Knowing how to focus can be a great tool both in life and also in your academics. For this reason, studying can be a challenging and often stressful experience, especially if you struggle with staying focused. With so many distractions around us, from social media notifications to household chores, it’s easy to get sidetracked and lose motivation. However, developing good study habits and finding strategies to maintain focus can actually help you to achieve success!
In this article, we’ll explore some of the best techniques for staying focused whilst studying. Let’s dive right in!
Table of Contents
1. Create a study environment that works for you
One of the most important factors in staying focused whilst studying is having a study environment that suits your needs. This means finding a quiet, comfortable space where you can concentrate without distractions.
According to research, one’s surroundings play a very important role in your ability to focus.
When comfortable, someone is more likely to be able to keep a consistent rate of focus and motivation. This is all important because it leads to a better chance of absorbing that information. There are various things you can do, bring a pillow with you to sit on, leave a nice amount of space on your desk, and so on!
The type of environment you would need really depends on how you prefer to study. If you prefer silence above everything else, then you can consider working in a library or your own room (if it’s quiet enough).
On the other hand, the idea of studying in complete silence could be undesirable. In that case, consider using some low-level background noise to accompany you whilst you study.
If you want to know how to focus on your studies, take some time to arrange your environment before you do anything else!
Check out my ultimate guide on creating the best workspace right here!
2. Set Clear Goals and Objectives
Having a clear understanding of what you want to achieve during your study session can help you to stay focused and motivated. Before you begin studying, set specific goals and objectives for what you want to accomplish.
Think about it this way, let’s say you begin studying without really having an idea what your specific aim is. Chances are you will become demotivated quickly. If you want to know how to stay focused on a task, you need to identify what you want to get out of it!
Do you want to completely cover the topic you’re working on? Would you just like to understand it a little bit more?
Whatever the reason, before you begin to work, write it down on a sticky note and place it somewhere you will see it. Now, if you get distracted mid session you can look at the sticky note and remember what you need to accomplish!
If you’d like to know more about setting goals and tips on how to study, check my other article!
3. Focus better by studying in chunks
Imagine you have an entire chapter of English to study, and this chapter has around 33 pages full of content. You plan to finish this entire chapter within the next two days, studying eight hours straight each day.
What do you think will happen? Most likely, all of that content in a small amount of time will overwhelm you. This will probably lead you to completely lose focus during the first hour or two.
A big part of why this happens is because the average attention span of humans is about 15-20 minutes. I think that this really explains quite a lot.
How can you possibly work against this?
Well, I’ve got the best solution. If you want to know how to improve your focus, then you’re going to need to split up your studying sessions throughout the day/week. This is an actually researched technique which has demonstrated a lot of success.
The idea is to plan out a system of when you will study a part of that topic. If you decide to study the first ten pages of a topic in the morning, that’s already a great start. You can then decide to take a long break after the morning, and continue the next ten pages towards the end of the day. That way, you’re making sure to make the most out of your time.
You can even go a step further and introduce the pomodoro technique. This entails timing yourself studying for about 30 minutes, and then taking a break for 5. You will then continue doing this until your study session is up!
4. Learn how to focus by minimising distractions
Let’s be honest, distractions can be a major obstacle to staying focused whilst studying.
Nowadays, our environment is quite literally surrounded by distractions, whether it’s our phones, our laptops or even the television outside your room. It’s hard to go anywhere without a distraction in the way.
I know it might be tiring to hear this, but our phones are a big reason as to why we become distracted whilst we study. A recent study actually shows that the presence of a smartphone alone is enough to distract you.
Seeing a notification pop up on your phone is all you need to draw your attention away from your work and onto something else. You’re also allowing yourself to multi-task when you do this, which isn’t always the best thing to do when you’re trying to memorise and learn something complicated.
There are also quite a few applications that will lock your phone and block notifications in order to hold you accountable. They’re a great idea if you don’t really trust yourself to do the same.
I personally love to use freedom when I’m trying to work. I love it mainly because you can use it on any device, which will allow you to really minimise those distractions. You can choose specific apps and sites to block and set a schedule to do so! It’s a great option if you truly find it impossible to do this yourself.
5. Take care of your physical needs
Although this is going to be a tiny tip, it’s the most important step if you want to learn how to focus!
You cannot expect to remain focused if your own physical needs aren’t taken care of! These could be the simplest things, such as hydration, nutrition and so on.
Always keep a bottle of water near you whilst you study, and use your breaks wisely to get some snacks! You will often find that a lot of things are way easier to do when these needs are fulfilled.
6. How to Focus: Create a pre-study ritual
Creating a pre-study ritual is an effective way to help you transition into a focused study mindset! Something like this would involve developing a consistent routine that you follow before each study session to help you get into the right headspace.
Just to give you an example, something that would really help me before I began to study was to arrange all of my pens in an accessible way. I always thought I was kind of weird for doing it, but it really allowed me to focus more! This was also something I did without ever realising it counted as a ‘ritual’.
It doesn’t need to be anything very time consuming. Really, all you have to do is come up with something that will kick start your brain into realising it needs to concentrate. It could be as simple as cleaning your desk, or doing some very light exercise.
Some great pre-study rituals you can try:
- Arranging your desk
- Practising mindfulness
- Light exercise
- Look for a study music playlist
- Take a shower
- Finish up some chores
- Have a small meal
- Plan out what you will do during your session
I could include a lot more, but I’ll probably never stop…so I will just end this here for now!
Conclusion
Staying focused in general, be it for work or for academics, can be challenging. If you’re learning how to focus from scratch, it might feel more difficult! Still, it is an essential skill for success. By practicing the steps listed in this article here, you will find that your concentration will improve greatly! It’s not an easy process, but if I could manage – then you definitely can (trust me on this).
Remember to be patient with yourself and take breaks when you need to, and you will be well on your way to beating distraction all together!
What do you do to focus? Let us know in the comments below!
Other Articles
Flashcards 101: The Ultimate Guide to Succeed in your Studies
Mind Mapping: The Easy Secret to Better Studying and Productivity
