Exams Coming Soon And Cannot Focus? Here Are Some Tricks To Boost Your Productivity

For all of my fellow students out there, I am here with a much-needed present!

How To Actually Focus On Our Studies!

Being a fellow student myself, I have been stuck in that awful rut, where I just cannot get myself to focus on my work for more than 20 minutes. A single text can disrupt your flow of thoughts and your work!

What is often the case is that, once we have been distracted and somehow manage to get back to work, we are not as focused as we were before the distraction. Distraction lowers our attention and thus reduces our productivity as well!

So , How Do We Concentrate Without Losing Track?

1. Put Away Those Devices!

Unless you need your laptop with you, move all other devices in your room and place in outside. While on the laptop, use different browser extensions to limit your screen time, by blocking off youtube or any other games. Try to have only one tab open on your laptop, so you do not get lost and start browsing other things!

2. Multi-tasking Never Helps

Multi-tasking overwhelms us and leaves gaps in between, which makes it easier for us to get distracted. And when we talk about multi-tasking, it means having multiple tabs open on your laptop, two books in front of you, and texting on your phone at the same time! When you are trying to focus on one subject, multi-tasking will overwhelm you with information, which makes it harder for you to other what is going on!

Hence, the next time to sit to study or work, focus on one subject, with fewer tabs on your laptop and phone away. This way, you can take the time to actually understand and process the information.

3. Understand Why You Cannot Focus

Sometimes, the reason why we cannot focus lies inside of us, and not on external sources. We might be facing pressure from others and the amount of work, and we crumble under the pressure. Sometimes, you may lack the motivation to keep studying or working. So how do you gain that sense of purpose or motivation again?

Think about why you are studying for your exams. To get into college. And why do you get into college? To get a job. Sometimes we have the wrong reasons for pursuing things. So we just change the reason. Instead of telling yourself that you need to study hard to get into the best college, think of it in this way, ‘ I need to study hard so I can get into a college where I can make friends and live independently’. Looking at it from a different perspective might make you motivated again.

4. Filter Your Thoughts!

When we are trying to focus on something, sneaky negative thoughts often slip into our minds and spread all over. Thoughts like ‘I will fail this exam’ or ‘I will not get this promotion’ or ‘I am very behind in my work’! These thoughts will keep on growing if you don’t stop yourself, and then it will stagger you in your flow of work and drag you behind. It has happened often with me. Once those thoughts start, I get dispirited and lose the motivation to study.

So you should be more aware of your thoughts when you are concentrating. Tell yourself ‘stop’ out loud and take a few deep breaths, reminding yourself that you can do it!