Now, we don't want to lie to anyone, never getting distracted is impossible, but what we can achieve is that it becomes the exception and not the norm. When we are preparing for exams or working on a class assignment, the biggest time-waster is distraction. Even when we manage to be very focused and productive, something can happen that makes us lose focus, and that is very frustrating. We will tell you how to avoid getting distracted (as much as possible) when we sit down to study, so that we can easily achieve our university
eTítulo with less effort.
Mobile Phones
The number one enemy of concentration is the mobile phone. Whether it keeps ringing or it is very tempting to play with it all the time, the truth is that it is impossible not to get distracted when we have a phone nearby. Obviously, the first trick to avoid getting distracted is to keep the phone out of our reach. The most effective way is to turn off the sound or switch it off, and if our willpower is weak, give it to someone to keep it for us while we study, and not let us check it until we take a break or finish. If we have a little more willpower, we can install one of the many
apps created specifically to avoid distraction, like all the ones they tell us about in
this useful compilation.
Social Media
If we have managed to control the phone situation, the second challenge to overcome is the fact that there are social media platforms on our PC ready to disrupt our concentration. We need all the willpower and self-discipline to not have tabs open and notifications popping up, but luckily, there are also
apps mentioned in the previous link that will help us because they are specific to PC.
Music
Studying with music is not as wonderful as it may seem, but rather the opposite. Unless we listen to soft classical music or meditation music, it is most likely that we end up singing or playing our favorite songs on repeat. To avoid getting distracted, it is best to study in silence and even use earplugs to achieve that sense of isolation that is so useful for concentration.
Fatigue
Being tired, sleeping little or poorly, or accumulating stress makes it easier to get distracted. Even if we have exams coming up, we must force ourselves to get 8 hours of sleep every day and take breaks during the study sessions. If our mind is overloaded, it will be very difficult for us to concentrate, so it is best to study with time so that haste does not lead us to do crazy things that we will later regret.
Lack of organization
Both in our study area, our study materials, and our mind, studying must be organized in every sense so that it is effective and distractions are not frequent. Having order in our environment will remove those annoying messes that end up catching our attention and making us lose focus. In addition, to avoid getting distracted, we must know where everything is and not waste time looking for those notes (where the hell were they?) that we need right now. Making a good study plan, setting dates and available time, organizing materials, and allocating study hours will help us a lot to stay focused, and one of the tricks we can use to establish that order is the
Pomodoro technique.
Change of Environment
Unless we have to move for some reason, the ideal way to avoid getting distracted is to always study in the same place. Having our brain associate that place with studying and nothing else will help us stay on track. If we have to study in a library, maintaining a consistent structure, always carrying the same objects, or doing things in the same way will facilitate concentration and create a kind of ritual that connects us with the mindset for studying.
Exercise
When nothing else works and we can't stop thinking about things unrelated to our studies, the best way to avoid getting distracted is to take a break and exercise. If we spend half an hour doing physical exercise, we will sit back down with a perfect brain cocktail for concentration and a body ready to endure several hours of sitting. You know, where there's a will, there's a way, and the effort is worth it, so stay motivated and go for those exams!
