Home is a very distracting environment, from pets to parents, a lot is going on. Now that we are all locked away in our homes due to quarantine, teenagers and toddlers alike are now forced to do there learning online. In 2019 we would have been more than willing to do all of our work online, but now that we are forced too it seems almost impossible. Here are some ways to get work done during quarantine:
1. Get out of your bedroom
Although it's very tempting to do all your work in your PJs while in bed, studies show that it's often doing more harm than good. Not only will you be likely to slouch, leading to bad posture, but studies also show it could affect your sleep. Articles by the likes of DailyMail and the Telegraph point out strong correlations between disrupted sleep patterns and doing schoolwork in your bedroom.
This likely due to the fact that your brain associates the bed with sleeping, so when you try to be awake and productive in bed, it's likely to make you drowsy and unfocused. Bedrooms are often distracting since they do have all your favorite belongings and possessions in them, so it's best to move elsewhere. Living rooms and dining rooms are good places to get work done, more so dining rooms because there's less activity going on there.
2. Put on your favorite music
This is a no-brainer to most, but music really does improve your work ethic. Songs with little to no words in it are even better to study and concentrate since there aren't any words to distract you. Video game soundtracks are surprisingly able to improve focus since that's what they were intended to do in-game.
More soothing game soundtracks such as Minecraft are good for calming yourself down to work with a hint of nostalgia, but videogame soundtracks such as Halo with fast tempos are good to get your adrenaline pumping. Beethoven and other classical artists' music do improve mental concentration if your willing to listen to very old music.
3. Destress and deep breathes
It's almost impossible to get any work done if stressed. Whether your stressed from the mountains of work you have to do or simply stressed with being inside all day, then your first priority is to destress. Deep breathing helps slow the heart rate, and apps such as Mindfulness Meditation and Calm are there to help you calm down.
Everyone has different ways of calming themselves down from music to art, so found out which hobby of yours is most useful to calm yourself. It's best to calm yourself before you start doing your work, because if you take a break to try and calm down then it might just stress you out even more.
4. Know your ideal work environment
An ideal work environment is one without distractions, but also one that suits your needs. Check the temperature, everyone has there own 'just right' temperature, and once you figure out your own then you will be one step closer to your ideal environment! Another detail is where you are, considering that some people enjoy working outside in the grass, while others prefer a solid bench inside.
Try doing your work in multiple environments to see which one is best suited for you. The environment can also be at what time of day it is, some people are ready to do work ten AM while others would prefer to do it at ten PM. With the ideal working environment, you're sure to get everything done.
5. Coffee
Not all of us like coffee, which is alright! But for those who drink coffee, a nice steaming cup to go along with your work just might help improve your focus. Numerous studies have shown the positive effects that coffee consumption has on humans.
Coffee is a natural stimulant that stimulates your mind into being more productive while you work. Not only does coffee make you more productive, it also increases your energy levels to be more alert while working.
6. Take short breaks
A short break does not mean you can fool around on your phone for an hour. It simply means time away from whatever device you're doing your work on and taking a deep breath, maybe making a healthy snack. This short break is meant to reset your mind and help you calm down for a bit before getting back to work. It has been scientifically proven that taking short breaks in between doing work can help lessen the amount of stress, as well as helps to reset your mind to be more focused in the future.
7. Doodle
All of us at one time or another has doodled in the margins of a notebook in a boring class. What if I told you that doing that might actually help you remember what the teacher is saying even better? Although not the same with online schooling, you can always doodle during Zoom conferences or while watching Youtube videos that your teacher has uploaded.
Doodling has been proven to help you concentrate on what's being said why also releasing your inner creativity. Doodling could help alleviate the stress that comes with homework.
8. Do things one at a time
You may think you can multitask three projects at once and just switch between tabs, but that really just creates a lot more stress then get things done. When you multitask, it's hard to jump from subject to subject, especially with High School classes ranging today from science nine to forensics. Try to pick one class, one project or piece of homework, and pretend the rest doesn't exist until you completed that one assignment.
9. Turn Notifications Off
Smartphones are notorious for sending tons of notifications that distract you from your work. Whether it be that your lives have been refilled in Candy Crush or an app needlessly begging you to play it again. Tell your friends that you'll be busy, as well as your family, then buckle down and get the work done. Without the notifications popping up every second then you'll get distracted a lot less often.
10. Get The Right Amount Of Sleep
It's tempting to sleep in and stay up all night, but teenagers need eight to ten hours of sleep each night. Without adequate sleep, your brain often cannot function at the highest degree. Since teens no longer have to wake up early to get to school, their sleep schedule is out of wack.
Most teens sleep from fourteen to four hours of sleep every night in quarantine, with no in-between. Sleeping too much can have the same effect as sleeping too little, so making sure you get just the right amount of sleep is the key to productivity.
Now that you've learned how to stay focused, stop reading this, and get back to work!
