You’ve got a big exam next week, and you know it’s time to open your books. Or you have a project to submit by Monday and you still haven’t started working on it.
You sit down in your chair, and begin to study with the information you have on hand.
Five minutes later, your phone vibrates. It’s a text from your cousin Jean. He asks you questions about your next family trip, which will take place in the next few months. Then your spouse reminds you to drop by to do the shopping when you get out of work.
After exchanging six texts with John and answering your partner, you check the time. Ah, 15 minutes have already passed!
You put your phone aside and go back to your homework. Then 10 minutes later, you suddenly have a urge to check your Facebook feed.
Basically you only wanted to spend a few minutes on Facebook, but you end up looking at three photo albums, commenting on four statuses, and watching two videos. You decide to update your own status: “ Dilemma: Study for exams or check Facebook. Facebook won . ” It all took you 20 minutes longer.
Does that remind you of something? For my part, I went through this when I was still a student, and it was also the case for the majority of my comrades at the time.
Is it really hopeless? No. Here are some simple techniques you can use to win the war against these unnecessary distractions.
6 tips to let go of distractions
Here are my six tips for you:
1. Silence your phone and place it in another corner of the room.
If you have a smartphone then you know how easily it can distract you. Facebook, Twitter, email, text, and yes, the entire internet is at your fingertips.
Even a basic phone can be a lot of fun!
So, I recommend that you – at the start of your study session – put your phone on silent and put it away from you . Preferably, you should place it across the room.
This way you won’t be interrupted by calls or texts while you are studying. You will still be able to check your phone every 30 or 45 minutes when you take a break.
If you’re honest with yourself, you know that you often fall into the trap of immediately giving your full attention to the few texts and calls, when you receive them.
Of course, you will tell me that it makes sense to respond to the person (s) who contacted you. But you can also do it when you take your break, nothing is up to the minute.
If you ever have to deal with emergencies, the “ Do not disturb ” feature is present on Android and iPhone , this will allow you to sort between unwelcome requests and real emergencies.
2. Cut your internet access
Internet-disconnection
Yes you can use your computer for work, but you’ll easily end up on Facebook or Youtube instead if you don’t take the right steps. (You know what I’m talking about: D)
When you use your computer, the Internet is just one click away. Do not think that you will resist the temptation. Cut off your internet access before you start studying / working.
If you need certain online resources, then download all the information you need from the start before cutting off your internet access.
The Internet is a tool that has the power to entertain and educate. By cutting off your internet access when it is time to concentrate, you are using the power of the internet effectively.
In the worst case, use a different browser than the one you normally use to do your job. On the one hand this will avoid the temptation to click on your favorite bookmarks, and on the other hand, your usual reflexes will be lessened by the newness of the interface.
There are also other interesting online tools like Stayfocused (Chrome only) or Freedom (all browsers – in English), which will allow you to filter the sites accessible as well as the duration of access for each one.
3. Take a deep breath when you are about to be distracted.
Distractions come in waves. A urge to watch TV, clean your room – especially in times when you have to be productive, right? – or even check your phone, assault you from all sides. Often times, you can feel overwhelmed by all of these cravings.
But these intense cravings only last for a short time . If you are able to resist the initial wave, you will be able to continue studying instead of succumbing to temptation.
Here’s how to overcome that urge when it happens: Close your eyes. Inhale for two seconds, then exhale for two seconds . If the urge still persists, repeat this until it goes away.
If you use this simple technique, you will spend four to eight seconds breathing deeply, after which you can return to work. If you don’t use this technique, you will likely end up being distracted for 15 minutes, or even longer.
Sometimes it can also be helpful to take a break . To do this, you just need to apply the Pomodoro method :
Work on a task for 25 min
Take a 5 minute break
Continue to do these first two steps during 4 cycles of 25 min / 5 min break
Take a long break of 15 to 30 minutes
To help you, I suggest you take a mechanical timer and not a mobile application that might tempt you. It is possible to adapt the method if your tasks require a great concentration, for example to make cycles of 50 min / 10 min break.
4. Ask people to leave you alone
I’m sure something like this has happened to you before while you were studying:
Your mother asking you how your day was.
Your partner who suddenly wants to talk.
Your little brother who asks you for help with his homework.
Your sister who asks you for advice.
And the list is still long.
Let’s be clear, relationships are important. I firmly believe that in many cases the quality of your relationships determines the quality of your life.
But when you’re studying, these interruptions can be especially annoying.
Right before you start studying, I recommend that you tell the people who are most likely to bother you something like this, “ I have an exam [or something] coming up next week, so I have need to focus. Could you just leave me alone for the next two hours and not interrupt me unless there is something really urgent? ”
5. Get eight hours of sleep every night
Student-and-sleep
When I was a student, it seemed impossible to get enough hours of sleep . There was always plenty of homework to do, projects to work on, activities to participate in, and friends to hang out with, etc.
Compared to all these things, sleeping seemed so unimportant!
But sleeping is vital if you want to do well in your year, or be successful at work. It is a scientific fact that your sleep affects your memory, your concentration and the functions of your brain in general . If you don’t get enough sleep, you’re not giving yourself all of the cards to be successful in your life.
When you are tired, you can also be easily distracted.
Here are some tips to help you go to bed earlier:
Have a good sleep routine (by going to bed early)
End the day by reading a book rather than using electronic devices (computer / laptop …)
Don’t drink coffee after three in the afternoon
Go to bed at the same time every day
Set an alarm at night to remind you to go to bed (which helped me tremendously!)
6. Use a tool like AceProject to help you prioritize your tasks
I started using AceProject six months ago and have found it to be of great benefit to me, especially in organizing my life.
We are often distracted when we think about all the other tasks that we still need to accomplish. We wonder if we should be working on another file, or studying for another review instead. This prevents us from concentrating on our current tasks.
By using a tool like AceProject, you will be able to stay on top of your homework, projects and other commitments. With a systematic approach in managing your tasks, you will succeed in making the most of all your study sessions.
You will also find other project management tools here .
The final word…
In our increasingly connected world of smartphones, tablets, laptops and high-speed internet connections, distractions are everywhere. Thus, procrastination often tips the tip of its nose.
You have to make a conscious effort of will to stay focused on the task at hand. Hope these six tips will help you on your quest to become a happy and fulfilled person!
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