The new semester has just arrived and you are already losing your mind trying to find a way to improve your learning focus? Hey, don’t panic! Especially in this time of world tension and uncertainty that we are currently living in, it is normal if you are feeling less productive and devolved. And that’s really OK!
But, if this lack of focus is bothering you a lot and you want – and can – do something to feel a little better, why not? Even more so if the trigger of this inattention comes from something that is inside your room. We can solve this together and in a blink of an eye!
Thinking about it, we prepared a list of 5 things in your study corner that may be impairing your concentration and tips of what to do to get around with them. So, what are you waiting for? Prepare your student organization spirit and check the tips out below:
- So much more than books on the table…
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Various papers, opened notebooks, uncapped pens, clothes, the new edition of your favorite magazine, and even decorative objects… Let’s face it, nobody can really concentrate in front of a visually polluted desk. All these visual stimuli can easily facilitate a rapid loss of focus. So, what you can do is follow that famous mother’s advice: keep your study environment as organized as possible!
Of course, you don’t need to become a cleaning freak – that won’t be healthy for your concentration either – but it’s always a good idea to ensure that the environment you will use to write or research is minimally clean, so that you have enough space to feel comfortable while studying.
- Your ideas may not being sufficiently illuminated…
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If studying in the light of day can be really tiring at times, imagine doing this in the dark? Enlightened places are great friends of concentration. You can use the sunlight, sitting next to a window, or even illuminate your desk with the help of a table lamp. The important thing is that you don’t have to struggle to see and understand what you are reading or writing.
Another interesting tip is to always opt for the so-called cold lamps (such as LEDs, those whose light is more bluish): they liberate more lumens, what means that they produce a more intense light, which stimulates concentration on tasks. In resting places, like bedrooms and living rooms, it is preferable to opt for warm yellowish lamps, as they induce relaxation and sleep.
- Umconfortable furniture
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Yes, we know that the study environment is not a resting corner. But having comfortable furniture is essential to stay focused on any activity – and even to maintain your body health and free of muscle aches. In fact, you don’t need much to overcome this problem, just a chair in which you feel good, after all, it is there that you will spend several good hours of your day.
If you want, you can also cover your seat with cushions, blankets or other soft things to relieve your body pressure on the chair material. Oh, and forget the chairs which are too low or too high! Maintaining an upright posture is essential to avoid back problems and undesirable pain.
- Many temptations around you…
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Do you know that typical cartoon scene in which the little angel and the little devil in your conscience leave you torn between doing the right thing or falling into temptation? Exactly, you need to get rid of this little voice! There are many things in your study corner that can be so much more funny and seductive than studying: your cellphone ringing with a new message, the TV on your favorite series and even your comfortable and tempting bed.
The first step to solve this problem is discover what is making you lose your focus and act on it. But, basically, an interesting advice is to leave your gadgets outside the room during the study or just keep them off or in airplane mode. In the case of your bed, just avoid studying while sitting on it: it may seem more comfortable at first, but eventually you will end up confusing your body with bedtime – and then the focus will magically disappear!
- And even the colors of your study room…
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Yes, the color of your walls and furniture influences – a lot – your concentration! The reason why it happens is explained by the color psychology theory , an area of knowledge aimed at researching how colors act in the human brain and, this way, how they can influence our behavior and, even, our reasoning.
According to the architect and painting consultant, Anna Flávia Bueno, the exciting and vibrant colors, as orange and yellow, are great for studying places, since they are stimulants. “These colors send us into the sunlight and automatically make our bodies produce the hormone serotonin, which brings us a sense of well-being and stimulates learning”, she says.
However, too vibrant colors like red can over-stimulate your brain and make you very agitated, which can also be fatal for your concentration. Remember: without “too much”s and “too little”s, balance is everything! On the other hand, blue and green, in soft tones, can also stimulate concentration and creativity, but, since they also bring a comfortable sensation, it is preferable to use them in the walls of a relaxation room, like bedrooms.
Well, now that you know some tips and strategies on how to use the decoration of your room in favor of your study, let’s work on it! Oh, but it’s important to note that there are no perfect rules for an ideal study corner! Even, according to the professor and director of the Polytechnic course (USP), Giba Alvarez, “everything depends on the profile of each student, the same place can contribute or even harm the concentration depending on who is living there. The student gets to know his own limits and makes a personal gradative adaptation”. Summing up, the most important thing is that learning takes place in a welcoming, comfortable and healthy environment, so that you can have the best possible experience there – and, mostly, survive the semester!
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The article above was edited by Laura Ferrazzano.
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