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Competing responsibilities and a never-ending to-do list can make it feel almost impossible to focus on your studies.
Some days, no matter how meticulously you arrange your stationary, or how good your intentions are, you just can’t seem to get started. Hello scatterbrain!
Glenn Melvin, Associate Professor of Psychology at Deakin University, explains the reasons behind a scatterbrain, and how to focus on study more effectively.
Information overload, stress, and anxiety are common causes for feeling like you’re unable to gather the flurry of thoughts running through your head.
Add in exams and the associated challenges that come with frequent change as you prepare for life after Year 12, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for lowered concentration levels.
‘We see a variety of effects when people are feeling stressed, and one of those is around concentration and being able to focus, study and keep up a good output of work. We can see sleep problems start to emerge when people are experiencing more stress. You feel sort of tense and perhaps feel less like connecting with others,’ says Assoc. Prof. Melvin.
Other symptoms include re-reading the same line repeatedly without absorbing any information and opting for a fourth cup of coffee before you really get started.
No matter what kind of ‘study personality’ you may have, we’ve all felt scatterbrained at some point.
Assoc. Prof. Melvin gives us his tips and tricks on how to focus on study and conquer a scatterbrain.
Whether you’re studying on campus or at home, Assoc. Prof. Melvin recommends planning each day to include time to focus on study, work, socialising, exercise, and self-care.
‘With a plan, think about what time to get up and where to fit in exercise during the day. Where are my study breaks? Where’s my social time? When am I going to dedicate time to catching up with someone on FaceTime or on the phone?’ Assoc. Prof. Melvin says.
Having a schedule can help you keep your day on track and focus on the task at hand, whether it’s studying or getting in your daily workout.
While some people need music to focus on study, it really depends on the type of music (think classical) and the individual. When in doubt, we suggest leaving it out.
Assoc. Prof. Melvin says, ‘We have a limit to the amount of information we can take in and what we can focus on at one time. So, if all our bandwidth is taken up by stressing about studying for upcoming exams, that takes up all of our attention.’
To help maintain focus while studying, Assoc. Prof. Melvin suggests keeping your phone on silent, closing your email and social feeds, and limiting the number of times you check the news to once a day.
'We can see sleep problems start to emerge when people are experiencing more stress. You feel sort of tense and perhaps feel less like connecting with others.'Associate Professor Glenn Melvin,
School of Psychology, Deakin University
Ease your way in by starting with the easy tasks first, to build up your momentum before tackling the harder ones.
For example, Assoc. Prof. Melvin suggests starting with unit readings, note-taking, or reviewing a lecture, before getting stuck into your more intensive tasks such as structuring an argument or problem-solving.
‘You’ve often just got to make a start, and you can get going from there.’
The Pomodoro Technique is a tried and tested study method that involves studying in 25-minute blocks followed by a five-minute break.
‘Set the timer and say, for example, these 25 minutes I’m going to very much focus on my economics or my psychology study, and I’m going to have my phone on silent,’ Assoc. Prof. Melvin says.
Allowing yourself short and regular intervals to break away from your study space can give you some time to prepare some study snacks, practice mindfulness or meditation, or spend time outside.
We hear all the time how important it is to get enough sleep – but it really is critical for focus and study.
‘When people are feeling elevated levels of stress or anxiety in their lives, sleep can be something that suffers. None of us are at our best when we’ve had a poor night’s sleep.’ Assoc. Prof. Melvin says.
Avoid caffeine and too much alcohol into the evening, designate some screen-free time to relax before bedtime, then hop into bed when you start to feel signs of tiredness such as yawning.
Whether it’s a friend, family member, teacher, co-worker, or peer, find someone you trust and feel comfortable to speak to.
If you don’t feel comfortable reaching out to someone you know, Assoc. Prof. Melvin suggests contacting support and counselling services at your school or university, or a public service such as headspace.
If you’re having trouble keeping up with your studies, reach out to your teacher or faculty coordinator sooner rather than later, and address the problem head-on.
In the end, being hard on yourself won’t make things any easier.
‘Beating yourself up can make you feel worse and less productive. Exams aren’t the be all and end all.
If things haven’t worked out the way you’d like them to, focus on directly solving the problem,’ Assoc. Prof. Melvin says. ‘As previously mentioned, you may wish to involve a trusted friend or family member to help.’
So, if you’ve got exams on the horizon, make sure you take these tips into consideration. Even if your mind feels like a whirlwind, with a bit of planning and self-care, you can turn that scatterbrain into a focused, study machine.
Feeling more confident to start studying? Find a course you’ll love.
School of Psychology, Deakin University
