The 5 Best Tips for Staying Focused

Welcome back to Diary of a Small-Town Girl! This year is already flying by – I can’t believe it’s almost March! With March coming up soon, that means Spring Break is right around the corner, and it’s hitting that point in the semester where staying motivated and focused can seem like climbing a mountain. So, to tide you (and me!) over until Spring Break, here are the 5 best tips for staying focused!

Tip #1: Keep a Schedule

For me, the biggest thing that helps me stay focused is staying busy. The more of a set schedule I have, the easier it is for me to know when I need to do homework, applications, and other work. I am so much more likely to be productive when I know that I only have 2 hours of time to get work done, as opposed to having an entire day. So, keeping my classes, work schedule, and other things I have going on in my calendar and doing weekly planning sessions keep me organized and focused.

Even if I don’t have actual events, time blocking is super helpful for me. I love working on one class at a time, and then switching what I’m doing, and sometimes even moving locations (see #4 for more on this!). I often will even put time blocks in my calendar on my phone to make sure I’m sticking to them, especially if I don’t have classes or other events going on that day. Incorporating tips like these into my “schedule” helps me stay on task and on time.

Tip #2: Minimize Distractions

This one is definitely one of the things I struggle with the most. For example, I literally cannot let myself sit next to a window when trying to do intensive writing or other homework. Yes, seriously. I love people watching, and sitting next to a window means I’ll be watching people walk by and not reading my Spanish textbook. Another big distraction for me is being around my friends (Sorry guys, but I know you all know what I’m talking about). Because of this, I have to be really particular about making sure that I’m by myself in a work environment when I need to get stuff done.

For me, one of the easiest ways to minimize distractions is to find a nice quiet corner to do my work in. As I’m writing this, I’m sitting in the corner of the Reading Room in the Library, where I can’t see or hear anyone else, which is keeping me super focused. I don’t really like working in my dorm room, but if I really can’t avoid distractions, I’ll go there because I know it’ll be quiet. Finding your distractions and knowing how to avoid them is one of the most important things to figure out, so let me know down below what your distractions are and how you avoid them!

Tip #3: Take Breaks

I’m so bad at doing this, but it’s probably the most essential tip on this list. Taking breaks is one of the best ways to rejuvenate your mind and your focus. Even just getting up and walking around the room you’re in is a super helpful thing. When I do remember to take breaks, I always drink some water, avoid going on my phone, and try to stand up and walk around a bit. This tip also kind of goes along with #4, because I use switching locations as a break!

Tip #4: Switch Up Your Study Location

This is one of my favorite focus tips that I’ve discovered since coming to college. Switching up where I’m studying is seriously one of the most helpful things that I’ve found for myself. I’m a person that likes a bit of variety, and when I get too comfortable in a space, I’ll start to become unfocused. This is why I use switching locations as a helpful tool. Ok, let me explain what I mean here:

For example, if I’m in Old Main (one of the buildings on campus) writing an essay, when I decide to go work on my Statistics homework, I’ll move to my dorm or somewhere else on campus to give myself a change of scenery. I also use these little movements as built-in breaks. Especially because I usually have to walk across campus, it also gets me outside and ready to work again when I settle in my new study spot. I also love finding new study spots all around campus. I definitely have my favorites, but discovering new spots is super fun for me, and keeps me focused on the work I’m doing that day.

Tip #5: Set Small Goals

Final tip: set small goals! I have to do this to be productive at all (hence why I keep several to-do lists and journals with goals). For me, this usually looks like keeping my Notion checklist and getting to check something off when I’ve finished it. But sometimes it also means bargaining with myself that if I finish the Economics problem set I’m working on, then I can go for a walk and get some hot chocolate or that I have to finish my Comparative Politics readings before I can go hang out with my friends. Even small things like this are super motivating for me, and they’re small, achievable goals.

I also like to break down bigger tasks into smaller goals. For example, I will brainstorm for my paper one day, write most of it the next day, then do revisions and sign up for an appointment with the writing tutor, and do final edits the next day. Breaking things down helps me stay more motivated and way more focused. Big assignments can feel really daunting to me and breaking them down allows me to get the focus I need to just start them! These breakdowns are usually accompanied by my beloved check mark or a small reward to motivate me.

Conclusion

Well, those are the 5 best tips for staying focused! I use all of these tips in my daily life, and they are seriously so helpful for me. Make sure to check out some of the other Diary of a Small-Town Girl posts too! Let me know in the comments if you use any of these tricks, or if I missed one that you love to use. I hope that you all have a wonderful week and I’ll see you next week!