Sometimes it’s hard to stay focused in school or at work. Here are six extremely helpful tips to keep your brain focused and your day productive!
1. Plan your day the night before
Waking up frazzled and unprepared is likely to throw your entire day of productivity off. By looking at your planner, calendar, and to-do list the night before, your brain has time to start prioritizing, as well as start mentally preparing for the day ahead. Spending a few extra minutes to go over everything you need to do the following day will allow you to be in full girl boss mode once the day starts!
2. Keep a distraction list nearby
Keep paper and pencil near you or a Google doc open when you’re working to complete tasks on your daily list. This document should be solely for any distractions that pop into your head while you’re working or studying. This way, your thoughts won’t take up too much time and you can come back to the it later and focus on it then.
3. Work ahead (if you can)
Regarding schoolwork – work ahead if it’s possible. Aside from school, you likely have a million and one other things to accomplish in any given day, whether it’s with your sorority, an extracurricular club, or a job. Setting aside one day a week to work ahead on a few chapters of textbook notes or getting a head start on that dreaded midterm project will be beneficial in the long run. Future you will thank you!
4. Turn on “Do Not Disturb”
No matter how difficult it may be, turning on “do not disturb” mode on your phone is the ultimate sidekick in silencing distractions. If you’re waiting on a text or email, designate a few minutes for every half an hour to check your notifications – just don’t stray away to Instagram! And remember – if they really need to reach you, do not disturb will allow your phone to ring on the second call from the same person.
5. *Actually* check your email
I know an insane amount of people that don’t check their student or personal emails. This is an important habit to start, as it will be expected of you to utilize this form of contact in your future career… in the real world. Whether it’s your professor emailing to notify you they’re canceling tomorrow’s class or an update on summer internships, you’re going to want to know ASAP.
6. Learn how to say “no”
It’s so easy to cave into peer pressure and say yes. Even if you’d rather go out with friends than write your paper due tomorrow, learning to say no in these situations is essential to staying on the track of productivity. Whether at work or in a club, you don’t have to accept the offer of a new opportunity or project if you aren’t able to dedicate your full time and effort to it. It’s okay to say no!
Each of these tips will keep you consistent in your daily work routine and will have you on track to ultimate productivity in no time!