I often find myself trying to trick my brain into thinking time is moving much faster. Painfully slow lecture still has an hour left? No, it’s basically six, ten minute intervals or even 12 five minute intervals. It’s been the longest week of my life, it’s only Tuesday. No, it’s pretty much Wednesday and tomorrow is Thursday which is just really pre-Friday, so in conclusion tomorrow is Friday. My favorite trick of time is telling myself, there’s only one more week until spring break. Considering I’ve been saying this since the first week of February, it’s a little disappointing when I remember I’m just gaslighting myself. Majority of this effort into ‘deceiving’ my brain is so I’ll remain productive, here are some of my favorite ways to remain productive with, truthfully, one more week until spring break.
Sweet Treat O’Clock:
My absolute favorite time of the day is what my friends and I fondly call, ‘sweet treat o’clock’. While it does not need to be any specific time or even with a group of people. This is just simply a great way to take a break from studying and reward yourself for all the hard work you’ve been doing. This can include getting froyo/ice cream from your favorite nearby shop or my go-to, a take-out box full of dining court cookies; especially when Earhart or Wiley have their chocolate chip and sugar cookies.
Change in Scenery:
I used to pride myself on being able to study in my room but sadly as the semester goes on, my bed just seems to look more and more comfortable. I have found that I can still study at my desk but only for a short amount of time until I have to move and study in a different location. I am quite fond of the lobby in my dorm building but I also find that studying outside, weather permitting of course, is also a great way to regain focus and get some fresh air.
Time Managed ‘Doom Scroll’:
While people, myself included, don’t like to admit how often they ‘doom scroll’ on social media. This can be defined by a significant amount of time spent just watching video after video with no end in sight. While it takes a large amount of effort to shut down a ‘doom scroll’, I found that if I set a timer then I am more inclined to break away and return to studying. It can be very helpful to break away from my homework and watch cute baking videos on Instagram for a set 10 minutes and then return to work.
Complete a Small Task:
When I was in high school my teachers often told me that efficient studying was completed when you actually sat down, applied yourself to it, and worked until complete. That worked great for me, in high school, but now it seems I can’t even read two pages without becoming distracted with something else. It is so hard to focus when you work non-stop for hours on end, so I often find myself completing small almost meaningless tasks during study sessions. Finish writing a paragraph? Take the trash out. Complete math problems? Replace the box of Kleenex. By completing a part of your homework and then a task that might have been weighing you down, is doubling the reward and keeps your mind alive.