Avoid distractions at study time - study techniques

Distractions are one of the most harmful elements for human productivity. It is often difficult to identify them, as we perceive them as ordinary tasks to which we should pay attention. The more tedious the task we face, the more distractions we seek, as our brain avoids unpleasant moments and chooses the path that offers the least resistance, which is rarely fulfilling our responsibilities.

Below, we will give you an overview of how harmful distractions can be and what measures we can take to avoid them during our study days, in order to make better use of our time and be more efficient in our daily tasks.

Distraction is a problem

The rise of the Internet and social networks has flooded us with millions of elements that negatively affect our ability to concentrate on our daily tasks. This is easily understood, as the algorithms behind these sites are designed to capture our interests and provide us with a constant stream of engaging content.

Their goal is to keep us on their platforms as long as possible, as their business model is based on our consumption. It's not as simple as turning off the TV at the end of a movie, now you have to get past the algorithm trying to show you something interesting enough to keep you going.

This is the problem with the misuse of technologies: it is difficult to find limits, and providers are not interested in setting them, that responsibility falls on us. If we don't control our use of time and distractions, it will be impossible to maintain an efficient pace of productivity.

Not all distractions come from the Internet, just think of the hours that are wasted talking about trivial topics, playing video games, listening to music or doing any activity that delays us from meeting our obligations.

Given the problem, here are some actions to mitigate its effects.

Regulate your connection

Self-study is inevitably related to discipline. While there are rules in school, there must also be rules in self-study. Having no one to control you does not mean that there is no order, you must impose your own rules. Regulate internet access only for student matters during your study time. There are many free applications that allow you to limit access to certain sites for a period of time, however, ideally, this restriction should be a matter of personal will and discipline.

Establish schedules

A common distraction is receiving unexpected phone calls or visitors. Although it is sometimes difficult to prevent these events, it is best to have study schedules and communicate them to your friends and family. This way, they will know that you are busy during that time, and although it may be difficult at first, interruptions will decrease over time.

Create your study plan

Don't let studying be a spontaneous event. Plan your study sessions ahead of time so you won't be caught off guard by the backlog. Having a study plan will allow you to organize trivial events during break periods and distribute your recreation time in a way that doesn't affect your daily responsibilities.