How to Concentrate While Studying
There are three key areas to focus on that will help you concentrate while studying:
Set up your workstation for productivity
Learn how to trick YOUR brain into paying attention
Back off before mental exhaustion sets in
Let’s look into each of these in more detail, shall we?
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1) Set up your workstation for productivity
While sometimes you can just sit down anywhere and work, that’s not necessarily helping you…and if you’re having trouble concentrating, you probably need all the help you can get! Set up your workspace for success with the following:
Find a quiet place to study
Wherever you’re working should be free of as many noise distractions as possible. If your only option is out in the open where all the hubbub of your house is, then some noise cancelling headphones might be a good investment.
Mute everything that beeps, blips, blings, dings and rings
While you may occasionally have things that are really pressing time-wise, there aren’t THAT many things that can’t wait half an hour. Do yourself a favour by turning off all of the notifications around so you don’t have an easy distraction.
There are apps that can help you do this easily. Check out the Offtime app for smartphones or Freedom for multiple devices.
Have a handy place for “distracted notes”
While you can’t necessarily prevent those stupid little “oh - I need to remember to do that” thoughts, you can certainly still address them. If you don’t do SOMETHING, you’ll try to keep reminding yourself of them by thinking of them all the time…and that’s just wasted brainpower! Keep a little notepad around to jot down all those little distractions that you DO want to remember for later. Deal with them on your breaks instead of during your study time.
Play music without words
While some people appreciate silence, others are distracted by the deafening nothing. If you’re one of those people who need music, opt for something without lyrics.
Why are words such a big deal, you may ask? Either you know them really well, and your brain will be busy finishing the lines in your head instead of concentrating on your studies…or you don’t know the words well enough, and your brain will be busy trying to figure out what they are.
Classical’s always a good choice if that’s your style, but there are certainly other options out there. Check out the following albums for inspiration:
The Ultimate Most Relaxing Classical Piano Music in the Universe
Very Best of Jazz Instrumentals
Listening To Pictures (Pentimento Volume One) (Jon Hassell)
Talk Amongst The Trees (Eluvium)
Tranquil Guitar - Soothing Music For Relaxation and Sleep
Have some other great suggestions? Tag me on insta with your faves!
Have a source of natural light
Windows are always a fantastic choice to have nearby if you can…partially because it reminds you that there’s life on the other side of the glass, and partially because natural light gives off a therapeutic energy.
If you don’t have access to a window, it may be worth investing in a daylight lamp.
2) Find your best “study tricks”
Most humans have a certain learning method that works best for them. Some people are auditory and they need to hear information. Some people are visual and they need to see information. Some people are kinetic and they need to physically use information. Some people need a mix of all three.
This means that there are going to be a million and one “study tricks” out there, but some of them are certainly going to work better for you than others. None of this has any bearing on how “smart” you are, though; it’s all a matter of how your brain likes to function.
Figure out what works best for you and focus on using those methods whenever your concentration levels drift.
Here are some actionable techniques that can be extremely useful for kick-starting your concentration if it’s drifting:
Move around
This can mean pacing while reading, making up big actions or something as small as chewing gum. If you’re a kinetic learner, sitting and reading can be one of the hardest ways to learn anything. Adding movement to the learning process doesn’t have to mean sophisticated exercises, though. You can always try one of these ideas.
Speak things out loud
While some people are fine with reading in their head, other people find that speaking things out loud is way more useful. For the advanced version, take your eyes off the page and explain what you just learned to an imaginary friend.
Re-write and condense your notes
MANY times. You may also find that taking hand-written notes is better for your brain than typed notes. If you’re worried about going through too much paper, check out this cool note-writing tablet. The future IS digital, after all.
Make Flashcards
Whether you’re in the early stages or late stages of learning something, the process of whittling down information into a shorter form is always useful. By making flashcards yourself, you are using and re-writing the information…and it’s also super easy to test yourself once they’re done.
If you want to take the digital way out, check out Cram.com or Brainscape.com They have a HUGE selection of user-uploaded flashcards, and you never know - there might just be a set that’s useful! You can also make your own flashcards, so you’re certainly not limited to what you see!
Shuffle your flashcards/notes often
While there is definitely some merit to keeping certain categories together, it is supremely useful to recall information in a different order than the last time you used it. The brain is good at memorizing patterns, and it’s important to not let it fall into ruts of only being able to recite things in the same order. Shuffling topics will help prevent this rut from forming.
Decrease the video/audio volume
If you need to hear to pay attention to something, why not try making yourself really have to listen. By turning the volume down, you make it harder to hear and therefore harder to drift off.
Think about it: we’re hard wired to pay less attention to those ads that blare at 150x volume…so why should your studies be any different?
Adjust playback speed
If you’re having trouble concentrating, it may simply be that your brain wants to travel at a different pace than what’s given. Try speeding up or slowing the playback speed of any video/audio and see if that makes a difference. My sweet spot is usually 1.5x or even 2x if there’s also a transcript to follow along with.
Review before sleeping
Sleep has this weird trait of putting the pieces of your entire day back together over night. If you want to read more about it, check out this fascinating article HERE.
In a nutshell, anything that’s covered right before bed seems to have the highest rate of being able to be recalled.
If you’re the type of person who tends to spend the first half hour of “bed time” going over your study notes, do use some caution with this one. You might find you need to do a study session, then watch something funny, and THEN go to bed.
Colour-code your notes
Adding colour to the page will help break up any long, boring passages of notes. It also helps your brain make associations easily…which will therefore make them easier to stare at for long periods of time.
When you make your notes visually appealing, it’s going to help you WANT to look at them…which will make them even easier to focus on.
Want the best way to add colour to your notes? Check out The Best Coloured Pens for Note Taking (newsflash I now also OWN the pens, and they’re as amazing as my friend said they were!!)
Accept when you need help
If you’re truly struggling with something, sometimes you DO need an external voice to explain things to you. If your lack of concentration is because things are hard to understand, this might be the tip for you!
It’s always good to wait a day or so before asking for help, so don’t run for assistance at every frustration. Give yourself a chance to have a completely independent breakthrough! When something’s challenging, you may need to give your brain a day to process things behind the scenes and also let your frustrations cool.
Sometimes a break isn’t enough to make all the pieces fit together, though, so it’s best to seek external help when you’re at this point.
Variety is key
Whenever your brain is starting to drift, take it as a cue to do something else. This doesn’t have to mean switch to a different subject (though it certainly COULD); it may just mean shaking up your routine.
Maybe you’re usually great at sitting and reading quietly, but today’s not your day. If that’s the case, maybe jump up, shake off and try reading out loud instead. There’s no shame in having a day where your brain just doesn’t want to cooperate.
Whenever your concentration is wandering, it’s a sign that there is too much monotony in your studying routine and it’s time to change things up!
3) Back off before mental exhaustion sets in
While “studying longer” may sound more impressive, long study sessions don’t do you any good if you’re working at less-than-optimal brain capacity. Make sure to quit while you’re ahead, especially when it comes to long, potentially frustrating study sessions.
Now, how long of a break am I recommending? Am I giving you permission to spend half of your “work” time NOT studying? Nope….sorry. You still have a lot of work to do.
I’m saying to have a 5-minute break at LEAST every 30 minutes
One of the simplest study methods to follow is the Pomodoro Technique. It has a rotation of 25 minute work segments with a 5 minute break. Then, every 4 segments, you take a 30 minute break.
What is a break?
Ok, it MAY seem like an obvious answer, but I just need to clarify for all of those “trying super duper hard at all times” people in the front. (Yes, I’m talking to YOU, Nadya)
A break is a period of time where you’re not working on the thing you were working on. This should be treated as official “me time”. It’s as much about stopping the spiral into madness as it is about being able to come back in a positive, refreshed mindset. It is imperative that this time is guilt-free time spent not going over things.
This means that getting up to go make tea can be a break, but not if you’re simultaneously going over a section of your notes in your head over and over again.
Going to put on a load of laundry isn’t really a break if you loath it, but it CAN be if you enjoy it.
Essentially, you are giving your brain a quick little nap to put some pieces together on its own without you and your stress interfering. You brain will do some catch-up work behind the scenes, and you can focus on coming back to work in a positive headspace.
What sort of things CAN be a break? Here are some fun ideas to get you started.
puzzle
game
walk
snack/lunch
craft
write
draw
exercise
sing
dance
…………..laundry?
BUT - Don’t forget the most important part of any break!
A break must end…within a reasonable timeframe. 5 minutes should only be 5(ish) minutes…not a full episode of Riverdale. A 25 minute break CAN hold an episode of Schitt’s Creek, though, so that’s a legitimate option for a longer break!
If you’re like the average mortal, you’re going to find it so much easier to stay mentally in the task at hand (whether that’s working or not working) if you’re not checking the clock every few minutes. Set timers for breaks and work times so you don’t even have to think of it.
*DING* - time to work - *DING* - Woo, time to play! - *DING* - Here we go with studying again - *DING* - Sweet, it’s break time!
Whenever you find your concentration is drifting, remember that it all comes down to these three things:
workspace
variety
breaks
Once you nail these three things for yourself and are good at changing up your tactics whenever necessary, you’ll have conquered one of the first major hurdles of independent learning!
Want More Study Tips? Check out:
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Who is Nadya Corscadden?
Nadya holds an MA in Musical Theatre and is no stranger to the home learning scene. Having spent a good chunk of her younger years in distance education (and opting for some correspondence electives at university), she has accumulated many tricks to help maintain focus and inspiration. She has a passion for independent learning and wants to help anyone and everyone find their stride in this atmosphere whether it’s homeschooling or simply studying for that next big test!
She is also a triple threat singer, dancer and actress….and can’t wait until stages are alive again!