Pacing, procrastination and setting up a
study environment
Setting up a study environment
Mindfulness
Exam myths quiz
Surveys
April
Observation:
Take 15 minutes now, to study something for
school tomorrow, for example, for a test or as
a revision exercise.
Reflection:
How long did it take you to settle down?
Were you able to concentrate? What
distracted you?
Use a webcam on your laptop or computer
and set it to record during your homework
time. How much study did you actually do?
How often were you off task?
1. Eliminate distractions
No matter where you are, if you have something you need
to get done , the best place to begin is with identifying
what distracts you the most.
Before you focus on your revision/homework, figure out
what little things distract you, and get them out of the
picture.
This could be anything from a pet to your phone!
Try a different room in the house each day to find a space
that works.
2. Clean up your space
Go down to your local supermarket and ask for six empty
boxes. Using a marker, write the name of each subject on
the side of the box.
If you have a desk / room with books and papers
everywhere, gather them together into one pile on the
desk/table.
Now is the time to go through all of the dog-eared and
creased bits of paper at the bottom of your school bag,
add them to the pile.
Sort books, bits of paper, notes etc. into each box.
Take the large pile of papers you have collected, and sort it into 3
piles:
Stack 1: Take Action (you need to do something with this piece of
paper now, perhaps for tonight’s homework)
Stack 2: Put into one of your labelled subject boxes
Stack 3: Bin it
Attack the things you need to take action on within an hour, then
put them away in the appropriate box. It is amazing how much
paper can catch your eye and distract you from what you are
trying to accomplish.
Leave only a pen, calculator, ruler, small notebook, post-its or
cards on the desk.
3. Exercise when you wake up
Exercising within a scheduled morning timeframe is such a great
start to the day, and will actually provide energy for your mind to
produce its greatest works.
Walk round the block.
If you take the bus to school, get off one stop earlier. Walk a little
faster.
Take the dog for a walk.
4. Music
Music can be a great way to get into what you are doing!
Some people need silence, but for others, there is great rhythmic potential
out there that is perfectly aligned with your mind’s resonance frequency.
Find a study rhythm that suits you. If you need absolute silence, buy some noise
reducing ear plugs or sound reducing headphones. You can buy noise blocking
industrial headphones from a builder’s shop.
5. Get off your phone, Skype, Twitter & Facebook!
If you are using these media tools, seriously, how many times do
you need to check your Facebook?
Text your friends to say that you will call them at a later time, for
example after X p.m.
Give video games to another person in the house.
If you need to time your study sessions, use a kitchen timer
instead of your phone.
Check email twice a day, set up an auto reply that defines the
times that you have chosen. Then ONLY check and reply to email
during those designated times.
6. Schedule food & coffee breaks
…and stick to them! It is very easy to go out / downstairs to eat and end
up getting distracted with other things.
Focus on the task and stick to your breaks as you would in school.
Coffee & tea are a great way to stimulate the mind and get the body
moving, but not every five minutes.
7. If you cannot concentrate at home
Perhaps you have tried all of the above and it just isn’t working, for
whatever reason, perhaps you live in a busy house where it is
difficult to control the noise / distractions. A couple of solutions:
•
use your local library. It’s quiet, it’s free and there will be less
temptation to get up and have a snack/drink. Look up library
times.
•
ask a friend if you can study at their house. If you know
someone who has a quieter environment, ask if you can share
their study space. You can reward them after the LC.
Good attitude = good to go!
You are strong, committed, and able! A good attitude can get you
through the stress of study and exams. Setting up a productive
environment is just a matter of a little self-discipline. In fact you will feel
so much better about yourself and your revision progress, it can make
an enormous difference leading up to the exams.
Procrastination: what is it?
Any activity you engage in which avoids completing a task that must be done.
Watching Cat
Videos on Youtube
Tidying your room!
FACEBOOK !!!!
Making endless
cups of tea
How to avoid it
1. Use a planner
2. Just get started
3. Avoid distractions
4. Don’t blow it out of proportion
5. Go with your learning style
Mindfulness
Have you ever arrived at the end of a page and realised you
couldn’t remember anything you just read?
It’s a common occurrence, especially in people under pressure or
great stress. Our minds are often so preoccupied that we can’t get
through even a paragraph without becoming distracted. In other
words, we’re reading, but our brains are not actually there,
absorbing the material.
This lack of attention can be a vicious cycle, making you feel less
able to complete readings and study. Mindfulness - the act of living
in the present moment - is a useful technique for people wishing to
de-stress and achieve goals. Mindfulness is a way of saying
“being fully aware of the present moment.”
Mindfulness for
concentration
How to come back from spacing out
1.
Count to Ten
2.
Pick a cue to “bring you back”
3.
Pick 5 things
4.
Slow Down
Count to 10
The Ten Second Count
This is more of an exercise in practicing concentration than it is
in mindfulness. In this exercise, just close your eyes and focus
your attention on slowly counting to ten. If your concentration
wanders off, begin again at number one!
For most people, it goes something like this...
“One...two...three...do I have to buy milk today or did John say
he’d do it? Oh, whoops, I’m thinking.”
“One...two...three...four...this isn’t so hard after all... Oh
no....that’s a thought! Start again.”
“One...two...three... now I’ve got it. I’m really concentrating now
Mindfulness Cues
In this exercise you focus your attention on your study whenever a
specific thing occurs. For example, whenever you hear the phone ring,
you promptly bring your attention into the present moment, be aware
of what you are doing and what you are reading, and stay focused on
your work.
Simply choose a cue that works for you. Perhaps you will choose to
become alert every time you pick up a pen. Perhaps it will be every
time your hands touch each other. Perhaps it will be every time you
hear a car.
Mindfulness cues are an excellent mindfulness technique that are
designed to snap you out of the unconscious ,“autopilot” ,state of
mind, and bring you back into the present moment.
Pick 5 things
This is a simple exercise to centre yourself, and connect you with your
environment. Practise it throughout the day, especially any time you
find yourself getting caught up in your thoughts and feelings.
Pause for a moment.
Notice five things you can see.
Notice five things you can hear.
Notice five things you can feel in contact with your body (e.g. your feet
in your shoes, the air on your face, your back against the chair and the
fabric of your clothes touching your legs).
Slow down
Most of us are on “autopilot” throughout the day because we are
rushing. And when you are procrastinating, you will do anything other
than the task you are supposed to be doing.
Take a moment and do something slowly.
Take a slow walk where you take extra time to look around you and
take in the sights and sounds (as well as any other sensations). Now
you are prepared to concentrate.