Focusing on studying seems very simple in theory, right? The problem is when it’s time to roll up your sleeves and put the activities into practice. That’s when your cell phone becomes more inviting, the noise around you seems to turn into a carnival and, of course, goodbye to productivity in your studies.
But we have some great news. You don’t need to be in a Buddhist monastery to create a study routine that really works. Just look around you, rethink some habits, and voila! You can become more productive in your studies in a natural way, according to what works for your life.
So, let’s get started? You may notice that each of these productivity hacks , even according to neuroscience, depends on your willpower. Moral of the story: tip number zero is to make an effort. Follow along!
1. Organize your study space
According to neuroscience , our brains are sensitive to the clutter around us. In other words, if your desk is a mess, you could study for 10 hours and not get much results.
To ensure productivity in your studies, before you start, or the day before, take a few minutes and organize everything. You can do even better. Separate the books, handouts, summaries and notebooks that you will need. That way, there will be no procrastination. Just sit down and study.
2. Have a schedule
It’s normal, when we start, to want to embrace the world and study all the subjects in one day. But that’s humanly impossible. For this reason, creating a study schedule is more than necessary, it’s vital!
On the same day, you can alternate subjects that you have more and less affinity with, to create a kind of law of compensation: “ah, I’m going to study Quantum Physics, which is difficult, but then I’ll study Math , which is easier”. That way, on days with more complex subjects, you won’t be lacking motivation, because, oh well, that day there are also exercises that you enjoy!
3. Do one thing at a time
When exams or work weeks are tight, do you find yourself doing several things at the same time? That’s a mistake, and neuroscience proves it. No one (that’s right, absolutely no one) is good at doing more than one thing at the same time , not men, not women.
This overloads our cognitive resources and we stop learning or doing things well. So, focus on one activity at a time so that we don’t get confused and end up wasting time. Yes, because we’ll have to go back to that activity sooner or later.
4. Understand what your best time to study is
You know when you see people who love waking up at 5am and get their life sorted before 10am? There’s no point in trying to copy them if their concentration is stronger after lunch or even at night. Each of us knows how it works best.
So, look at yourself, understand your best times and that’s it. You don’t need to be like everyone else, you just need to know yourself. Also, understand that your productivity in studying won’t always be at its highest at that particular time, and it’s okay to study earlier or later. We’re not robots that just need to recharge our batteries to function, right?
5. Take off your pajamas to be more productive in your studies
When we put on our pajamas, it’s as if we’re sending a message to our brain : “It’s time to rest”, “Relax” and things like that. In other words, keeping your pajamas on to study will be like forcing yourself.
So, it’s simple. Get out of your pajamas, put on some comfortable clothes, and wash your face. You’ve already sent a message to your brain that it’s time to stop being lazy and get down to studying.
6. Don’t isolate yourself completely when studying
Sometimes we think that living on a desert island or a distant planet would be the best way to be more productive in our studies, right? After all, living with a father, son, siblings, parrot and dog makes it difficult to concentrate. But that’s not quite the case — we need a little company, after all, human beings are social beings.
Take advantage of the fact that you don’t live alone, if that’s the case, to chat a little with the people at home during the breaks you propose, or arrange some time to study in a group, even if remotely.
7. Have healthy habits
Productivity is also directly related to your well-being. It’s like that day when you didn’t sleep well and can’t focus on your studies, you know? To ensure you have energy, you need to:
- have a quality sleep routine, because the number of hours doesn’t matter, what matters is waking up with a rested body and mind;
- eat a balanced diet, eating a variety of foods to have energy and vitamins for the body to function;
- be up to date with your emotions, because anxiety attacks or lack of motivation, for example, deserve to be investigated in more depth;
- do some physical activity, after all, exercise releases endorphins, your body feels happy and you gain in productivity.
8. Take short breaks to rest
You won’t be able to study from 8am to 12pm without breaks. No one has that much concentration. So, figure out what works for you. Study for an hour and stop for 10 minutes? Study for 30 minutes and stop for 5? Create a study plan that really helps you focus. There’s only one rule here: if it works for you, it’s worth it!
9. Create a routine
Even though it’s not always possible to follow a routine, it’s good to establish one. For example, study early in the morning, work, and return to study at night. That way, even if there are unforeseen events, you can find gaps and adapt.
10. Stretch from time to time
Our bodies get tired of staying in the same position for hours on end, whether you’re sitting or standing. So, if you’ve been studying for two hours, get up for a while, do some stretching, and get back to studying.
This stretching helps to oxygenate the brain and ensure that you remain productive when studying.
11. Give yourself some compensations
Our brain also works better when we reward ourselves. And it doesn’t have to be an expensive prize, you know? It’s simple things, like: did you complete a difficult part of your studies? Stop for a while to play with your pet or listen to some music. You’ll see how much more motivated you’ll come back.
All these study productivity tips will help you focus more and have more quality during these moments, as well as gain some free time. After all, life isn’t just about studying, right? We need some moments of tranquility.