How to concentrate when studying: Effective studying requires the capacity to concentrate, to focus your attention on the task at hand, and to block out any distractions. Unfortunately, most people find paying attention to anything for more than a few seconds at a time to be exceedingly challenging. When you’re studying or listening to someone talk, notice how easily you become sidetracked. You’ll probably discover that you can’t focus completely on anything for more than 30 seconds.
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Necessaries for Effective Study
The second thing to emphasize about studying is that it may be one of the most enjoyable and rewarding experiences of your life. The two are inextricably linked: the more time you devote to learning, the more you will learn.
a. Effort: Because studying is done at a desk, it’s easy to underestimate the amount of work, attention, and determination you’ll need to summon and maintain in order to learn efficiently. It is critical to recognize and accommodate for this initial condition of learning when combining a course of study with full-time work. Effective studying takes dedication and effort.
b. Time: It takes time to thoroughly study. You must set aside time for learning, regardless of what else is going on in your life. In addition, the older student studying at home must bear in mind that each new demand on his or her time almost always has an influence on others, as well as the fact that studying properly demands continual time allocation. Because proper study takes time and work, they are the source of the majority of our first concerns.
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c. Determination and Energy: Almost every one of our tasks demands a large quantity of energy. We are all too aware of this at times; we have to force ourselves to undertake some chores, or we may discover that our early excitement has waned all too fast. Other activities do not impose similar constraints. We get started on them without thinking and seem to breeze through them.
Why is it that certain activities are so much more difficult to do than others? What is it about some activities that make them so simple to carry out? A big part of the solution appears to be that the behaviors that require the least apparent effort are those that are habitual and/or those that we desire to undertake because they are pleasurable and rewarding in some manner.
d. Motivation: The second form of behavior that appears to come naturally is that which we enjoy and wish to do. Motivation is the term used by psychologists to describe the source of our energy, the drive that allows us to take action and see it through. Motives are derived from our personal desires and requirements.
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11 Tips to Stay Focused And Motivated When Studying
1. Establish a routine: Make a schedule for waking up, eating breakfast, studying, exercising, and talking with friends. A routine gives you a sense of control by giving you a structure to write things down. It is beneficial to have certain acts or behaviors to prepare for studying.
This can take 10-15 minutes of preparation, and you can do things like make a good cup of tea, keep your study environment tidy, and do a 5-minute mindful breathing or observation practice to help you transition seamlessly into the student role. You feel better when you are completely focused on your work. It’s also crucial not to blame yourself if you don’t stick to your timetable; self-criticism depletes drive.
2. Put an end to multitasking: Many individuals feel they can multitask well, but in reality, your brain just flips between the several things you are performing. One job at a time is all that your working memory can manage.
So pick one task to focus on and only move on to the next one after the previous one is completed or you no longer have energy for it. If you wish to listen to music as you study, make sure it’s instrumental music, since lyrics will place additional strain on your working memory, causing you to lose focus on the subject matter and its full processing.
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3. Remove your smartphone from the equation: One of the most distracting devices you must avoid is your smartphone. Did you know that each time you look at it, it takes 5 to 15 minutes for you to regain your focus? It’s a lot simpler to ignore your smartphone’s distraction if you can’t see or hear it.
So put it aside for as long as you want to concentrate. If that isn’t enough, turn off your alerts, unplug from your largest distraction (e.g. Instagram), or go offline when studying. According to studies, you will notice a beneficial influence on your focus after just one day without alerts. Consider what you could accomplish if you did that for a few days.
4. Have a clear mind: It’s simpler to concentrate when you have a clear mind. Workplace piles of work can be distracting since you can see how much work you still have to accomplish. Cleaning up your desk will help you think more clearly.
Stress is also caused by to-do lists that are continually flying through your thoughts. Make a schedule for them by recording them in your journal or on a to-do list. Then your subconscious will mark them as ‘completed.’ Additionally, lists may aid in the organization of your day and the prioritization of chores.
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5. Train your attention muscle: The capacity to pay attention may be polished in the same way that a muscle can be. You may do a variety of activities to help you concentrate better and for longer periods of time, as well as avoid distractions. If you do a few mindfulness tasks every day, you will notice a difference. Taking a few moments to ‘breathe’ may be really beneficial.
6. Eat, sleep, and hydrate: For optimal attention when studying, getting a good night’s sleep and eating and drinking enough are vital. Your brain’s prefrontal cortex (the part where you absorb information and make decisions) requires adequate rest, which you can get with roughly eight hours of sleep every night.
Drinking adequate water has also been proved to help with concentration. It has been demonstrated that even a 5% water shortage in the body affects your concentration by 25%. Furthermore, water and tea have a beneficial influence on the function of neurotransmitters in the brain. Coffee and energy drinks are less beneficial because they only have a transient impact.
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7. Boost your motivation and give yourself a treat: It’s difficult to focus if you’re not driven. But how do you keep yourself motivated? It aids in keeping the end aim insight. Consider how the study activities, lectures, and assignments fit into the bigger picture: the profession for which you are being prepared.
Another crucial and effective motivational suggestion from students is to treat yourself. Have you completed a challenging task? Give yourself a treat! You will train yourself in a favorable manner in this manner, making it simpler for you to begin a task the following time; you can already feel the benefit.
8. Regular exercise: Regular exercise is essential for maintaining a high level of concentration. Moving for even 10 to 40 minutes has been proved in several studies to boost concentration and focus. Even a short brisk stroll can help you focus, be more productive, and feel better in general.
Exercise improves your attention for up to two or three hours after you finish your workout. Exercise also boosts self-confidence in your capacity to do (tough) activities, decreases stress, and improves sleep quality.
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9. Prioritize your schedule: Tackle tough issues first thing in the morning when you’re at your most energetic, tackle the hardest stuff in the morning. (This is the most productive period for most individuals.) If you’re an outlier, go ahead and tackle the challenging stuff when it’s convenient for you.
This type of planning aligns your energy with the task’s complexity. As a result, you deal with less difficult things in the evening, when you’ve used a lot of physical and mental energy and your proclivity to slack is at its peak.
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10. Find a perfect study environment: Getting a perfect study environment is the most fundamental requirement for achieving maximum concentration when studying. To get maximum concentration, a reader needs to be relaxed and comfortable. Now, getting a perfect study environment may be subjective, in the sense that what is best for one may not be best for the other. But then, there is a certain atmosphere that concentration demands, and this is generally applicable.
The atmosphere is a one of silence. Concentration becomes very difficult in the midst of noises. The height of loosing concentration is when a reader tries to reads in an environment where he is interested in the noises or conversations being made by the people around. Although for some people, it is best for them to read in an environment with little noise as opposed to absolute silence.
Absolute silence induces pressure and sleep on some readers. So, you have got to know which of the either setting works best for you. Another dimension of discussing a perfect environment is the openness of the space and the population of people around. People tend to concentrate better in an enclosed environment and an environment with fewer people, because distractions are limited. By being in a populated or an open place, you will meet people that know you and they will come to interact with you, thereby making you lose concentration.
Another angle to getting a perfect study environment is staying where you are accepted. If admission to the venue you intend to study is restricted and your category is not allowed, there is no point finding your way in there. You should be in a place where you have the confidence to move in and out anytime. Reading where you are not accepted makes you to put double efforts in order to assimilate. You need to be relaxed, free and comfortable when studying. It is a psychological thing.
11. For the study area, make affirmation signs: Positive cues might help a student’s subconscious mind remember his or her learning capacity. You and your children can make signs with affirmations like those listed below. Use a variety of colors while creating the signage (our brains adore color).
“I believe in myself”
“Everything I do deserves my best effort”
“Every challenge has a gift for me”
“I am unique and valuable”
“I am responsible for what I create”
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12. Incorporate some music into the mix: Some classical music is “brain-friendly” and helps to improve the study atmosphere. Students benefit from listening to baroque music because it helps them focus and enter their most resourceful learning state. Music improves the brain’s ability to store and recall information.
Many (most) youngsters will believe that their own music is the finest, but try persuading them to listen to Baroque music instead; they may find that it makes studying easier and want more! By the way, it works for both working and studying.
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Conclusion
What can you do to increase your ability to focus when studying? The first step is to eliminate apparent sources of distraction. Study in a peaceful place where you won’t be distracted or interrupted. One’s capacity to concentrate is directly proportionate to his or her level of preparedness. It is entirely up to you to maintain a high degree of focus while reading. You must make a conscious decision to focus on what you are reading or what someone is saying. You should also try concentrating your attention.
Edeh Samuel Chukwuemeka, ACMC, is a lawyer and a certified mediator/conciliator in Nigeria. He is also a developer with knowledge in various programming languages. Samuel is determined to leverage his skills in technology, SEO, and legal practice to revolutionize the legal profession worldwide by creating web and mobile applications that simplify legal research. Sam is also passionate about educating and providing valuable information to people.