Study/Work Method

I used to have to force myself to study, and I would struggle with continuing, i would sit for several minutes and not have made any progress without realizing and i would make excuses to do something else, so I started trying to find ways to make it easier for me to focus and continue studying for long periods while still being equally productive without burning out. Now I use a method(My favorite) that I'm not sure has a name; however, I'm going to call it the start stop switch method. It has helped me a lot to avoid getting bored and/or unmotivated too quickly while studying and working.

This is how to use it:

1. If you have multiple subjects, then choose the starting subject, the one you want to start with, let's call it A, and then put the other subjects in order of the order you want to study them in, like A, B, C, etc.

2. Start studying subject A while putting on a timer for 25 minutes, and put your phone away from you; even having it in your eyesight can ruin your focus. If you focus better with music, you can listen to music, but make sure it's not too loud and make sure it's not something too hyper.

3. When the timer runs out, set another one for 5 minutes, and that's your break to do whatever you want.

4. When your break is over, set a timer for 25 minutes once again, but study subject B instead. Unless you want to finish off a bit more from A, you can switch to subject B if you are bored of A.

5. Repeat this two more times, so you've studied 3 subjects if you switched every 25 minutes.

6. When the 5 minute break is over, set a timer for 25 minutes once again and study the subject you have reached.

7. When you are done with the 25 minute studying, then instead of a 5 minute break, it will be a 10 minute one. (In simpler words, you will get a 10 minute break after every fourth study session you get through.)

8. Repeat all of this as many times as you have to until you have finished what you need. If you prefer to work longer periods, then you can adjust it to 45 minutes of studying and a 10 minute break, then the break would be 20 minutes after every fourth study session.

A few tips:

To set the timer, I like to use the basic clock app you usually already have installed on your laptop, because it already has a focus session option where you can adjust how long you want the breaks to last and how long the focus session should last. It can also connect to your spotify so it starts automatically when you start the timer, you just have to select the playlist first.

Gather all the materials you will need before you start the studying

Study in a quiet room

Make a small checklist of the subjects you need to finish studying

Make sure you're in a room where there isn't anything that will distract you easily, like your pets if you have any.

Final note:

If you ever start to feel too overwhelmed or unmotivated, you can take longer breaks and return to it when you feel more motivated. Sometimes it can help to open a window or get away from where you've been studying and get something to drink or eat. And of course remember to take care of yourself <3