Table of Contents Show
Looking for a way to become a better student? In that case, we’ve compiled an actionable list just for you. Read on and learn how you can improve your student life.
1. Increase Your Study Concentration with the Clock Method
You’ve probably already heard or tried some popular methods to train your concentration:
- the tomato technique, which consists in imagining in an extremely vivid and complete way that you hold the aforementioned citrus fruit in your hand.
- the heartbeat technique, which involves concentrating intensely on listening to the heart, until you are able to visualize the blood being pumped throughout the body.
- or the Himalayan technique for concentration and memory, which consists in mentally counting from 1 to 100 and then, counting backward, from 100 to 1. Once practiced, it increases the count up to 1000.
But today I prefer to talk to you more about another technique… the clock method.
Yes, such a simple object can come in handy when we are too distracted to achieve our daily study goals with concentration.
The exercise is very simple: all you have to do is look at the second hand on your watch.
Clock Method
Fix your gaze on the dial, focus your eyes on the second hand and start counting. Make her eyes follow her as she keeps ticking. Don’t be distracted by anything else around you or inside you. Go on like this, for 1 minute.
After successfully completing this exercise, you will realize that you have shut out all distractions and are perfectly able to concentrate on the page of your book, without further distractions.
“What if while I do the exercise, I start thinking about something else?”. No problem, reset the count and start exercising again, without getting pissed off. Just start over 3 or 4 times to unleash that “oh, that’s enough… now I have to do it!” that will make all the difference in the case.
2. Try “Mindfulness Meditation”
According to the Dalai Lama, finding concentration is one of the most difficult things to do and, in this regard, the practice of meditation comes in handy from the Buddhist doctrine.
Although it may seem like an ascetic practice, in reality, it can be declined in forms that are very close to our daily life and that do not imply belonging to a religion.
An example is given by mindfulness meditation which does not require any particular skills or prerequisites, and which therefore can be practiced by anyone in everyday life, for example, to find calm after a stressful day, to drive away negative thoughts, and… to increase concentration!
Well, yes. This happens because mindfulness meditation provides that, in the beginning, all the attention is directed on one’s breath, on the movements of the abdomen, in short, on a single stimulus, in such a way as to exclude all external distractions.
This exercise helps to increase the concentration threshold, making us more predisposed to remain attentive to the activity we have to carry out. If you want to have a laugh hearing what mindfulness is NOT, enjoy the first few minutes of this video and if you are curious to find out more about this practice… watch it all!
3. Do Concentrated Reading Exercises
This technique may be useful for testing your concentration level while reading. While you are reading a paragraph of your textbook (short eh, not 30 lines!), Do this exercise: after reading it all, without looking back, summarize the contents in the space of a tweet (about 140 characters)!
Being able to summarize a relatively large concept, just reading, requires considerable concentration while reading, so if you can, you are on the right track, if you are missing something, keep trying is a great way to evaluate if you really understand this. that you have read.
Don’t take it as a real study technique anyway, but simply as a way to recall concentration when you feel it is flying away.
4. Listen and Treat Your Body Well
Yes, we have to take into account its needs, the will can also be strong but if the cooperation of the body is lacking, we don’t go very far and, sometimes, we have to adapt.
Study at the Right Hours for You
It would be cool to study at 100% of our abilities for the whole day but, the reality is very different, and you have to know how to listen to yourself and your body.
In fact, we have some hours during the day in which we work better, others instead of in which we tend to get distracted more easily.
Generally, the coolest hours are early in the morning, but this varies from person to person. See for yourself what time of day you feel most lucid and dedicate that time to studying, so you will do everything more effectively.
Rest Your Body
And this is another important aspect to keep in mind.
Try to imagine what could happen if you used your phone always at 10% battery: some functions would be blocked or limited and, maybe you don’t know, but it would tend to get damaged.
Here, the same thing happens with our body: if you often find yourself studying when you are tired you end up understanding little, memorizing less, and, in the long run, this leads you to completely lose the motivation to study. After a good break, however, you are back on track stronger than ever.
Eat Healthily
Food also plays an important role in your concentration.
Let’s understand, I’m not advising you to go on a super diet and revolutionize your way of eating.
I’m just telling you that it is better to avoid binges of the so-called “Junk food” (chips, snacks, coke… you know, those things you surely don’t know;-)) and prefer those lighter and healthier foods, such as seasonal fruit, dried fruit, vegetables, dark chocolate, and many others.
By the way, if you’re feeling like you don’t want to study at all, then you’ve burned out! In this case, consider getting help from an essay helper to let you recollect your motivation and energy.
Reward yourself at the end of the day
And this is really needed because, in the long run, it is not good to work hard. We also need the right reward. So, reward yourself!
Do what you prefer: go out with friends, watch a good movie, play your favorite sport… in short, at the end of the day, after having worked hard, give yourself this small but essential gift.
