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The hardest thing for us students to do after a long day at school is to relax. Kick off your shoes, change into your “comfy clothes” and settle into your bed with a tasty snack to tide you over until dinner. But what about those nights when you have piles of homework to do or have endless pages of papers to write? You settle into the one spot where you know you’re bound to get at least one thing done, whether be that your desk, your bed, or a comfy couch, and make sure you do these 4 simple things to help make it easier to stay focused on what really needs to be done.
1. Make sure you have enough light:
While this seems like an easy task to accomplish, some times it can be overlooked because of the convenience of a laptop or computer screen, but natural light has many more benefits than we realize. According to psychologytoday.com, “Compared to workers in offices without windows, those with windows in the workplace received 173 percent more white light exposure during work hours and slept an average of 46 minutes more per night. Workers without windows reported lower scores than their counterparts on quality of life measures related to physical problems and vitality. They also had poorer outcomes in measures of overall sleep quality, sleep efficiency, sleep disturbances and daytime dysfunction.” But even just having a lamp on to create some warmness can do more than just a harsh laptop screen. It may not be as beneficial as a dose of natural light, but it’ll get the creative juices flowing.
2. Keep your supplies organized:
This tip might seem like a bit of a no brainer, but sometimes people forget how important it is to be organized. Sifting through all the supplies you have scattered all over won’t help in your task to remain focused because when someone doesn’t want to look for something, what do they do instead? They look at Twitter or Instagram, which defeats the purpose of trying to stay on task of your schoolwork. Organizing your papers into clearly defined folders or keeping your pens and pencils in close reach will greatly help you solve your organizational problems.
3. Add a touch of personality:
Something that might be the even more overlooked than organization and keeping your study space well lit is having your personality shine through. Sitting in a stark, boring, dull environment isn’t fun and it can’t be easy to gain inspiration for anything you’re trying to get done. Try to have pictures of your friends or family around, so you can look at them to help stimulate your cognitive senses and power through that 20 page paper due next week. Plus, pictures can bring back memories or life lessons you learned at that moment in time, adding a personal element to your work. This makes it even more interesting to read because it’s not just a list of facts or opinions you’ve formed, but an experience you’ve had that you can draw inspiration from.
4. Get comfortable:
Probably the easiest one to accomplish above all the others is the comfort factor. We all know that staying comfortable is key to staying put and powering through a rough assignment. No one wants to sit on a cold, hard chair that makes your butt feel like it’s flatter than a pancake. We all want to reach the comfort factor that comes from your bed, your favorite chair, or if it’s nice out, your favorite tree. Settling into a spot that feels comfortable, normal and secure helps us block out even the most prevalent distractions that could sway us from what needs to be done. So next time you look for a spot to settle down for a dose of hard-work, think about the level of comfort you want it to include for you, your mind, and your caboose.
