It’s difficult to stay on top of your uni work during Reading Week, especially if you’ve gone back home and all the distractions that come with it are just too tempting to resist. For me, all it takes is my mum or dad to ask if I want to come to the supermarket with them and I’m up from my desk and out of the front door straightaway, and before you know it, the day’s over and you haven’t done any work. You may ask, what’s the point of going home if you know that it’s so hard to stay focussed, but sometimes it’s good to get away from the uni life and routine and have a change of scene and actually allow yourself a break – it’s not a bad thing to not want to spend all your time at uni. So, here are some tips to stay focussed at home, especially with it being dissertation, and other deadlines, season!
1. Allow yourself to be distracted
This seems very counter-productive, but when you’re at uni you’re not working every hour of the day, but these breaks just seem bigger when you’re at home because you haven’t been in the library at all, or had any lectures. If you force yourself to work for the whole day, chances are you won’t actually get that much done, and what you do manage to do won’t be to the best standard. It’s ok, and necessary, to do other things, even if it is just going to the supermarket or running errands. Realistically, that will only take up an hour or two of your day, and will allow you to stay more focussed when you get back to work.
2. Set yourself mini deadlines
This is something which is useful not just for when you’re at home. If you have a planner, or even just in your head, write down in each day what you want to get done – the more realistic the better because then you’ll feel good when you can tick everything off. This not only makes the tasks seem more manageable, but also allows you to visualise what you have to do in a certain day and so you can plan around your tasks. Let’s say your family are watching TV and you desperately want to join them, but you’ve written in your planner that you need to do two more readings for this next essay, then this will motivate you to get the readings done.
3. Get outside
Getting fresh air and walking is known not only to be good for your mental health, but to have a break from sitting at your desk would definitely do your focus and attention span good too, not to mention stretching your legs. Maybe volunteer to take the dog for a walk? Or go with a sibling who’s at home, or even just by yourself for 15 minutes. If you’ve hit a wall with what you’re working on, instead of lying on your bed and scrolling on your phone, you could try going for a small walk around outside, or even just around your house.
4. Local library
Maybe you find it hard to focus because your house is noisy and you can’t find a quiet spot without being disturbed and just end up giving up and shutting your laptop. Have you ever been to your local library? The thought of going to a library when you’re at home seems a bit sad, but it still makes a change of scene from the uni libraries that we go to 5 (or more) times per week, and could be the answer to being able to tick everything off that to-do list. In most libraries, they have desks and work areas which you can use for free, and so could be worthwhile checking out. Ultimately, like when you are also physically at uni, it’s important to not put too much pressure on yourself. You’re only human and taking breaks and being distracted are needed for long-term health and will probably benefit your ability to be productive when you begin working again. You should be able to enjoy being at home and having a rest from uni stress without feeling like it’s a battle between having fun at home and doing no work, or doing work but missing out on other things. A balance is definitely achievable and there are ways of relaxing but also carrying on working towards that deadline.