HOW TO STAY FOCUSED WHILE STUDYING?

“Your brain’s executive function helps you plan, make decisions, and — perhaps most important — pay attention,” says Dr. Joel Salinas, a neurologist with Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital. “It acts much like the captain of the ship.”

Cognitive psychological research from the last decades has shown that students who have great concentration while studying receive better learning outcomes. Distractions are everywhere, and it’s easy to lose track of what you’re doing. So how to stay focused while studying? In this blog, our Savvycle team will give you tips on how to focus while studying.

Our experienced team thinks that maintaining focus while studying can be a challenge due to various factors including internal and external. Common external factors can come from noise from your surrounding study place, digital devices, and social media while internal factors can be self-discipline or daydreaming. Overloading work and lessons leads to stress which can also cause focus loss. Remember, it’s normal to have challenges with focus, but with the right strategies, you can improve your ability to stay focused while studying. Understanding the need of students who want to know how to stay focused while studying, the SavvyCle team has experienced themselves in different ways and found four representative strategies to maintain your concentration while studying. Here are the strategies:

1. Create a conducive study environment

The SavvyCle team has extensively explored various methods to enhance students’ study time. We’ve concluded that a dedicated and inspiring study space is fundamental to productive learning. Hence, our top recommendation is to establish a conducive study environment to maintain focus. We encourage you to create a study nook that motivates and inspires you. Adorn your desk and surroundings with warm lighting, maintain a neat workspace, and incorporate motivational quotes. We are confident that these elements will help you concentrate better and make your study hours more effective.

2. Time management techniques

We suggest applying time management techniques such as the Pomodoro Technique where you study for a set period, typically 25 minutes, followed by a short break of about 5 minutes. This method helps maintain your focus by providing regular, scheduled breaks to rest your mind.

However, the Pomodoro Technique is just one of many time management strategies. Here are a few more suggestions:

• Task Prioritization: Identify the most important and urgent tasks and tackle those first. This can help ensure that you’re making the most of your study time.
• Set Specific Goals: Having clear, achievable goals for each study session can provide direction and keep you motivated.
• Avoid Multitasking: While it might seem efficient, research shows that multitasking can decrease productivity and make it harder to focus. Try to concentrate on one task at a time.
• Use Tools and Apps: There are numerous time management apps available that can help you schedule your study sessions, remind you to take breaks, or even block distracting websites.

Remember, everyone is different, so feel free to experiment with different strategies and find what works best for you. The key is to manage your time in a way that minimizes stress and maximizes productivity.

 3. Mindfulness and meditation

We have a question: “Are mindfulness and meditation powerful tools for enhancing focus and mental clarity?”. Mindfulness involves being fully present at the moment, observing your thoughts and feelings without judgement. This practice can help you stay focused on your studies, preventing your mind from wandering. Meditation, on the other hand, is a dedicated time to calm the mind and cultivate inner peace. The Savvycle team thinks that regular meditation can improve focus, memory, and cognitive flexibility, making it an invaluable tool for any student. Our team believes that if you master mindfulness and meditation skills, you will know how to stay focused.

4.  Engage your brain

Do more activities that involve using your executive function skills. “You want to take up something that stimulates and requires mental effort, but not so much that it overwhelms and dissuades you,” says Dr. Salinas. He suggests something that teaches a new skill, such as painting, cooking, dancing, or learning a language. ” Our team suggests choosing activities that stimulate your mind and require mental effort, but not to the point of being overwhelming. Consider taking up a new hobby that teaches you a new skill, such as painting, cooking, dancing, or learning a new language. We think these activities not only demand focus and attention but are also designed to show progress and provide encouragement. Plus, they can help alleviate stress.

5. Study tools and apps

There are various tools and resources available that can help you stay focused:

• Study tools and apps: Apps such as Forest or Focus Keeper can help you manage your time effectively and reduce distractions. Furthermore, there are a variety of viral videos on YouTube with the title Study with me can also help me to stay focused since they bring me a sense of study motivation.
• Resources for further reading: Books such as “Deep Work” by Cal Newport provide valuable insights into improving focus and productivity.

Staying focused while studying has several benefits. Firstly, it allows for improved comprehension and retention of information, leading to better academic performance. Secondly, a focused mind can accomplish tasks more efficiently, saving valuable time. On the other hand, losing focus can have several negative consequences. It can lead to poor comprehension and retention of information, wasted time due to distractions, and increased stress levels from trying to multitask or catch up on work. Ultimately, the ability to maintain focus can significantly impact one’s academic success.

In conclusion, the Savvycle team believes that reading our given strategies can now help students know how to stay focused. Remember, like any other skill, focus requires practice. So start today, apply our strategies, and see the difference it makes in your studies.

The SavvyCle team is dedicated to providing valuable insights into the world of education. Our combined experience and expertise in this field make them a trusted source of information on effective strategies for staying focused while studying.

For more in-depth information, do not hesitate to check out other blogs of the Savvycle team. Unleashing Your Study Potential, One Strategy at a Time!