I won’t lie – I’m probably the least suitable person to post about this. I get distracted. I am distracted right now. I can’t help it, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t things that can make it better.
Obviously, everyone is different and distraction manifests itself in different ways. I want to share some things that help me personally. They might help you. They might not. I can try, at least. :))
1. Prioritize and List.
Lists are magical things, especially when they help you to be productive. It seems simple, but reducing distraction can often be helped before you even start studying.
List all the tasks you have to do, and prioritize them. It doesn’t have to be pretty. Just get it down. A lot of the time, seeing everything written down will scare you into doing something about it.
Prioritizing and listing can also help to break things down. Writing a paragraph or a chapter is so so much easier than trying to write a whole essay. You’ll have to do it all in the end, but breaking it down into smaller chunks makes it much harder to get distracted or procrastinate starting.
The Pomodoro method is also magical when trying not to get distracted.
2. Plan your day.
This is sort of an extension from point one, but planning your day before the day starts helps me to stay on track. When I write tasks in my bullet journal, I feel obligated to do the task just so I can cross it out. Yes, that might be weird and slightly obsessive but it works – and I suppose that’s all that matters.
3. Take breaks (also use alarms)
You hear a lot about taking breaks while studying, and it’s for good reason. As humans, our attention spans generally aren’t that great. Trying to work nonstop for hours and hours isn’t good for you, and most likely won’t go down well. Taking breaks every half hour or so is a good thing, but only as long as you go back to your work afterwards! So many times, I have taken breaks and then made it longer, and then longer, and then even longer, and then the day is over. It happens. Set alarms. Use the Pomodoro method (still magical). Just make sure you take breaks and then go back to working otherwise they don’t really count as breaks, do they?
4. Turn off your bloody notifications
I guarantee that the vast majority of the notifications you get are either pointless or can wait. It’s so tempting to just see what they’re about, and me saying to turn them off won’t necessarily change anything. You just have to do it. That’s the only way it’ll happen, and the only way you’ll benefit. Just try it, even if it’s just for 5 minutes. And then after 5 minutes, you’ll realise it wasn’t so bad and you can do it for another 5 and then another. That 5 minutes could be the key to helping you to not be distracted.
5. Block distracting websites.
Yeah, I know, Tumblr is great. It’s probably not doing you any favours in stopping distraction, though - unless you’re reading this, obviously ;))))
There are loads of browser extensions that block distracting websites temporarily. It sounds gross but honestly, it’s pretty helpful. It’s definitely helped me to realise how often I try and distract myself.
6. DON’T GET DISTRACTED
If you’re thinking “yeah, no shit lily”, let me justify.
When it comes to distraction, you are the only person that can do anything about it. It’s a willpower thing. Yeah, you might not want to do the work and you secretly want to be distracted so you don’t have to, but you’ll have to in the end. It’s your choice to do it in a way that is helpful or in a way that is messy and last minute.
If you don’t want to be distracted, take the steps to prevent it. That’s the only way it’ll ever happen.
You have to just try and see that when you do, studying becomes a much pleasant task – a task that you’ll want to do again.
7. Don’t punish yourself!
I can’t count the number of times I have wasted a day by distracting myself or procrastinating and felt shitty afterwards.
It happens when I try, and when I don’t. If I don’t achieve anything in a day, I feel crap and I punish myself. It’s what I do. It’s not healthy, and I want to warn you against it.
Instead of punishing yourself when you have an unproductive day, reward yourself when you have a productive one! It can make all the difference. Do something nice for yourself. Do POSITIVE things. Do things that will make you want to work again just so you can do them.
If you have an unproductive day, if you try so hard to not get distracted but you do, if you fail something, if you feel shitty for the lack of work you’ve done…
Remember that tomorrow is another day and that, eventually, you will get there.
