Productivity is hard at the best of times, but as the weather gets warmer and it’s so much easier to go outside and pet all the dogs, getting work done is becoming harder and harder. Here are some great techniques for sitting down and actually writing that paper that I’ve been using this weekend.
1. Get out of your room
Whether you’re going to the park or the library or even a friend’s room to study, it’s so much easier to give in to distraction in your room than it is somewhere else. For bonus points, don’t bring your earbuds so you can’t sit in the library and marathon that new Netflix show or watch fifteen videos of cats falling off of things in a row.
2. Listen to something calming
I’m a huge fan of rainy mood, a website that simulates the sounds of a thunderstorm. Other possibilities include classical music or video game music, which is designed to help you concentrate (theoretically on the game, but it works for studying too). Make sure not to play songs with words if you’re one of those people who can’t help singing along!
3. Make room for yourself
Studying while balancing fifteen books, a laptop, and your pencil on your desk is a headache that a lot of us know all too well. Cleaning can be a great way to procrastinate, but if it’s done before the study session, it will allow for a nice, non-cluttered study space that will hopefully stop you from fidgeting and reorganizing your desk after every sentence.
4. Give yourself a break
This can be one of the hardest things to do, but sometimes when your brain refuses to focus, it’s for a reason. Treat your brain and body nicely, and give yourself breaks when necessary. Just try to make sure those breaks aren’t on the computer—go for a walk for grab an energizing snack instead, so that you don’t get sucked into a Twitter hole from which there is no return!