate movement into your routine to keep your brain sharp and your energy levels high.
9. Reward Your Achievement
As human beings, our brains crave rewards and linking our study achievements to a reward system can boost your motivation. As you set your goals for the study session you also need to set milestones (e.g. writing 500 words, reading a chapter, etc) and reward yourself when you achieve them. When I say reward, I mean anything that has value to you from a small piece of chocolate to watching one’s favourite show, the point is to create a positive reinforcement to make your study feel more satisfying and enjoyable.
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