1. Plan your day and set goals.
It’s easier to focus when you’ve got a plan you created earlier in the day. Knowing what you want to accomplish beforehand leads to a lesser chance of procrastination getting in the way.
2. Create small incentives for yourself with every goal you achieve.
Whether it’s treating yourself with a small snack like this pupper, or allowing yourself to watch an episode of Bob’s Burgers, positive reinforcement helps motivate your brain into completing tasks in a timely manner.
3. Download an app that limits your phone use.
The internet is a clickhole. One link leads to another, then another, then another… You started out reading some news on your Facebook feed at 11:00 AM and then the next thing you know you’re on the weird side of YouTube watching Dr. Pimple Popper when the sun is going down.
4. Use a self-timer when doing tasks.
The Pomodoro Technique is a helpful tool that assists in getting tasks done through breaking your time into intervals of work and rest. There are many Pomodoro-inspired apps that you can download for free in the App store.
5. Make time to take care of yourself.
You have to be physically and mentally in the right state of mind in order to focus. If you’re not taking time to recenter yourself, focusing will be an uphill climb.
6. Allow yourself to sit in silence.
In the noises that we hear in our conscious and subconscious everyday, it’s important that we take the time to just be. With our non-stop hustle and bustle society, sometimes we forget to just stop and let ourselves exist in the moment. Find a space where you are just with you, and allow yourself to run through the thoughts in your head.
7. Sleep.
This may seem like a no-brainer, but college students need to be reminded that sleep is not for the weak, and that it’s something we need in order for our brains to rewire, process and focus. It’s time-consuming, and it may take away from work that you could be doing, but work can only be productive if your brain is actually there.