how to stay focused on an assignment

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How to Concentrate on Your Homework

Last Updated: March 2, 2024 References

This article was co-authored by Josh Jones and by wikiHow staff writer, Megaera Lorenz, PhD . Josh Jones is the CEO and Founder of Test Prep Unlimited, a GMAT prep tutoring service. Josh built the world's first and only score guarantee program for private GMAT tutoring. He has presented at the QS World MBA Tour and designed math curricula for Chicago Public Schools. He has over 15 years of private tutoring and classroom teaching experience and a BA in Math from the University of Chicago. There are 15 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 433,246 times.

Focusing on homework can be tough, especially when you’d rather be doing anything else. Maybe your attention keeps wandering back to your phone, your stomach is growling, or you just want to put your head down and take a nap. The good news is that you can beat these distractions and get back on track with a few easy changes to your study routine.

Move around or stretch while you work.

• Try sitting on an exercise ball or wobbly chair when you’re doing your homework. The movement may help you stay focused.

Fuel up with water and healthy snacks.

• Apple slices with peanut butter
• Nuts, especially almonds
• Greek yogurt
• Fruit salad
• Dark chocolate

Put away anything that might make it hard to concentrate.

• Some people actually concentrate better with a little noise in the background. If it helps you to have some quiet music on, that’s totally fine! But if you find that it distracts you, turn it off.

Block distracting apps and websites on your computer or tablet.

• For example, you might need to block apps or websites like Facebook or YouTube while you’re working.
• If you get alerts or notifications on your device, turn them off so they won’t distract you. The last thing you need is your tablet blowing up with Facebook notifications while you’re trying to work!

Work on one assignment at a time.

• Don’t try to text your friends or have a conversation with a family member while you’re doing homework, either.

Break your assignments into smaller tasks.

• For example, if you’re supposed to read a book chapter and write a report, start by skimming the chapter headings for important points. Then, read the whole chapter and take notes. Next, make an outline for your report. After that, write the report, and finish up by checking it for mistakes.
• If you have more than one assignment to work on, make a to-do list and put the hardest or most important projects first.

Redirect your attention if you notice your mind wandering.

• It can help to pick a specific thing to focus on to bring yourself back to the present. For example, pay attention to your breathing or to any sounds you can hear around you.
• If you’re working with a friend or family member, ask them to help you stay on track. They can say something like, “Are you focused?” or tap you on the shoulder if they notice you getting distracted. [9] X Trustworthy Source Understood Nonprofit organization dedicated to resources and support to people with thinking differences, such as ADHD or dyslexia Go to source

Fidget with something to help you focus.

• Fidgets are great concentration aids for some people, but are distracting for others. Don’t keep using a fidget if it’s taking your mind off your work.

Turn your homework into a game to make it more fun.

• You can also turn it into a game with a friend or family member. For example, take turns quizzing each other and give points for each right answer. Whoever gets the most points wins the game.
• Or, if you’d rather not play a structured game, try making up a story about what you’re doing. For instance, if you’re studying history, imagine yourself living in the time period you’re learning about.

Try working with a study buddy.

• You could even get together with a small group. Trade notes, quiz each other, or just hang out quietly while you all do homework together.

Take a break at least once an hour.

• You can also use a timer to make sure your breaks don’t go on too long. Remember, the sooner you get back to work, the sooner you can get it done!
• If you’re feeling really restless, frustrated, or distracted, it’s okay to take a break ahead of schedule. Give yourself a few minutes to unwind, then try again.

Pick a time when you feel awake and rested if possible.

• Make it a routine to do your homework at the same time each day. For example, if you’re an evening person, try doing it right after supper every night. [16] X Research source Having a schedule will make your work feel less overwhelming.
• You can’t always choose the perfect time to do your homework, but having a routine can still help you get in the zone when it’s time to work! Once you pick a time, try to stick to it.

Study in a quiet, comfortable spot.

• If you’re studying at home with your family, ask them to keep it down while you work.
• Be careful studying in your room—if you use a space where you usually sleep or relax, it’ll be hard to get into homework mode! Set aside a spot just for homework, and don’t do your work in bed. [18] X Research source
• Finding a good study space can be tough, especially if there are other people around. If you can’t find a quiet spot, put on some noise-canceling headphones. Listen to white noise or peaceful music without vocals to help you tune out background sounds.

Organize your study supplies.

• If you like to nibble while you study, set your snacks out before you get started.
• If there’s stuff in your study space that you don’t need, take a few minutes to clean it up or put it away before you start working. Put completed assignments in their folders and throw away any trash.

Move to a new study spot if you’re feeling bored.

• Even changing your usual study space a little can help. For example, put up some new decorations or move to the other side of the dining table.
• It seems weird, but just the right amount of background noise can actually help you concentrate! That’s one reason some people work better in coffee shops or study halls.

Reward yourself with something fun when you’re done.

• For example, you could watch an episode of your favorite TV show, play a game you like, or call up a friend.

Supercharge Your Studying with this Expert Series

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Reader Videos

Share a quick video tip and help bring articles to life with your friendly advice. Your insights could make a real difference and help millions of people!

• Try mindful meditation to help you focus and relax. [21] X Trustworthy Source Greater Good Magazine Journal published by UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center, which uses scientific research to promote happier living Go to source Look for mindful meditation videos online or use an app like Calm or Smiling Mind to help you practice. The more you practice, the easier it’ll be to use your mindfulness skills when you need them—like when you’re doing homework. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

Tips from our Readers

• Take detailed notes in class to help you. If you are able to, type on the computer rather than handwrite (it won't make your hand ache, and it's faster, so long as you don't get distracted). Also, don't wear your most casual clothes for homework, as this will relax you and will make you focus less. Don't look at how much more you have to do; look at what you've done already, as this will make your assignments seem less daunting.
• I used to have some trouble focusing on homework because I would always try to watch YouTube while doing it. It helped me to set a timer for 20 or so minutes and work on homework. Then I would take a 10 minute break. It helped me do homework without frying my brain.
• When rewarding yourself, don't reward yourself with television or games. Sometimes it'll turn into procrastination. Instead, reward yourself with small stretches or a favorite snack.
• If you need to use the bathroom or anything while you are working, assign a number of questions that you have to finish to use the bathroom. This will make you want to work harder!
• Put your phone on airplane mode. This will mute your phone and you will have to manually put it back to regular mode. Only switch it off when you're done with all your work.
• If you have something that you seriously don't want to do, take small 5-minute breaks between steps. This will calm your stress and help you concentrate more.

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/movement-and-learning/
• ↑ https://www.sacap.edu.za/blog/applied-psychology/how-to-concentrate-on-studies/
• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/focused.html
• ↑ https://www.commonsense.org/education/articles/5-ways-to-help-students-manage-digital-distractions-and-stay-on-track
• ↑ https://today.uconn.edu/2015/07/multitasking-increases-study-time-lowers-grades/#
• ↑ https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/tips-for-helping-your-child-focus-and-concentrate
• ↑ https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_to_focus_a_wandering_mind
• ↑ https://www.understood.org/en/learning-thinking-differences/child-learning-disabilities/add-adhd/how-to-improve-focus-in-kids
• ↑ https://www.understood.org/en/learning-thinking-differences/child-learning-disabilities/distractibility-inattention/child-trouble-focusing
• ↑ https://www.oxford-royale.com/articles/10-ways-fun-study/
• ↑ https://www.washburn.edu/academics/center-student-success/student-success-collaborative/Navigate-Study-Buddies.pdf
• ↑ https://time.com/3518053/perfect-break/
• ↑ https://www.uindy.edu/studentcounseling/files/studyingfromhomeduringcoronavirusdukekunshanu.pdf
• ↑ https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210114-why-youre-more-creative-in-coffee-shops
• ↑ https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_to_practice_mindfulness_throughout_your_work_day

About This Article

To concentrate on your homework, start by settling into a quiet place and putting your phone away so it's not a distraction. Then, tackle your hardest or most time-consuming homework assignments first to get them out of the way. Try to finish each task before moving onto something else since jumping between assignments can disrupt your focus. Also, take 5-minute breaks every 30 minutes so your homework doesn't feel endless and you have something to look forward to. To learn how to stay motivated while doing your homework, scroll down! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Focus on Homework and Actually Get Things Done: 12 Hacks for Busy Students

• September 15, 2022

Chances are, you’ve had some days when you felt overwhelmed after a long day at school. You couldn’t imagine doing anything other than plopping down in front of the television, let alone finding out how to focus on your homework. 

How can you overcome the resistance and get it done? How do you get your mind to include this task in your day as well?

With just a few adjustments, you will be able to expand your capacity to concentrate.

Why Can’t I Focus on My Homework?

Countless factors constantly fight for your attention : social media, people, overthinking, and anxiety. All of this can make you feel as though you have little control over your mind. 

If you want to start to focus better on your homework, you’ll need to set your mind up for success. Remove all distractions .

Here are two key principles that can help you be more successful in your studies:

1. Identify the distractions in your surroundings

What are the things in your daily life that take your mind away from your studies? Clearly identifying these distractions can help you understand both the problem and what causes it.

Among our environmental distractions, digital distractions are one of the worst kinds, and according to a number of studies , their effect is on the rise in the classroom.

If you’re looking to gain more concentration and, thus, form better study habits, question your online behavior first and foremost.

2. Limit the use of technology to find focus

What’s the role of social media in your daily life? Have you ever sat down to calculate how social media distracts you from doing the things you should be doing?

When you are wondering how to focus on homework long after you’ve put your phone away, you’re still thinking about the last posts you saw on Instagram. The sound of new notifications can be enough to reroute our attention from the task at hand.

And then comes the information overload, the fear of missing out, and the all-too-common signs of addictive behavior. Technology is affecting your mind more than ever, and it’s taking your focus away.

How to Focus on Homework: 12 Things You Can Do to Be More Indistractible

Here are 12 tips on how to stay focused while completing your homework, taught by superbrain coach Jim Kwik and habit transformation expert Nir Eyal .

• Make a routine
• Set up a study-friendly environment
• Avoid heavy meals
• Organize your study notes
• Tell others to stay away
• Listen to study music
• Set deadlines
• Take brain breaks
• Use discomfort as motivation for productivity
• Use time blocking
• Let go of thoughts that distract you
• Reimagine your task

Let’s look at each study hack in more detail.

1. Make a routine

Routines help you be productive without exerting as much effort. When you have homework to do, a study routine can be the reason you actually sit down, set enough time aside, concentrate, and stay focused until you complete the project.

This process doesn’t need to be complicated: just tell yourself that you will sit at your desk at home once you’re back from school. Put your phone on silent, make an outline of the work that needs to get done, and simply begin with what’s most important.

2. Set up a study-friendly environment

A place for everything and everything in its place. That applies to studying, too.

Lying in bed with your notebook is considered a distraction, as is being in the living room with your laptop while others are doing their activities.

You need an isolated place when you decide to focus on your homework. Make it feel comfortable, keep it organized, keep it clean, and consider putting up some motivational posters or positive affirmations .

3. Avoid heavy meals

It’s not advisable to have a big meal beforehand. Big meals can ruin your focus and make you feel sluggish and lazy because it takes a big amount of time and energy for your body to digest. A snack is okay.

There are also some foods , though, that are just plain bad for your productivity. For example, soda, candy, and fried foods are all full of sugar and have no nutritional value. They make your insulin spike up, but then it crashes very fast, which makes you feel depleted of energy.

4. Organize your study notes

Prioritize your work. Keep lists and place the most important items on top. Then work on the items that you should get done first.

It helps to outline what you need to do, breaking it down into smaller, more manageable steps. Use colors to highlight the essentials . 

This makes it all look much simpler and you’re more likely to actually get started. The brain loves organization and it won’t be so likely to procrastinate when it knows you have a structure set in place.

5. Tell others to stay away

Don’t be afraid to let others know that you’re studying and require some time and space to get your work done. Decide on fixed hours for studying and tell your friends and family members that you won’t be available during that time of the day.

If others respect your study time, you’ll be more inclined to respect it as well. 

6. Listen to study music

There are many tracks out there designed to help your mind focus. Whether you use binaural beats or just instrumental music, the right sounds can really help to tune your brain into a productive frequency.

This meditation is also great to listen to; it puts your mind in a clear, concise, and ready-to-take-on-the-world mode:

7. Set deadlines

Even if your teacher has already given you deadlines for each assignment, set new ones yourself at earlier dates.

This helps you build discipline, learn how to focus on studying, and prioritize every day.

8. Take brain breaks

Frequent breaks actually increase your productivity and focus. You’ll see that after each study session, the brain needs to be engaged with something different —  you need to activate other parts of your brain before going back to your studies so that you can reach top performance.

You can also use the Superbrain Yoga Technique. In the Superbrain Quest, Jim talks about implementing it during your breaks. It goes as follows:

• Massage the left lobe of your ear with your right hand, and the right one with your left hand
• Inhale and squat down
• Exhale and come back up while continuing massaging your opposite ear with the opposite hand
• Keep going for a few minutes

As your body moves, your brain grooves. — Jim Kwik, trainer of Mindvalley’s Superbrain Quest

9. Use discomfort as motivation for productivity

The brain is wired to protect us from danger, and our ancestors needed this function of the psyche to survive. Discomfort is associated with danger, and whenever they felt it, they knew it was time to run away or protect themselves in one way or another.

In today’s world, danger isn’t so imminent. However, discomfort is, and the brain still works to protect us in the same way. 

So why not use it to your advantage?

Once you have this mindset shift, you can see the discomfort that comes with doing your homework as fuel for moving forward, from pain to pleasure. So instead of procrastinating and avoiding the discomfort, just use it as motivation to get things done.

And maybe you can even save yourself a fun activity to do later in the day, so you have something to look forward to.

10. Use time blocking

You can use time blocking and set a specific amount of time for parts of your homework that needs to be done. For example, you block 30 minutes of reading, then another 30 minutes of writing down highlights from the text. 

This method will give you more structure and support you when you need to focus on school work, as you will have a dedicated structured time to do so.

11. Let go of thoughts that distract you

When you need more concentration, but your thoughts keep getting in the way, here’s a fun visualization exercise you can use:

• Before you start working on your homework, close down your eyes and imagine a flowing river in front of you. 
• Now, place every thought on a leaf and let it run down the river while watching it move away from you. 

Do this repeatedly for 5-10 minutes and see how your mind becomes clearer, more productive, and more inspired.

12. Reimagine your task

How can you make the process of doing your homework more fun? Is there any way you can think of to make it more exciting and engaging?

As you introduce play and fun into any task, your capacity to stay focused will increase. So just try out different methods to engage more in your homework. 

For example, what if you made a trivia quest about your history lesson homework? Or what about riddles to make you remember all the characters from the novel you have to read? 

Once you play around with these kinds of games, you might find that focusing on your homework isn’t as boring as you thought it would be.

Unleash the Power of Your Focus

Discovering how to focus on your homework can go beyond schoolwork and actually support you in many other activities you want to do. Concentration is one of the best skills to nurture for your growth.

If you need a little guidance at the beginning of your focusing journey, Mindvalley has it in store for you. 

By unlocking your FREE Mindvalley access , you can check out sample classes from quests that help you develop better focus and study habits, such as Becoming Focused and Indistractable by Nir Eyal and Superbrain by Jim Kwik. You can also immerse yourself in beautiful sounds and guided meditations designed to improve concentration and help you enter the flow state.

The earlier you start, the greater your journey of self-discovery will be. Welcome in.

— Images generated on Midjourney.

Recommended Free Masterclass For You

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Join the foremost expert in memory improvement and brain performance, Jim Kwik, in a free masterclass that will dive into the one skill you will ever need — learning how to learn Reserve My Free Spot Now

Alexandra Tudor

Jim Kwik is the trainer of Mindvalley’s Superbrain and Super Reading quests. He’s a brain coach and a world expert in speed reading, memory improvement, and optimal brain performance. Known as the “boy with the broken brain” due to a childhood injury, Jim discovered strategies to dramatically enhance his mental performance. He is now committed to helping people improve their memory, learn to speed-read, increase their decision-making skills, and turn on their superbrain. He has shared his techniques with Hollywood actors, Fortune 500 companies, and trailblazing entrepreneurs like Elon Musk and Richard Branson to reach their highest level of mental performance. He is also one of the most sought-after trainers for top organizations like Harvard University, Nike, Virgin, and GE.

How we reviewed this article:

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We rely heavily on evidence-based sources, including peer-reviewed studies and insights from recognized experts in various personal growth fields. Our goal is to keep the information we share both current and factual. 

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Daniel Wong

How to Focus When Studying: 20 Uncommonly Effective Tips

Updated on August 28, 2023 By Daniel Wong 129 Comments

Do you find it hard to focus when you’re studying?

There are so many distractions these days: text messages, videos, email and social media.

Not to mention your own wandering mind.

Over the years, I’ve taught many thousands of students how to study more effectively.

One of the best ways to improve your grades is to learn how to focus better while you study.

I’ve come up with this list of 20 tips and techniques to help you concentrate while studying.

(To get 5 additional tips, download the free PDF below.)

Enter your email below to download a PDF summary of this article. The PDF contains all the tips found here, plus  5 exclusive bonus tips that you’ll only find in the PDF.

How to focus on studying.

You can learn how to focus better by trying some of these techniques during your next study session.

When you find one that works, make it a part of your routine every time you study.

1. Use your phone camera or webcam to record yourself studying

This tip may sound strange, but it works.

Set up your webcam or your phone camera to record a video of yourself studying.

The idea is to create accountability.

Instead of having a friend check on your progress, you have a camera watching everything you do.

Knowing that you are being watched will remind you of your objective.

Just when you’re about to get distracted, you’ll remember that everything you’re doing is being recorded.

It’s a useful reminder to yourself that you’ve made a commitment to study.

2. Use Focusmate

If you want to take it to the next level, use Focusmate instead.

With Focusmate, you make a pre-commitment to study for a 50-minute period at least one day in advance.

You then get paired with a real-life accountability partner.

You must turn on your webcam during the 50-minute session. This means that you and your study partner can see and hear each other during the study session.

If you leave your desk without giving an explanation, your study partner can report you, and vice versa.

Similarly, if you don’t turn up to your study session or if you are late, your study partner can report you.

Non-compliance results in the system marking you down. If your score falls below a certain level, the system will eventually lock you out.

But if you keep your commitments and complete your study session, the system will reward you with points.

3. If you don’t feel like starting work, take 1 minute to prepare yourself mentally

Sometimes you may not even feel like getting to work.

When this happens, take a minute to prepare yourself mentally.

Set a timer for a minute and tell yourself that you’ll start work when the timer goes off.

By doing this, you’ll be much more likely to get to work at the end of the minute.

This is called an “implementation intention”.

Any time you signal to yourself an intention to do something, it makes it easier to begin that task.

In this case, the implementation intention is to set a timer for a minute before starting a study session, if you feel like procrastinating.

So, if you find it hard to motivate yourself to start studying , take a minute and prepare yourself mentally.

By doing this, you will eliminate the resistance you were experiencing.

4. Before your first study session of the day, create a plan for the day

Make the plan as detailed as possible.

There’s a good reason for this. You must be clear about what you’re going to achieve during each study session.

For example, “study science” is not a sufficiently detailed study plan .

Here’s an example of a plan with enough detail: “Read pages 25 to 32 of the science textbook and create a summary diagram.”

When you break a task down into detailed components, you will have a better idea as to whether it’s achievable within the specified study period.

Another advantage of creating a detailed plan is that it becomes easier to assess your progress.

If you’re halfway through your study period and you’ve already completed half of what you planned to achieve, you’ll know you’re on track.

A key part of studying effectively is setting specific tasks to work on during each study session.

5. Write down exactly why you want to study hard

Another way to stay focused when studying is to be clear about why you want to study hard in the first place.

Write down the reasons you want to study hard.

Keep the list handy so you can remind yourself of these reasons when you find yourself losing concentration.

For example, you might write down:

• “I want to become a more knowledgeable person.”
• “I want to become a more self-driven person.”
• “I want to cultivate the habit of always doing my best.”
• “I want to make the most of my educational opportunities and learn as much as I can.”

Try to focus on process-oriented reasons rather than outcome-oriented reasons.

Because outcomes are often beyond your control, whereas the process is always within your control.

For example, the outcome of getting A’s for all your subjects is, in some ways, beyond your control. But studying for a total of at least 2 hours every day is a process that is within your control.

Here’s another reason to focus on the process rather than on the outcome.

The outcome could be something that may only come to pass in the distant future.

On the other hand, the process is something you engage in every day.

It’s far more effective to measure the achievement of the process than the achievement of the outcome.

6. Keep track of all the tasks you’ve completed

Keep a record of all the tasks you complete each day.

This is important for two reasons.

Firstly, it allows you to monitor whether you are meeting the objectives set in your study plan.

If you are not meeting your objectives, you may have underestimated the time required for the tasks.

But if you are completing your tasks with time to spare, you may be able to set your targets higher.

Secondly, it’s important for your morale to see that you are making progress.

Studying is an activity where progress isn’t always easy to measure. But when you keep track of the tasks you have completed, you’ll be clearer about the progress you are making.

This will remind you that you have been productive, which will keep you motivated.

7. Put only the materials you need for your current task on your desk

The brain is able to process information more effectively in an uncluttered environment. This is what researchers have discovered .

As such, it’s a good idea to place on your desk only the items that you need to complete the task at hand. For example, this might consist of the assignment, a pen, a pencil, an eraser, and a calculator.

Make a list of what items you’ll need during your study session. Make sure you have only those items on your desk.

If your study area is disorganised, take a couple of minutes to tidy it up before you start work.

Having things neat and tidy has a calming effect on your mind and will help you to concentrate.

8. Get your brain ready by doing deep breathing exercises before each study session

Deep breathing exercises increase the ability of your mind to focus.

Researchers at Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience have studied the effect of breathing exercises on the body’s production of noradrenaline.

Noradrenaline functions as a neurotransmitter, which affects your concentration.

By regulating your breathing, you can optimise your levels of noradrenaline.

The researchers concluded that “there is a strong connection between breath-centred practices and a steadiness of mind”.

Here is a simple breathing exercise that will bring calm and focus to your mind before you study:

• Close your eyes and take a deep breath in through your nose for 4 seconds.
• When you feel that your lungs are full of air, hold your breath for 2 seconds.
• Then slowly exhale through your nose for 4 seconds.

Do this exercise three times in succession before the start of every study session.

Try it out now to see how relaxed it makes you feel!

9. Don’t study in bed

Don’t try to do anything productive while lying or sitting in bed.

It’s important that the place where you study is not the same as the place where you sleep .

You won’t be able to study effectively in a place that you associate with relaxing or sleeping. In fact, this is my first suggestion when students ask me how to avoid sleepiness while studying .

Also, if you study in bed you will either be lying down or sitting cross-legged.

Neither of these positions is conducive for maximal focus. These positions may even result in neckaches and backaches.

What’s more, you may end up taking unintended naps!

So do your work at a proper study desk, every single time – this is a good habit that every student should cultivate !

10. Adjust the temperature of your studying environment

Make sure the temperature where you are studying is optimal.

Researchers at Cornell University found some interesting results when office temperatures were raised from 20°C to 25°C (68°F to 77°F).

Typing errors fell by 44% and output increased by about 150%.

Most research shows that the temperature most conducive for working and studying is in the range of 22°C to 25°C (72°F to 77°F).

So if it’s possible for you to adjust the temperature of your studying environment, keep it within this range.

11. Write down exactly what you’re working on at the moment

Every time you begin a study session, write down the task that you’ll be working on.

Do this on a rough sheet of paper and leave it on your study desk. This way, it will serve as a constant reminder about what you should be doing at the moment.

Just as you need a detailed plan for the day (Tip #4), you also need a detailed plan for each study session.

For example, if you write down “Do math assignment” for the current study session, it’s not specific enough.

“Do math assignment, questions 1 to 3 ” is more specific, so you’re more likely to stay on task.

12. Tell your family your study schedule for the day

Post your study schedule on your bedroom door or on the fridge door in the kitchen.

This way, your family will know when they shouldn’t disturb you.

There’s another benefit to doing this. It also gives you a greater sense of accountability.

By making a pre-commitment to your family about when you’ll be studying, you’ll be more likely to stick to your study schedule.

All in all, this is a simple tip that will enable you to concentrate when you’re studying.

13. Put all of your digital devices in another room

This might seem like common sense, but I’m surprised how many of my teenage coaching clients were not doing this before I started working with them.

The old adage “out of sight, out of mind” applies here.

Leave your tablet and phone in another room and put them on silent mode.

Minimising temptations is one of the keys to being productive.

In addition, even if you feel tempted to check your phone, you probably won’t do it because the effort required to walk to the other room is too great.

14. Use these two apps to eliminate digital distractions

The first app I recommend is Forest .

With this app, your study session “becomes” a tree.

At the beginning of the session, you plant the tree and it starts to grow. But if you close the app, the tree dies – and nobody wants their precious tree to die!

By using the app, you’ll have a more productive study session.

Of course, having your phone next to you while you study could be a distraction (as mentioned in the previous tip).

This means that you’ll need to be careful not to use your phone for anything else.

The second app you can use to remove digital distractions is Freedom .

You can schedule this app to block other apps such as YouTube, games, and social media to keep you on track.

15. Listen to classical music while studying

Listening to classical music is another way to help you focus when studying.

Dr. Masha Godkin , professor at Northcentral University, has researched the effects of music on our brains.

She found that classical music can take you from the beta brainwave state to the deeper alpha state, and even further to the theta state.

According to Dr. Godkin, the ability of music to stimulate both sides of the brain is why music helps you focus and also improves your memory .

Classical music with a fast tempo, such as Beethoven’s Für Elise, is effective in helping students to concentrate and remember more information.

16. If you don’t like classical music, listen to music/sounds from these two websites

If you don’t like classical music, try using Coffitivity instead.

Coffitivity simulates the sounds you would hear in a cafe to boost your creativity and brain function.

It’s designed based on research at the University of Chicago. This research shows that we think better and are more creative when there is a moderate level of background noise.

Alternatively, try listening to Brain.fm .

Brain.fm offers music engineered to help you achieve and sustain deep focus.

Personally, I use Brain.fm almost every day, and I’ve found it to be useful. By listening to Brain.fm, I’m able to stay focused for about 50% longer than before!

17. Use earphones or headphones while studying

If you intend to use Tips #15 or #16, then you’ll probably want to use earphones or headphones.

But even if you don’t want to listen to any type of music, using earphones or headphones is still a good way to improve your concentration while you study.

Because they insulate you from the outside world.

Using earphones or headphones is a signal to others that you are occupied.

This reduces the likelihood that others will interrupt your study session.

Wearing earphones or headphones will also remind yourself that you are in the middle of a study session.

18. Count how many study sessions you complete each day

There’s a saying that “what gets measured, gets done”. This principle applies to study sessions too.

Keep track of how many study sessions you complete each day.

This way, you’ll become more intentional about getting to work.

Let’s say that you typically study in blocks of 30 minutes.

Before you begin your first study session of the day, you might decide that your goal for the day is to do at least 3 sessions of 30 minutes each.

As the day goes by, count how many sessions you’ve completed.

By keeping score in this way, you’ll focus on the process of doing the work. As a result, you’ll get more work done!

19. When you feel as if you’re about to get distracted, write it down

It’s inevitable: From time to time, you’ll get distracted during your study sessions. So you need a strategy for dealing with these distractions.

Here’s a technique that works well.

Let’s say that you’re reading your science notes when you get the urge to check your text messages.

Instead of giving in to the temptation, write down on a rough sheet of paper: “Check text messages.”

Once you’ve done that, you’ll find that it’s easier to go back to studying.

During your next break, you can go ahead and do what you’ve listed on that rough sheet of paper. In this case, you can check your text messages.

Why is this technique effective?

Because instead of simply trying to resist the urge, you get to “take action” by writing down the distraction. In doing so, you’re acknowledging the urge without giving in to it.

This leaves you free to go back to what you were doing before – studying.

20. Set an end time for when you’ll stop studying each day

This might not be the advice you were expecting.

After all, shouldn’t you be trying to study for as many hours as you can every day?

No, because the idea is to study smart, not just hard.

Of course, you need to work hard. But it’s also essential to lead a balanced life.

So set a strict deadline, such as 9:30 pm, and make sure that you don’t do any work after that time. The best time of the day to study is specific to every student, but it’s important that you decide when you’ll stop studying each day.

This will give you time to wind down before going to bed. This means that you’ll be able to get those 8 hours of sleep that you need to optimise your academic performance.

There’s another advantage to setting a specific end time for when you’ll stop studying each day.

Clearly defined limits help you to concentrate on what you’re doing right now.

You won’t get distracted as often, because you know that you won’t stay up late to catch up on the time you’ve wasted because of procrastination.

The result?

You’ll learn more in less time, and you’ll get good grades too.

Staying focused while studying is something that all students struggle with.

But there are many things you can do to help you concentrate and get into a flow state when studying .

As described in this article, there are plenty of ways to harness the power of your mind and make it work with you, not against you.

So take at least several study tips from this article and work them into your routine, starting today.

If you do this, you’ll find that your study sessions will become more productive and enjoyable!

Like this article? Please share it with your friends.

May 2, 2020 at 7:18 pm

Thank you very much for your effort, its really taking me higher and making me more focused on my study. God bless you.

May 2, 2020 at 9:15 pm

You’re welcome, and God bless you too.

May 5, 2020 at 3:30 pm

They are so amazing thank you

May 5, 2020 at 4:53 pm

I’m glad you like the article.

October 6, 2020 at 11:29 am

I never thought some of these would work on me since I have autism and aspergers spectrum so I easily get distracted.

December 22, 2023 at 12:30 pm

This is so amazing and helpful may the Lord bless the work of your hands

May 2, 2021 at 1:56 pm

Hi this is Sagar, I am preparing for a competitive exam but I am unable to the focused mindset. My mind won’t allow me to sir and study as it takes a lot of time to prepare for it. Could you please guide me regarding it ?

November 2, 2020 at 11:59 pm

Thank you so much sir. I am in class 10 but I am distracted now, so I’m reading this. I feel energetic now. If I am distracted again I will read this. Thanks a lot sir…

January 29, 2021 at 6:29 am

Hello Mr Wong, may I simply ask what it is you have studied at University and if you graduated.

October 22, 2022 at 12:07 am

Thanks To you I’ve been more focused and discipline and I can see the changes in progress thank you Sir.

May 7, 2020 at 2:04 am

These tips are so much fruitful for achieving something very big in life

May 7, 2020 at 8:04 am

You’re welcome.

August 5, 2020 at 10:12 pm

reallu unusual tips but when i play the results in my mind they fall in place perfectly……..will definitely check them out!!! thanks for such a wonderful article

April 27, 2021 at 11:09 pm

Really it’s more realistic….superb…tips

May 3, 2020 at 9:27 am

Thank you for giving us the tips.. Its very useful.. I hope everyone can study easier using these tips 🌈

May 3, 2020 at 10:32 am

You are welcome, and I hope everyone finds this article useful too!

May 3, 2020 at 12:04 pm

Thank you sir 😀

May 3, 2020 at 9:34 pm

You’re welcome!

May 4, 2020 at 7:47 am

Thnku so much for tips …I’ll try it definitely …👍

May 4, 2020 at 8:43 am

May 3, 2020 at 4:05 pm

This is truly the best article regarding effective study. Reading the article was itself a big motivation. This article covers every problem a student faces with the best solution provided. I am in loss of words in expressing my deep gratitude to the writer of this article. Thank You very much! There could be nothing better than this.

I appreciate your kind words!

November 26, 2020 at 8:09 pm

I am trying to follow all the tips that you’ve mentioned sir. They are so useful to me during quarantine.

January 10, 2021 at 4:07 pm

ya you are right

May 3, 2020 at 7:34 pm

I really procrastinate during quarantine….. I have been trying these tips for some days now. And they work. Thank you do much for the tips!!

May 3, 2020 at 9:35 pm

I’m glad to hear that the tips have worked for you!

May 3, 2020 at 11:04 pm

First of all, thx for allowing comments, for me, not allowing them is “questionable” and seens to become more and more common among the media these days… Second: many of these tips are really new to me. I think this article will help a lot, thank you very much! Blessings from Brazil!

You’re welcome! I’m glad to hear that.

May 6, 2020 at 7:24 pm

I m going to try this from today it is difficult.thanks Sir

May 6, 2020 at 9:50 pm

All the best!

May 3, 2020 at 11:51 pm

This tips are very usefull. Thank you

May 4, 2020 at 8:44 am

May 4, 2020 at 12:18 am

In recent days… Procrastinate become my habit……I don’t know how …..But it happened……..These tips are very useful for me….Thank you sir….

I hope this article helps you!

May 4, 2020 at 12:45 am

It was really amazing 😍 Helped me a lot! Thank u so much😊

That’s great to hear!

May 4, 2020 at 12:51 am

Thank you very very much Sir.. everyone will find easier to focus on their studies like me during these quarantine days. It’s really benificial. I hope you’ll help us by your precious tips in future too.

You are very welcome.

May 4, 2020 at 1:10 am

I was looking for something like this for my studies. Thank you for doing this great work. I hope every student gets more and more benefit from this article. Thank you once again & God bless you.

May 4, 2020 at 8:45 am

You’re welcome and God bless you.

May 4, 2020 at 1:17 am

Unbelievable methods ND it’s very easy to relate with these ,sir really feeling blessed to see your article . Best article i have everything read sir related to studies .thanks a lot , thankyou so much sir Wong .

With regards .

May 4, 2020 at 2:23 am

Really an appreciable work from which I got new , effective, amazing and rejuvenating tips it’s really fab this article motivated me alot and make me feel energetic to indulge in my studies Apps provided by you are very helpful Thank you so much

I’m really happy to hear that!

May 7, 2020 at 7:00 am

Am really very greatful with the to and am really going to put it into practice Thanks once again

May 7, 2020 at 8:05 am

Thank you so much for your time and effort that you put into writing this article for us! I’ll definitely be downloading Focusmate and Freedom. Enjoy your day 😊

May 4, 2020 at 8:46 am

You’re welcome — thank you, I did take many, many hours to put this article together!

May 4, 2020 at 2:50 am

Thanks for sharing how to focus to study.Now I can get organize to start my Goal.

It’s my pleasure!

May 4, 2020 at 3:20 am

Thank You Sir your advice is very useful

You’re more than welcome.

May 4, 2020 at 4:25 am

May 4, 2020 at 8:47 am

You are welcome.

May 4, 2020 at 4:38 am

What can I do to motivate myself to start studying without stopping. Sometimes I feel I’m never going to finish how can I eliminate that feelings?

May 4, 2020 at 8:48 am

I’m sorry to hear that, but I think you’ll find this article useful: https://www.daniel-wong.com/2018/04/23/get-motivated-to-study/

May 4, 2020 at 7:22 am

Thanks for the tips

You’re very welcome.

May 4, 2020 at 7:26 am

Let me try for my children and let you know. Thank you.

Ok sure, thank you.

May 4, 2020 at 10:56 am

Every lines were worth reading. It help me realised where I’ve gone wrong and how i can improve my study session more effectively. Thank you so much for putting up all these tips together. I hope I’ll be able to implement them !!

May 4, 2020 at 11:47 am

All the best as you implement the tips!

May 4, 2020 at 1:05 pm

During the current situation is very likely to procrastinate, but your words are giving us enough motivation to do something. Thanks a lot.

May 4, 2020 at 2:35 pm

May 4, 2020 at 12:48 pm

Do you have a sample study schedule to share? Just a rough guideline will be good too. Thanks

May 4, 2020 at 2:36 pm

For that, you can check out this article ( https://www.daniel-wong.com/2015/01/14/straight-a-student/ ) — hope it helps.

May 4, 2020 at 1:22 pm

Can you please write an article On how to increase the hunger to study means we should get addicted to it

May 4, 2020 at 2:37 pm

I think you’ll find this article useful ( https://www.daniel-wong.com/2018/04/23/get-motivated-to-study/ ).

May 4, 2020 at 2:05 pm

Thank you very much for your generous sharing. I share these tips with students I am counselling. Will check in with them after a week or so, and I am sure they will be able to concentrate better and be more focussed.

These tips are also very useful for me.

Warm regards

Thank you, Helen. I’m glad you found the tips useful.

May 4, 2020 at 2:07 pm

Thnx a lot.. I will try these tips and let you know the results

May 4, 2020 at 4:30 pm

Thank you for sharing.

May 4, 2020 at 5:54 pm

It’s my pleasure.

May 4, 2020 at 4:52 pm

Its a really a great deal struggling to stay focus…Thanks for the insights, am sure it will be productive

May 4, 2020 at 5:55 pm

May 4, 2020 at 4:59 pm

Thank you so much sir for the really helpful tips ! Keep putting more content like this ..it’s really working !

I’m happy to hear that!

May 4, 2020 at 9:11 pm

Wooow! You did a wonderful and a great job. May God bless you and give you more wisdom for you to provide us with more of these things. Thanks.

May 4, 2020 at 10:18 pm

May 4, 2020 at 10:36 pm

The tips are just great, thank you sir

May 5, 2020 at 8:02 am

May 4, 2020 at 10:59 pm

Thanks so much for this article, lately I have being so distracted and often procrastinate about my studying time during this lockdown. But I believe with this article I will do well in studying and passing my professional exam. Pls I will like to be getting.ur articles often, how do get to read them.

May 5, 2020 at 8:05 am

You’re welcome. You can download this free guide ( https://www.daniel-wong.com/students-improve-focus/ ) to sign up for my mailing list, then you’ll get updated whenever I publish new articles.

May 4, 2020 at 11:18 pm

It’s one of the most valuable article I have read on effective studying tips till now …and surely goin to try these! Great work done 👍

May 5, 2020 at 8:00 am

May 5, 2020 at 1:04 am

Such an amazing article ever seen ,by reading itself I’m motivated thks alot for sharing such an article the subtitles mentioned in the article is very accurate to overcome distractions. I’m soo interested to include these in my daily routine for procrastinate my distraction. Once again thank you soo much.

May 5, 2020 at 7:59 am

May 5, 2020 at 1:14 am

This article came just in time. I’ve been looking for ways to keep me from getting distracted, but all I could really find is how to get motivated. I’ll definitely be using some of these tips!

I hope the tips work for you!

May 5, 2020 at 1:17 am

Such an amazing article ever seen thks alot for sharing this by reading itself I’m motivated moreover the subtitles mentioned in the article is very accurate to overcome distractions .I’m soo interested to include these in my daily routine for procrastinate my distractions. Once again thank you soo much. Share more stuffs like this which may help lots & lots of students.🙂🙂

I hope you manage to implement the tips successfully!

May 5, 2020 at 1:21 am

Thank you So Much Sir.. Now I’m preparing for Medical Entrance Examination…… These Tips really helpfull Expecting More…. 😄🙏 Sir….. Please pray for me to Crack My Exam… 😊

May 5, 2020 at 7:58 am

All the best for your exam!

May 5, 2020 at 3:12 am

Thank you very much for your advice! Have nice evening!

Sure, it’s my pleasure.

May 5, 2020 at 6:58 am

Thanks for sharing the tips of study.i am really worth it when read this article

May 5, 2020 at 6:59 pm

Mr.Daniel Wong I truly appreciate your extremely helpful efforts to make studies more productive.. Thank you so much for your article…

May 5, 2020 at 9:27 pm

You’re welcome, Pranjal.

May 6, 2020 at 6:26 am

It’s such an article for starting a productive study session or being attentive to study or even turning attention back to study..

May 6, 2020 at 8:15 am

All the best as you put the tips into practice!

May 6, 2020 at 11:19 am

Useful tips. Thank u

May 6, 2020 at 1:09 pm

You are welcome. I’m glad you found the tips useful.

May 6, 2020 at 2:20 pm

Thank you so much for such great tips and for taking the time to write this. I’ve saved this article and will implement the tips!

May 6, 2020 at 2:41 pm

Glad to hear that!

May 6, 2020 at 2:59 pm

One of the best article, I had came across during these days. It is motivational too. Thank you Mr. Daniel Wong for sharing very useful tips for all…. which are not only for students but every person.

Thank you once again

May 6, 2020 at 4:04 pm

You’re welcome, and thank you for your kind words!

May 7, 2020 at 6:50 am

This is very interesting and it will help some us! I think it will make a difference in our study! Thank you very much and continue with this great job! God bless you!

You are welcome and God bless you too!

May 13, 2020 at 2:53 pm

Thank you very much for the exceptional creative tips! These can help the learners a lot!

May 13, 2020 at 2:59 pm

May 22, 2020 at 2:54 pm

Thank you! I am trying to follow your advice roughly (I did that even before actually reading this article). The only thing is, I don’t think I need to videotape myself. Instead I just use tracking programs. And of course I write my assignments, organize a comfortable learning space, and leave my smartphone in my living room. I rarely turn on music – only when I feel that I can concentrate with it, but most of the time it’s easier for me to learn something in silence.

August 22, 2020 at 3:45 am

thanks a lot sir…it helped me a lot

August 31, 2020 at 10:47 pm

I love your suggestions…These are better than other websites which only state some common facts…your suggestions are great…I was also looking forward to using Focusmate…But it seems that only people 17 years old and above can use it…I am in middle school and just turned 13…Can you please suggest one more website just like Focusmate please…

October 6, 2020 at 11:31 am

Thanks, it really helped with my distraction problems!

December 23, 2020 at 10:21 pm

I’m preparing for exams which are after a month. These tips are soo helpful, I’m soo glad to have found this page. Thank you sir!🙂

January 8, 2021 at 2:46 am

thank you, this article really helps me!!!

January 17, 2021 at 11:08 pm

why i can’t focus in study

January 28, 2021 at 4:45 am

dude I just made an account on brain.fm

Game changer.

They should give you a cut when I pay for the year after my 3 day trial.

Going to go hit up a 2 hour session to “cinematic music focus”.

Might pair this with the tree app for extra measure.

(My issue is wanting to stop and hop on netflix — hence the tree).

February 15, 2021 at 1:23 pm

Really, this article got me excited as though I already practiced it. The methods are well outlined and easily implemented. The fact that it involves exercise, sleep and diet makes this article like an all-round solution for improving my learning, maintaining a healthy body and alleviating depression; all with just one article.

Thanks Mr Wong, you’re a life saver.

April 7, 2021 at 7:47 am

Thanks sir for your advise and tips, it really helped me focus in my study more.

April 11, 2021 at 8:33 am

thanks your article for studying.

May 9, 2021 at 8:01 pm

I found this useful. I have bookmarked this page so that I can come back here when ever I want it. thankyou so much

July 5, 2021 at 1:49 pm

thank you so much helped me alot

September 26, 2021 at 11:26 am

Thank you so much. The 16th tip helped me so much

November 14, 2022 at 8:35 pm

i really found it very helpful. amazing tips.

July 5, 2023 at 9:33 am

How to focus on main point.

September 29, 2023 at 8:44 am

Thank you so much. Sometimes it takes multiple strategies. Switching up from day to day. Good of you to share!

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How to focus while studying: Tips for better concentration

Use this helpful toolkit to finally focus better when studying. You'll learn how to plan effective study sessions and improve concentration.

You may enjoy being a student in your chosen field, but memorizing a stack of lecture notes so that you can pass your exams is another story entirely, especially since there are so many distracting, exciting, and colorful things in the … oh look, a butterfly!

Even top-performing students with ninja-level self-discipline struggle to stay focused while studying. The difference, however, is that they have developed the right study habits that not only get them in their chairs to study but keep them there too.

What’s their secret? How can you better concentrate while studying?

You, my friend, are holding the (virtual) answer in your hands. In this article, we're going to show you:

• How to focus from the start
• How to maintain focus and overcome daydreaming
• How to become a more focused person overall

(Also make sure you check out our guide ' Top mental strategies for studying at home ' if you're required to be productive in an environment that can sometimes be a little distracting #doomscrolling.)

How to focus while studying, from the start

Almost all of the problems associated with an inability to focus while studying fall into one of two broad categories:

• Issues of inertia: Difficulty starting to study
• Issues of daydreaming: Difficulty maintaining concentration when studying

Both have the same frustrating results but can require slightly different approaches to overcome. What you ideally need to do is calm your thoughts and minimize distractions just like you do when falling asleep, only now you're going to unleash 100% of your cognitive powers on learning and remembering!

Here’s how to do that ...

Tip # 1 for focusing while studying: Set up a peaceful, distraction-free "study bubble"

• Set out all your materials , stationery, Diet Cokes … whatever you need to learn. You shouldn’t have to get up for anything once you’ve started.
• Have a word with your family , housemates, cat, parrot, needy indoor plants … whoever you think might be a source of distraction. Explain politely that it’s study time and that you’d appreciate some quiet with minimal interruptions.
• Clear out your inbox . If there are emails that require time-consuming action, write it down on a to-do list so that you won’t forget to take care of it later. The science is clear: Multi-tasking does not actually work !
• Clear your phone of notifications and then turn it on silent so that it can’t ping and distract you. Better yet, leave it in another room. You won’t hurt Siri's feelings, we promise.
• If you’re working off a device, log out of any apps and social media that might send you distracting notifications.
• Optimize your body and brain to study . Go to the toilet, fill up your water bottle, brew a cup of coffee or tea, set out your snacks, and get a good night’s rest the night before.
• Knock out any important, potentially distracting tasks before your allotted study time—like paying a bill, feeding the cat, or breaking up with your annoying boyfriend.

Now, you don’t have to do all of the above to prepare your study bubble, but if you’re easily distracted and have a tendency to procrastinate when studying , clearing your proverbial plate can go a long way in helping you focus better.

Tip # 2 for focusing while studying: Set goals and milestones

The key to mastery is consistently devoting time to learning, whether it’s ten minutes or two hours a day. Therefore, your next step towards honing razor-sharp skills of focus is to set study goals or milestones.

Here are three steps to doing that:

Step 1: Skim the material before diving in

Start at the very beginning of the coursework you need to learn and lightly scan through everything, jotting down an outline as you go (think: roadmap). This will give you a 30,000-foot view of your subject AND prime your brain for the harder learning and memorization work to come.

Step 2: Identify your strengths and weaknesses

This will alert you to the sections and chapters you need to allocate more time . The aim is to be prepared, not surprised , when your "weakest" and least favorite topic shows up on your next exam.

Step 3: Break everything down into "bite-sized" study sessions

Now you can break your outline down into manageable daily chunks , depending on the amount of time you can spare each day to study. This isn’t an exact science so don’t be too rigid but make sure you comfortably spread everything out over the days you have left before your test or exam. And remember to devote more study time to your weaknesses!

(You can use Brainscape's free study schedules and exam planners to do this!)

How does all of this preparation help you to focus on studying from the start?

• Memory refresh: Scanning through and reviewing your study notes in order to establish a study plan refreshes your memory and helps to connect the dots on everything you’ve learned during the course or semester.
• A healthy perspective: By establishing that 30,000-foot view of what needs to be done, as well as a plan to get it done, you’ll probably feel a lot less intimidated by the task at hand.
• Motivation: With the study material broken down into smaller, more achievable milestones, you get that delicious “reward-like” sensation far more frequently. Mmm … dopamine . (Also, keeping a finger on the pulse of your study metrics can be a huge motivation because it allows you to visualize your progress toward your goals.)
• Momentum: Because this exercise isn’t memory–or even focus-intensive–it makes it easier to start, even if you have the attention span of a goldfish. And once you’ve overcome that study inertia, the momentum can kick in.

Essentially, you have just succeeded in establishing a powerful and convenient framework for learning. Good job! Now let's look at how you can stay focused while studying and maintain concentration.

How to maintain focus while studying

If it’s not external distractions (the cat, a noisy housemate, or emails plucking at your concentration), it’s internal distractions and the little siren’s song of the voice seducing you away from your books. Either way, staying focused while studying is hard . How can you overcome that particularly saucy daydream about Adriana Lima or Ryan Gosling (or both)?

Tip # 3 for staying focused while studying: Set goals that are appropriate to your mental gear

On some days, it feels like we can cruise through our study material like a Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 on an eight-lane autobahn. On other days, it's like we’re rattling down a potholed country road in an ancient pickup truck.

The trick is to recognize which gear your brain is in and shift your study approach to suit it.

If you're in a high mental gear, plan a long study session and try attacking the areas you’ve been having difficulty in. However, if you’re feeling flakey and easily distracted, shift down and instead, plan a series of short 5 to 10-minute flashcard sessions with frequent study breaks in between and some kind of reward at the end. You'll probably end up studying longer than that if you're on a roll.

The point is to capitalize on the energy you do have and still manage to study productively on the days you find your energy waning. Remember, the most productive people are skilled at managing their energy and attention , and not just their time.

Tip # 4 for staying focused while studying: Vary your learning methods

Everyone burns out after some time. There’s only so much reading and text highlighting you can do before your mind wanders. What can help enormously to re-engage your concentration is a bit of variety , both in your study environment and method:

• Try a change of scenery : Go for a walk or relocate to your local library, coffee shop, or even just a different room in your home.
• Do a round of flashcards : Take a break from your books and try a different study medium altogether, such as studying flashcards in Brainscape !
• Pepper your studies with frequent breaks: Some students follow the Pomodoro Technique , where they study for 25 minutes and then take 5 minutes off. We advise you to use natural milestones as breaks—between chapters or sub-sections—rather than blindly setting a timer that could interrupt you when you're on a roll. Find your sweet spot of time-on versus time-off and give yourself that space to breathe!
• Arrange a study session with a group of peers: This functions as a nice adjunctive method to your regular studying because (1) it holds you accountable, (2) your peers can help you address your weaknesses, and (3) in helping them, you're able to review your knowledge.

Just leave the beer at home.

Tip # 5 for maintaining study focus: Set automated study reminders

Take the guesswork and decision-making out of studying by programming study notifications into your device . You can easily do this with Brainscape, which has study streak reminders : gentle “nags” to keep your daily study streak alive.

To activate, simply go into the menu in the mobile app (left), select Notifications, and then you can then toggle on Streak Reminders (top right). Those will show up as push notifications on your phone’s home screen (bottom right) reminding you to stop what you’re doing and put in a quick study round with Brainscape. You can also customize the time of day you’d prefer to receive your reminders!

Tip # 6 for motivating yourself to study: Gamify your productivity

If you’re the pony, what’s your carrot? Is it chocolate? A 15-minute walk? A 20-minute episode of Modern Family ? Or even an actual carrot? Find what you can dangle in front of your nose as an incentive to complete a study session and then set yourself moving-target goals like “Once I finish making flashcards for this section on criminal law, I’m going to murder that Snickers bar,” or “Once I answer 10 flashcards in a row with perfect confidence, I’m going to go for a 15-minute walk."

Gamifying your productivity essentially requires that you design a reward system that makes studying feel gratifying for your brain. In other words: train your brain like you would a dog. With treats!

Tip # 7: Use the right tools to stay focused while studying!

One effective study tool that rolls all of the aforementioned hacks into one ridiculously good-looking flashcard-based learning platform is Brainscape , which breaks down content-heavy subjects into collections of bite-sized flashcards. These are then delivered to you via the hyper-efficient learning power of spaced repetition , metacognition , and active recall to help you learn twice as fast as any other study technique .

In short, Brainscape is engineered to:

• Make starting studying as easy as tapping a single button , eliminating mental inertia.
• Make learning incredibly accessible , wherever you go, even offline.
• Deliver the content to your brain in a way that is optimized for retention so you get more done in less time.
• Create a fun, engaging, and gamified study experience with tons of learning stats and awards to chase.
• Provide you with detailed study metrics so you can keep a finger on the pulse of your progress.

In other words, if you struggle with staying focused while studying, Brainscape is a powerful study tool that'll get you through any test or exam prep.

Tip # 8 on how to concentrate while studying: Give yourself a chance to reflect

Sometimes you genuinely need to take a break to reflect on your studies, as well as on the things that are distracting you. In fact, if you’re struggling to concentrate, maybe it’s because you haven't given yourself enough "reflective downtime" to process the things that are on your mind, such as an upsetting email, a pressing assignment, or a happy social development.

Opportunities for introspection include long walks, meditation, jogging, swimming, yoga, commuting, peeling potatoes, watching paint dry … any low-intensity activity that allows your brain to wander, daydream, and process. Taking a little study break to reflect, both on what you are learning and on what’s going on in your life is essential to your well-being. It’ll help improve your attention span and you’ll probably sleep better too.

How to become more focused on studying

Studying is a taxing and demanding mental activity so it’s no wonder that it tends to inspire inertia. And then maintaining focus while studying can feel like a constant battle in this digital world, with its constant distractions and slavish devotion to instant gratification.

But after reading all this, (good job by the way!) you should have a comprehensively stocked mental toolkit at your disposal. Now you know how to improve concentration, how to focus, and how to remember what you learn. You have everything you need to smash that exam into the bleachers right there in your he— SQUIRREL!

Flashcards for serious learners .

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Lesson Plan: How to Improve Your Focus

If you struggle to sit through a class or complete a homework assignment without wanting to check your phone every few minutes, this lesson can help.

By Natalie Proulx

Lesson Overview

Featured Article: “ How to Focus Like It’s 1990 ” by Dana G. Smith

Do you get distracted easily? When you have a homework assignment to complete, a book to read, an instrument to practice or a room to clean, is it easy for you to stay focused and do it, or does your mind drift and wander? Do you quickly begin to daydream, check your social media feed or think about what you want to eat? Are you distracted by constant dings and pings from your phone? In short, do you find yourself thinking about everything but the task at hand?

If you answered yes, you’re not alone. As Dana G. Smith writes in today’s featured article, “Smartphones, pings and Insta-everything have shortened our attention spans.” In this lesson, you’ll learn how to get some old-school concentration back with tips from experts.

The article you are about to read refers to a 2004 study which found that people averaged two and a half minutes on any given task before switching to something else. By 2012, the average time had dropped to 75 seconds. Now, we spend about 47 seconds on a task, on average.

Discuss with a partner: Do these findings surprise you? Or do they resonate with your experience of trying to concentrate? What do you think could explain the shortening of our attention spans?

How long do you think you can focus on something before you get distracted? Test it out: Grab a stopwatch and start reading the featured article . How long can you read before your mind starts to wander, you get interrupted by a ding on your phone or your brain simply needs a break? Can you beat 47 seconds? If you could, how easy or difficult was that experience for you? What ultimately broke your concentration? Share what you noticed with your partner.

Do you think you need to work on improving your concentration? If you were to try this again, what tips or tricks might you use to help stay focused?

Questions for Writing and Discussion

Read the article , then answer the following questions:

1. What does the study done by Gloria Mark, a professor of informatics at the University of California, Irvine, show us about attention spans today?

2. What are three things, according to the article, that cause us to get distracted and grab our phones? Which of these, if any, do you tend to experience when you are trying to focus?

3. Turning off notifications is often suggested as a way to reduce distractions. Why won’t this on its own solve the problem of distraction?

4. The article offers three ways we can improve our focus. What are they? Which one sounds most useful for you and why?

5. Dr. Mark and Larry Rosen, a professor emeritus of psychology at California State University, Dominguez Hills, both favor taking tech breaks over going cold turkey and giving up technology altogether. Why? Have you ever tried to give up technology for an hour, a day or longer? How did it go for you?

6. Maryanne Wolf, a professor in residence at the University of California, Los Angeles Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, says reading on paper is better than reading on a screen. Why would that be? How often do you read on paper? Do you think it could help you focus? Why or why not?

Going Further

Choose one of the strategies for improving focus recommended in the article and try it out. For example:

The next time you attempt a task you have trouble focusing on — such as doing your homework, practicing the piano or cleaning your room — instead of checking your phone whenever you feel like it, try focusing for 15 minutes and then giving yourself a two-minute tech break. Repeat until you finish the task.

Or, try to increase your self-awareness around your tech use while doing this task. As the article says, “When you have an urge to open Instagram, for example, ask yourself why: Do you feel exhausted and need a break? Will this help restore you? If so, go for it. After a few minutes, check in again and ask if the app is still giving you value. If not, it’s time to get back to work.”

A third option: Try deep reading on paper. Open a physical book (start with something you want to read for pleasure), set an alarm for 20 minutes, put your phone on silent mode, and make yourself read slowly and deliberately.

After you’ve tried out one of these strategies, reflect on how it went for you using the following prompts. You might share your experiences with your classmates.

How easy or difficult was it to sustain your attention using this strategy? Were you able to focus better than you usually do? What challenges did you encounter?

When you did get distracted, what do you think caused it? Did a notification on your phone interrupt you? Did you self-interrupt? Did your brain just need a break? What does this tell you about yourself, and what might help you to stay focused next time?

As Dr. Mark notes, improving your concentration takes practice. Do you think you will continue using this strategy when you need to focus? Why or why not? How do you think increasing your attention span could improve your life?

Find more lesson plans and teaching ideas here.

Natalie Proulx joined The Learning Network as a staff editor in 2017 after working as an English language arts teacher and curriculum writer. More about Natalie Proulx

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, how to do homework: 15 expert tips and tricks.

Coursework/GPA

Everyone struggles with homework sometimes, but if getting your homework done has become a chronic issue for you, then you may need a little extra help. That’s why we’ve written this article all about how to do homework. Once you’re finished reading it, you’ll know how to do homework (and have tons of new ways to motivate yourself to do homework)!

We’ve broken this article down into a few major sections. You’ll find:

• A diagnostic test to help you figure out why you’re struggling with homework
• A discussion of the four major homework problems students face, along with expert tips for addressing them
• A bonus section with tips for how to do homework fast

By the end of this article, you’ll be prepared to tackle whatever homework assignments your teachers throw at you .

So let’s get started!

How to Do Homework: Figure Out Your Struggles 

Sometimes it feels like everything is standing between you and getting your homework done. But the truth is, most people only have one or two major roadblocks that are keeping them from getting their homework done well and on time. 

The best way to figure out how to get motivated to do homework starts with pinpointing the issues that are affecting your ability to get your assignments done. That’s why we’ve developed a short quiz to help you identify the areas where you’re struggling. 

Take the quiz below and record your answers on your phone or on a scrap piece of paper. Keep in mind there are no wrong answers! 

1. You’ve just been assigned an essay in your English class that’s due at the end of the week. What’s the first thing you do?

A. Keep it in mind, even though you won’t start it until the day before it’s due  B. Open up your planner. You’ve got to figure out when you’ll write your paper since you have band practice, a speech tournament, and your little sister’s dance recital this week, too.  C. Groan out loud. Another essay? You could barely get yourself to write the last one!  D. Start thinking about your essay topic, which makes you think about your art project that’s due the same day, which reminds you that your favorite artist might have just posted to Instagram...so you better check your feed right now. 

2. Your mom asked you to pick up your room before she gets home from work. You’ve just gotten home from school. You decide you’ll tackle your chores: 

A. Five minutes before your mom walks through the front door. As long as it gets done, who cares when you start?  B. As soon as you get home from your shift at the local grocery store.  C. After you give yourself a 15-minute pep talk about how you need to get to work.  D. You won’t get it done. Between texts from your friends, trying to watch your favorite Netflix show, and playing with your dog, you just lost track of time! 

3. You’ve signed up to wash dogs at the Humane Society to help earn money for your senior class trip. You: 

A. Show up ten minutes late. You put off leaving your house until the last minute, then got stuck in unexpected traffic on the way to the shelter.  B. Have to call and cancel at the last minute. You forgot you’d already agreed to babysit your cousin and bake cupcakes for tomorrow’s bake sale.  C. Actually arrive fifteen minutes early with extra brushes and bandanas you picked up at the store. You’re passionate about animals, so you’re excited to help out! D. Show up on time, but only get three dogs washed. You couldn’t help it: you just kept getting distracted by how cute they were!

4. You have an hour of downtime, so you decide you’re going to watch an episode of The Great British Baking Show. You: 

A. Scroll through your social media feeds for twenty minutes before hitting play, which means you’re not able to finish the whole episode. Ugh! You really wanted to see who was sent home!  B. Watch fifteen minutes until you remember you’re supposed to pick up your sister from band practice before heading to your part-time job. No GBBO for you!  C. You finish one episode, then decide to watch another even though you’ve got SAT studying to do. It’s just more fun to watch people make scones.  D. Start the episode, but only catch bits and pieces of it because you’re reading Twitter, cleaning out your backpack, and eating a snack at the same time.

5. Your teacher asks you to stay after class because you’ve missed turning in two homework assignments in a row. When she asks you what’s wrong, you say: 

A. You planned to do your assignments during lunch, but you ran out of time. You decided it would be better to turn in nothing at all than submit unfinished work.  B. You really wanted to get the assignments done, but between your extracurriculars, family commitments, and your part-time job, your homework fell through the cracks.  C. You have a hard time psyching yourself to tackle the assignments. You just can’t seem to find the motivation to work on them once you get home.  D. You tried to do them, but you had a hard time focusing. By the time you realized you hadn’t gotten anything done, it was already time to turn them in. 

Like we said earlier, there are no right or wrong answers to this quiz (though your results will be better if you answered as honestly as possible). Here’s how your answers break down: 

• If your answers were mostly As, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is procrastination. 
• If your answers were mostly Bs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is time management. 
• If your answers were mostly Cs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is motivation. 
• If your answers were mostly Ds, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is getting distracted. 

Now that you’ve identified why you’re having a hard time getting your homework done, we can help you figure out how to fix it! Scroll down to find your core problem area to learn more about how you can start to address it. 

And one more thing: you’re really struggling with homework, it’s a good idea to read through every section below. You may find some additional tips that will help make homework less intimidating. 

How to Do Homework When You’re a Procrastinator  

Merriam Webster defines “procrastinate” as “to put off intentionally and habitually.” In other words, procrastination is when you choose to do something at the last minute on a regular basis. If you’ve ever found yourself pulling an all-nighter, trying to finish an assignment between periods, or sprinting to turn in a paper minutes before a deadline, you’ve experienced the effects of procrastination. 

If you’re a chronic procrastinator, you’re in good company. In fact, one study found that 70% to 95% of undergraduate students procrastinate when it comes to doing their homework. Unfortunately, procrastination can negatively impact your grades. Researchers have found that procrastination can lower your grade on an assignment by as much as five points ...which might not sound serious until you realize that can mean the difference between a B- and a C+. 

Procrastination can also negatively affect your health by increasing your stress levels , which can lead to other health conditions like insomnia, a weakened immune system, and even heart conditions. Getting a handle on procrastination can not only improve your grades, it can make you feel better, too! 

The big thing to understand about procrastination is that it’s not the result of laziness. Laziness is defined as being “disinclined to activity or exertion.” In other words, being lazy is all about doing nothing. But a s this Psychology Today article explains , procrastinators don’t put things off because they don’t want to work. Instead, procrastinators tend to postpone tasks they don’t want to do in favor of tasks that they perceive as either more important or more fun. Put another way, procrastinators want to do things...as long as it’s not their homework! 

3 Tips f or Conquering Procrastination 

Because putting off doing homework is a common problem, there are lots of good tactics for addressing procrastination. Keep reading for our three expert tips that will get your homework habits back on track in no time. 

#1: Create a Reward System

Like we mentioned earlier, procrastination happens when you prioritize other activities over getting your homework done. Many times, this happens because homework...well, just isn’t enjoyable. But you can add some fun back into the process by rewarding yourself for getting your work done. 

Here’s what we mean: let’s say you decide that every time you get your homework done before the day it’s due, you’ll give yourself a point. For every five points you earn, you’ll treat yourself to your favorite dessert: a chocolate cupcake! Now you have an extra (delicious!) incentive to motivate you to leave procrastination in the dust. 

If you’re not into cupcakes, don’t worry. Your reward can be anything that motivates you . Maybe it’s hanging out with your best friend or an extra ten minutes of video game time. As long as you’re choosing something that makes homework worth doing, you’ll be successful. 

#2: Have a Homework Accountability Partner 

If you’re having trouble getting yourself to start your homework ahead of time, it may be a good idea to call in reinforcements . Find a friend or classmate you can trust and explain to them that you’re trying to change your homework habits. Ask them if they’d be willing to text you to make sure you’re doing your homework and check in with you once a week to see if you’re meeting your anti-procrastination goals. 

Sharing your goals can make them feel more real, and an accountability partner can help hold you responsible for your decisions. For example, let’s say you’re tempted to put off your science lab write-up until the morning before it’s due. But you know that your accountability partner is going to text you about it tomorrow...and you don’t want to fess up that you haven’t started your assignment. A homework accountability partner can give you the extra support and incentive you need to keep your homework habits on track. 

#3: Create Your Own Due Dates 

If you’re a life-long procrastinator, you might find that changing the habit is harder than you expected. In that case, you might try using procrastination to your advantage! If you just can’t seem to stop doing your work at the last minute, try setting your own due dates for assignments that range from a day to a week before the assignment is actually due. 

Here’s what we mean. Let’s say you have a math worksheet that’s been assigned on Tuesday and is due on Friday. In your planner, you can write down the due date as Thursday instead. You may still put off your homework assignment until the last minute...but in this case, the “last minute” is a day before the assignment’s real due date . This little hack can trick your procrastination-addicted brain into planning ahead! 

If you feel like Kevin Hart in this meme, then our tips for doing homework when you're busy are for you. 

How to Do Homework When You’re too Busy

If you’re aiming to go to a top-tier college , you’re going to have a full plate. Because college admissions is getting more competitive, it’s important that you’re maintaining your grades , studying hard for your standardized tests , and participating in extracurriculars so your application stands out. A packed schedule can get even more hectic once you add family obligations or a part-time job to the mix. 

If you feel like you’re being pulled in a million directions at once, you’re not alone. Recent research has found that stress—and more severe stress-related conditions like anxiety and depression— are a major problem for high school students . In fact, one study from the American Psychological Association found that during the school year, students’ stress levels are higher than those of the adults around them. 

For students, homework is a major contributor to their overall stress levels . Many high schoolers have multiple hours of homework every night , and figuring out how to fit it into an already-packed schedule can seem impossible. 

3 Tips for Fitting Homework Into Your Busy Schedule

While it might feel like you have literally no time left in your schedule, there are still ways to make sure you’re able to get your homework done and meet your other commitments. Here are our expert homework tips for even the busiest of students. 

#1: Make a Prioritized To-Do List 

You probably already have a to-do list to keep yourself on track. The next step is to prioritize the items on your to-do list so you can see what items need your attention right away. 

Here’s how it works: at the beginning of each day, sit down and make a list of all the items you need to get done before you go to bed. This includes your homework, but it should also take into account any practices, chores, events, or job shifts you may have. Once you get everything listed out, it’s time to prioritize them using the labels A, B, and C. Here’s what those labels mean:

• A Tasks : tasks that have to get done—like showing up at work or turning in an assignment—get an A. 
• B Tasks : these are tasks that you would like to get done by the end of the day but aren’t as time sensitive. For example, studying for a test you have next week could be a B-level task. It’s still important, but it doesn’t have to be done right away.
• C Tasks: these are tasks that aren’t very important and/or have no real consequences if you don’t get them done immediately. For instance, if you’re hoping to clean out your closet but it’s not an assigned chore from your parents, you could label that to-do item with a C.

Prioritizing your to-do list helps you visualize which items need your immediate attention, and which items you can leave for later. A prioritized to-do list ensures that you’re spending your time efficiently and effectively, which helps you make room in your schedule for homework. So even though you might really want to start making decorations for Homecoming (a B task), you’ll know that finishing your reading log (an A task) is more important. 

#2: Use a Planner With Time Labels

Your planner is probably packed with notes, events, and assignments already. (And if you’re not using a planner, it’s time to start!) But planners can do more for you than just remind you when an assignment is due. If you’re using a planner with time labels, it can help you visualize how you need to spend your day.

A planner with time labels breaks your day down into chunks, and you assign tasks to each chunk of time. For example, you can make a note of your class schedule with assignments, block out time to study, and make sure you know when you need to be at practice. Once you know which tasks take priority, you can add them to any empty spaces in your day. 

Planning out how you spend your time not only helps you use it wisely, it can help you feel less overwhelmed, too . We’re big fans of planners that include a task list ( like this one ) or have room for notes ( like this one ). 

#3: Set Reminders on Your Phone 

If you need a little extra nudge to make sure you’re getting your homework done on time, it’s a good idea to set some reminders on your phone. You don’t need a fancy app, either. You can use your alarm app to have it go off at specific times throughout the day to remind you to do your homework. This works especially well if you have a set homework time scheduled. So if you’ve decided you’re doing homework at 6:00 pm, you can set an alarm to remind you to bust out your books and get to work. 

If you use your phone as your planner, you may have the option to add alerts, emails, or notifications to scheduled events . Many calendar apps, including the one that comes with your phone, have built-in reminders that you can customize to meet your needs. So if you block off time to do your homework from 4:30 to 6:00 pm, you can set a reminder that will pop up on your phone when it’s time to get started. 

This dog isn't judging your lack of motivation...but your teacher might. Keep reading for tips to help you motivate yourself to do your homework.

How to Do Homework When You’re Unmotivated 

At first glance, it may seem like procrastination and being unmotivated are the same thing. After all, both of these issues usually result in you putting off your homework until the very last minute. 

But there’s one key difference: many procrastinators are working, they’re just prioritizing work differently. They know they’re going to start their homework...they’re just going to do it later. 

Conversely, people who are unmotivated to do homework just can’t find the willpower to tackle their assignments. Procrastinators know they’ll at least attempt the homework at the last minute, whereas people who are unmotivated struggle with convincing themselves to do it at a ll. For procrastinators, the stress comes from the inevitable time crunch. For unmotivated people, the stress comes from trying to convince themselves to do something they don’t want to do in the first place. 

Here are some common reasons students are unmotivated in doing homework : 

• Assignments are too easy, too hard, or seemingly pointless 
• Students aren’t interested in (or passionate about) the subject matter
• Students are intimidated by the work and/or feels like they don’t understand the assignment 
• Homework isn’t fun, and students would rather spend their time on things that they enjoy 

To sum it up: people who lack motivation to do their homework are more likely to not do it at all, or to spend more time worrying about doing their homework than...well, actually doing it.

3 Tips for How to Get Motivated to Do Homework

The key to getting homework done when you’re unmotivated is to figure out what does motivate you, then apply those things to homework. It sounds tricky...but it’s pretty simple once you get the hang of it! Here are our three expert tips for motivating yourself to do your homework. 

#1: Use Incremental Incentives

When you’re not motivated, it’s important to give yourself small rewards to stay focused on finishing the task at hand. The trick is to keep the incentives small and to reward yourself often. For example, maybe you’re reading a good book in your free time. For every ten minutes you spend on your homework, you get to read five pages of your book. Like we mentioned earlier, make sure you’re choosing a reward that works for you! 

So why does this technique work? Using small rewards more often allows you to experience small wins for getting your work done. Every time you make it to one of your tiny reward points, you get to celebrate your success, which gives your brain a boost of dopamine . Dopamine helps you stay motivated and also creates a feeling of satisfaction when you complete your homework !  

#2: Form a Homework Group 

If you’re having trouble motivating yourself, it’s okay to turn to others for support. Creating a homework group can help with this. Bring together a group of your friends or classmates, and pick one time a week where you meet and work on homework together. You don’t have to be in the same class, or even taking the same subjects— the goal is to encourage one another to start (and finish!) your assignments. 

Another added benefit of a homework group is that you can help one another if you’re struggling to understand the material covered in your classes. This is especially helpful if your lack of motivation comes from being intimidated by your assignments. Asking your friends for help may feel less scary than talking to your teacher...and once you get a handle on the material, your homework may become less frightening, too. 

#3: Change Up Your Environment 

If you find that you’re totally unmotivated, it may help if you find a new place to do your homework. For example, if you’ve been struggling to get your homework done at home, try spending an extra hour in the library after school instead. The change of scenery can limit your distractions and give you the energy you need to get your work done. 

If you’re stuck doing homework at home, you can still use this tip. For instance, maybe you’ve always done your homework sitting on your bed. Try relocating somewhere else, like your kitchen table, for a few weeks. You may find that setting up a new “homework spot” in your house gives you a motivational lift and helps you get your work done. 

Social media can be a huge problem when it comes to doing homework. We have advice for helping you unplug and regain focus.

How to Do Homework When You’re Easily Distracted

We live in an always-on world, and there are tons of things clamoring for our attention. From friends and family to pop culture and social media, it seems like there’s always something (or someone!) distracting us from the things we need to do.

The 24/7 world we live in has affected our ability to focus on tasks for prolonged periods of time. Research has shown that over the past decade, an average person’s attention span has gone from 12 seconds to eight seconds . And when we do lose focus, i t takes people a long time to get back on task . One study found that it can take as long as 23 minutes to get back to work once we’ve been distracte d. No wonder it can take hours to get your homework done! 

3 Tips to Improve Your Focus

If you have a hard time focusing when you’re doing your homework, it’s a good idea to try and eliminate as many distractions as possible. Here are three expert tips for blocking out the noise so you can focus on getting your homework done. 

#1: Create a Distraction-Free Environment

Pick a place where you’ll do your homework every day, and make it as distraction-free as possible. Try to find a location where there won’t be tons of noise, and limit your access to screens while you’re doing your homework. Put together a focus-oriented playlist (or choose one on your favorite streaming service), and put your headphones on while you work. 

You may find that other people, like your friends and family, are your biggest distraction. If that’s the case, try setting up some homework boundaries. Let them know when you’ll be working on homework every day, and ask them if they’ll help you keep a quiet environment. They’ll be happy to lend a hand! 

#2: Limit Your Access to Technology 

We know, we know...this tip isn’t fun, but it does work. For homework that doesn’t require a computer, like handouts or worksheets, it’s best to put all your technology away . Turn off your television, put your phone and laptop in your backpack, and silence notifications on any wearable tech you may be sporting. If you listen to music while you work, that’s fine...but make sure you have a playlist set up so you’re not shuffling through songs once you get started on your homework. 

If your homework requires your laptop or tablet, it can be harder to limit your access to distractions. But it’s not impossible! T here are apps you can download that will block certain websites while you’re working so that you’re not tempted to scroll through Twitter or check your Facebook feed. Silence notifications and text messages on your computer, and don’t open your email account unless you absolutely have to. And if you don’t need access to the internet to complete your assignments, turn off your WiFi. Cutting out the online chatter is a great way to make sure you’re getting your homework done. 

#3: Set a Timer (the Pomodoro Technique)

Have you ever heard of the Pomodoro technique ? It’s a productivity hack that uses a timer to help you focus!

Here’s how it works: first, set a timer for 25 minutes. This is going to be your work time. During this 25 minutes, all you can do is work on whatever homework assignment you have in front of you. No email, no text messaging, no phone calls—just homework. When that timer goes off, you get to take a 5 minute break. Every time you go through one of these cycles, it’s called a “pomodoro.” For every four pomodoros you complete, you can take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes.

The pomodoro technique works through a combination of boundary setting and rewards. First, it gives you a finite amount of time to focus, so you know that you only have to work really hard for 25 minutes. Once you’ve done that, you’re rewarded with a short break where you can do whatever you want. Additionally, tracking how many pomodoros you complete can help you see how long you’re really working on your homework. (Once you start using our focus tips, you may find it doesn’t take as long as you thought!)

Two Bonus Tips for How to Do Homework Fast

Even if you’re doing everything right, there will be times when you just need to get your homework done as fast as possible. (Why do teachers always have projects due in the same week? The world may never know.)

The problem with speeding through homework is that it’s easy to make mistakes. While turning in an assignment is always better than not submitting anything at all, you want to make sure that you’re not compromising quality for speed. Simply put, the goal is to get your homework done quickly and still make a good grade on the assignment! 

Here are our two bonus tips for getting a decent grade on your homework assignments , even when you’re in a time crunch. 

#1: Do the Easy Parts First 

This is especially true if you’re working on a handout with multiple questions. Before you start working on the assignment, read through all the questions and problems. As you do, make a mark beside the questions you think are “easy” to answer . 

Once you’ve finished going through the whole assignment, you can answer these questions first. Getting the easy questions out of the way as quickly as possible lets you spend more time on the trickier portions of your homework, which will maximize your assignment grade. 

(Quick note: this is also a good strategy to use on timed assignments and tests, like the SAT and the ACT !) 

#2: Pay Attention in Class 

Homework gets a lot easier when you’re actively learning the material. Teachers aren’t giving you homework because they’re mean or trying to ruin your weekend... it’s because they want you to really understand the course material. Homework is designed to reinforce what you’re already learning in class so you’ll be ready to tackle harder concepts later.

When you pay attention in class, ask questions, and take good notes, you’re absorbing the information you’ll need to succeed on your homework assignments. (You’re stuck in class anyway, so you might as well make the most of it!) Not only will paying attention in class make your homework less confusing, it will also help it go much faster, too.

What’s Next?

If you’re looking to improve your productivity beyond homework, a good place to begin is with time management. After all, we only have so much time in a day...so it’s important to get the most out of it! To get you started, check out this list of the 12 best time management techniques that you can start using today.

You may have read this article because homework struggles have been affecting your GPA. Now that you’re on the path to homework success, it’s time to start being proactive about raising your grades. This article teaches you everything you need to know about raising your GPA so you can

Now you know how to get motivated to do homework...but what about your study habits? Studying is just as critical to getting good grades, and ultimately getting into a good college . We can teach you how to study bette r in high school. (We’ve also got tons of resources to help you study for your ACT and SAT exams , too!)

These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.

Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

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How to Focus on School Work: A Complete Guide

• Effective Effort Consulting
• February 5, 2024

Welcome to our guide on maintaining focus in school, inspired by the experiences of Jake and Sarah. Their unique journeys offer valuable insights into overcoming common student challenges in focus and learning.

Sarah and Jake have learned that maintaining focus in middle school and high school becomes more intuitive when future aspirations are clearer in their mind. Ask yourself – what drives you? Is it a dream college, a coveted internship, honor roll, or a specific career path?

Keep a written list of these intentions near your study area. Add an inspiring image that reflects your goals. These visual reminders will anchor you, especially during challenging moments, reinforcing why staying focused each night is crucial.

“Your intentions guide your attention. So make your goals visible”

Remember, the efforts you put in now are building blocks for your future success. Looking back, you’ll appreciate the goals you’ve achieved and the journey you’ve embarked on. This thought alone is a powerful motivator.

Table of Contents

What Does Focus Mean?

Jake, in learning to thrive with ADHD , developed strategies to leverage his high energy positively, turning it into a strength during his soccer practices. Sarah discovered that breaking down her math problems into smaller, more manageable parts made them less intimidating and more approachable.

Improve your focus and grades by understanding your study skill strengths and weaknesses

Focus, Not Concentration

Focusing on homework can sometimes feel like a struggle, especially when there are so many other things you might prefer to be doing. Perhaps your attention is constantly being diverted to your phone, you’re noticing hunger pangs, or you’re simply tempted to lie down for a quick snooze. Fortunately, there’s a silver lining – you can overcome these distractions and realign your focus by implementing some straightforward adjustments to your study habits.

Jake uses sports analogies to relate to his studies, while Sarah employs visual aids for her math work, proving that focus is about engaging actively with your work.

Additional Suggestions:

• Try different study techniques like mind mapping.
• Discuss difficult topics with peers or teachers for new perspectives.
• Develop personalized study skills to improve focus and learning

Consider these 8 Tips to Focus on Homework

Tip 1️⃣ : Exercise First

Exercise helps Jake manage his ADHD and enhances Sarah’s concentration, especially before tackling challenging subjects like math.

The Science of Exercise and Focus

Research indicates that cardio exercises, which quicken your heart rate, enhance memory and cognitive skills. Activities like jogging, cycling, playing a sport, or any fast-paced exercise fall into this category. Engaging in such exercises just before diving into your schoolwork can invigorate your body. This increased blood flow activates your brain, making it more alert and primed to concentrate on homework tasks.

Incorporating Exercise into Your Daily Routine

⏱️The 52-17 rule can be a powerful tool for optimizing exercise or ‘brain breaks’ during homework sessions. This rule suggests working intently for 52 minutes followed by a 17-minute break. This pattern aligns with the brain’s natural rhythm of concentration and rest, fostering productivity and mental agility.

When you apply this rule to your homework, you work in focused, undistracted bursts, knowing a break is just around the corner. This can help reduce burnout and keep your mind sharp. During the 17-minute break, engage in activities that refresh you – a brisk walk, a light snack, or a different kind of mental activity. These breaks are not just pauses but are designed to rejuvenate your brain, making your study time more effective.

• Incorporate stretching or light exercise during study breaks.
• Try different forms of exercise to find what best suits your routine.

Tip 2️⃣ : Set a Routine

Jake and Sarah demonstrate the power of a structured routine, but it was not easy and took time and effort to get into a rhythm. Since Jake also struggled with executive dysfunction , the skill development process took more time and goal-directed perseverance. Jake learned to synchronize his study and sports schedules using a planner, while Sarah dedicates specific times for her math practice. 

A well-planned routine simplifies productivity, especially with homework. It’s about creating a habit, like sitting at your desk after school, silencing your phone, outlining your tasks, and tackling the most important ones first. This approach streamlines your focus and helps efficiently complete projects. For students with executive functioning challenges , it can be helpful to get professional coaching help in order to build the routine, study skills, and foster greater independence and consistency in the process. 

Set deadlines

When you are in the right nightly homework routine it’s easier to set deadlines for getting assignments done. Having a consistent homework schedule gives you a chance to set deadlines on how much time you need to or want to spend on specific short and long term assignments.  

How to Make a Schedule:

Taking charge of tracking your school work and personal life can significantly boost your focus. Utilize a digital calendar or a physical planner to keep tabs on assignment due dates. This habit isn’t just about high school; it’s prep for college and your future career, empowering you to steer your own path.

If you’re tech-savvy and not easily distracted, your phone can be a great tool. Set reminders for study sessions or material reviews. On the flip side, there’s something about the act of writing that cements information in your memory. Consider getting a cool journal or daily planner for this purpose. Not only does it help you remember, but it also adds a personal touch to your organization game.

• Jake recommends this planner for student-athletes. 
• Review and adjust your routine weekly to find what works best.
• Include leisure activities in your routine for a balanced approach. 25 minutes of focus time with a 5-minute brain brake. This is known as the Pomodoro Technique.

Tip 3️⃣ : Be Prepared

To maintain focus and avoid distractions during your study sessions, it’s crucial to be well-prepared. Coach Jessica Gale, an Executive Function Coach with Effective Effort Consulting , advises:

“Before you begin each day’s work, make sure you have everything you need at hand,” recommends Coach Gale. “This includes a list of contacts like teachers and counselors, materials for note-taking, your daily schedule, and a glass of water. Being this organized prevents the need to step away to find something, keeping distractions at bay and helping you stay focused on your tasks.”

Set the Mood

Listening to the right kind of music can enhance your study sessions. This is a personal experience and every student needs to figure out what type of music promotes the ideal focus and productivity. 

Research shows that classical music, especially consistent and soothing tracks, can improve concentration and information retention. Avoid large orchestral pieces with dramatic variations in volume, as they may distract more than help. Opt for elevator-style, steady background music. To enhance focus, consider using noise-canceling headphones. For a suitable playlist, check out the “Classical Study Music” playlist on YouTube, offering a selection of calm and steady classical tunes ideal for studying.

Avoid heavy meals

Eating a large meal before studying isn’t recommended, as it can lead to sluggishness and reduced focus. The body expends a significant amount of energy digesting big meals, diverting attention away from mental tasks. Opting for a light snack is a better choice.

 For instance:

• 🥤 Soda : High in sugar, it can cause a rapid spike and crash in insulin levels, leading to an energy slump.
• 🍬 Candy : Similar to soda, candy’s high sugar content can lead to quick energy highs followed by sharp drops.
• 🍟 Fried Foods : Often loaded with fats and lacking nutritional value, these can make you feel lethargic and less able to concentrate.

These foods trigger quick insulin spikes, but these are followed by rapid crashes, leaving you feeling drained and unfocused.

Fuel up with water and healthy snacks.

Staying hydrated and well-fed is key to maintaining focus and absorbing information effectively. Ensure you have a water bottle or thermos within reach during your study sessions, and take regular sips to stay refreshed, especially if you start feeling fatigued or your attention wanes. 

Additionally, keep some nutritious snacks on hand for when hunger strikes. Optimal study snacks that fuel your brain include:

• Apple slices paired with peanut butter
• A variety of nuts, with almonds being a great choice
• Greek yogurt for a protein boost
• A refreshing fruit salad
• A piece of dark chocolate for a quick energy lift

Impact of sugary foods on focus and ADHD. 

While planning snacks for study sessions, it’s important to be mindful of the effects of sugar, especially for individuals with ADHD. High sugar intake can potentially exacerbate ADHD symptoms. Sugary snacks can lead to quick spikes in blood sugar levels, followed by a rapid drop, which might result in fluctuating energy levels and difficulty in maintaining focus. This can be particularly challenging for those with ADHD, as they may already face hurdles in sustaining attention and managing impulses.

Choosing snacks that are low in sugar and high in protein or healthy fats, like the ones previously mentioned (apple slices with peanut butter, nuts, Greek yogurt, fruit salad, and dark chocolate), can provide more stable and sustained energy, helping to maintain better focus and concentration during study sessions.

Tip 4️⃣ : Establish a WorkSpace

Jake’s workspace is free from gaming distractions, aiding his ADHD management. Sarah’s space is equipped with math resources, and her focus App shields her from social media distractions. 

Have a Designated Study Space

Studying at the kitchen table might seem convenient, but it’s often not the ideal spot. Being in a communal area means it’s likely to be a high-traffic zone, which can be distracting. Additionally, since it’s also a space for meals, you might have to interrupt your study session to make way for dinner preparations.

Such interruptions not only disrupt your immediate focus, particularly when grappling with complex topics, but also require you to spend extra time later reorganizing your materials. Studies suggest that having a specific, designated area for studying can significantly enhance your ability to concentrate on your work. 

Benefits of avoiding homework in your bedroom

🛏️ Better Sleep Hygiene : Your bedroom should be a sanctuary for rest. Doing homework there can blur the line between relaxation and work, potentially leading to difficulties falling asleep or disrupted sleep patterns. Keeping study spaces separate helps your brain associate the bedroom with restfulness and relaxation.

🚫 Reduced Distractions : Bedrooms often contain numerous personal distractions such as gadgets, games, or comfortable beds that can tempt you away from studying. By choosing a different study area, you minimize these distractions, which can enhance your focus and productivity.

🧠 Clearer Mental Segmentation : Having separate spaces for sleep, relaxation, and work helps in mentally categorizing different activities. When you avoid doing homework in your bedroom, it helps in creating a mental distinction between time for work and time for rest, leading to a more balanced and organized mindset.

Declutter Your Personal Space

Decluttering is crucial for enhancing focus and productivity. A well-organized study space, where everything has its place, streamlines the process of finding what you need when you need it. By keeping your writing supplies in a pencil box or desk organizer and sorting your papers by subject into folders, you minimize time spent searching for materials. This organization directly impacts your ability to focus on the task at hand.

“Clutter is nothing more than postponed decisions. A clear space equals a clear mind, and a clear mind is the key to effective learning.”

Before starting your work, take a moment to tidy up your study area. Remove unnecessary items, file completed assignments appropriately, and dispose of any trash. This not only clears your physical space but also declutters your mind, allowing for better concentration and more efficient study sessions.

• Personalize your workspace with items that inspire you.
• Ensure your workspace has good lighting and is comfortable (but NOT too comfortable 🙂)

Tip 5️⃣ : Remove All Distractions

Once you’ve chosen your study space, maximizing your study time requires eliminating distractions. This means switching off your phone and TV, and also tidying up your surroundings. A clean and organized workspace is key to maintaining focus and enhancing productivity.

Work on one assignment at a time.

When tackling math homework, avoid simultaneously listening to a biology lecture video. While it may seem like a productive multitasking effort, it can actually hinder your learning and will take longer. It’s more effective to complete one task before starting another. This also applies when taking History notes and watching Youtube. Developings strategies to avoid multitasking is particularly important for students with ADHD, who often face specific challenges with multitasking, such as:

• 🔀 Difficulty in Shifting Focus : Students with ADHD may struggle to switch their attention between tasks smoothly, leading to reduced efficiency in both.
• 😵 Overwhelm and Mental Fatigue : Trying to process multiple streams of information at once can be overwhelming and mentally exhausting for individuals with ADHD.
• 🚫 Impaired Retention : Multitasking can negatively impact the ability to retain and recall information, a challenge that can be amplified in students with ADHD.

Also, avoid texting friends or engaging in conversations with family members while studying. These additional distractions can significantly disrupt focus and the quality of your work.

Block distracting apps and websites on your computer or tablet.

To enhance focus during study sessions, consider blocking distracting apps and websites on your computer or tablet. For example, you can use apps like Cold Turkey or Freedom to block social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter during your study hours. Tools like StayFocusd can help limit time spent on specific sites, like YouTube or gaming websites. By creating these digital barriers, you’ll find it easier to concentrate on your work without the lure of online distractions.

Avoid Multitasking to Be Focused on School Work

To avoid multitasking, Jake keeps his phone away during study time, while Sarah uses website blockers to stay focused, especially on math work.  Sarah recommends using an app called Forest App . 

Other Suggestions to avoid multitasking pitfalls:

• Inform family or friends of your study schedule to minimize interruptions.
• Use noise-cancelling headphones if you’re easily distracted by external sounds.

Tip 6️⃣ : Active Note-Taking and Study Skills

Active note-taking is crucial for enhancing memory and personal connection to study material, particularly important for students with ADHD. 

The research highlights two key benefits of notetaking: 

• Effective note-taking, more than just jotting down information, involves engaging with the content in a meaningful way, such as through diagrams, bullet points, or color-coding, aiding in focus and understanding.
• For individuals with ADHD, personalized note-taking strategies are vital for reinforcing learning and facilitating later review for tests. This tailored approach to note-taking can significantly improve comprehension and retention of study materials.

Dr. Murphy discusses what active learning strategies are best for student-athletes.

Active learning skills like self-testing can enhance memory retention and recall. This practice, often referred to as the “testing effect,” involves actively engaging with the material through self-assessment rather than passively reviewing it. When you test yourself on the material you’re learning, it requires you to retrieve information from memory, strengthening your ability to recall it later.

This process does more than just help you remember the facts or concepts in the short term. Each time you retrieve a piece of information, it becomes more firmly embedded in your memory, making it easier to recall in the future. This is particularly beneficial for long-term retention, which is crucial for academic success.

Self-testing often reveals gaps in your knowledge, allowing you to focus your studies more effectively on areas that need more attention. This targeted approach to studying can lead to more efficient and effective learning, as opposed to spending time reviewing material you already know well.

Students who struggle with notetaking or active study skills can fall behind in the learning process. Many of these students will access tutoring help to get caught up. However, the cycle will repeat itself without active learning strategies to keep up with the daily demands of school.

Tutoring or academic coaching

Will tutoring solve my problem?

Turn your homework into a game to make it more fun.

Set a timer and challenge yourself to correctly answer as many questions as possible in a set time, like five minutes, or use flashcards for a quick knowledge test. Setting small, achievable goals adds an element of fun to your studies. Additionally, engaging in quizzes with friends or family, where each correct answer earns points, turns learning into a competitive game. 

Online tools like Quizlet and Quizizz also offer interactive learning experiences, enabling middle and high school students to engage more deeply with their subjects through gamified quizzes and flashcards, enhancing both participation and retention. For a creative twist, weave stories around your study material, such as imagining living in a historical era you’re studying, to further enrich your learning experience.

Tip 7️⃣ : Take Breaks

Frequent breaks actually increase your productivity and focus. You’ll see that after each study session, the brain needs to be engaged with something different —  you need to activate other parts of your brain before going back to your studies so that you can reach top performance.

Take a break at least once an hour.

Regular breaks help Jake manage his ADHD and keep Sarah refreshed, making their study sessions more effective.

Sarah suggests

• Try different types of breaks, like reading or baking, to see what refreshes you the most.
• Use break time to hydrate and have a healthy snack, or get that well deserved after dinner desert. 

Move around or stretch during breaks

Taking a 17-minute break after 52 minutes of focused study is a great way to recharge. Here are five excellent break activities:

• 🏋️‍♂️Physical Activity : Engage in a quick workout, like a brisk walk, push-ups, pull-ups, shoot some hoops, or some yoga stretches. This boosts blood circulation and re-energizes the body and mind.
• 🧘 Mindfulness or Meditation : Spend the break practicing mindfulness or meditation. This can help clear the mind, reduce stress, and improve concentration for the next study session.
• 🎨 Creative Outlet : Indulge in a creative activity like drawing, playing a musical instrument, or crafting. This shifts your brain from analytical to creative mode, offering a refreshing change.
• 🍏💧 Snack and Hydration Brea k: Have a healthy snack, like fruits or nuts, and hydrate with water or herbal tea. This nourishes your body and can improve cognitive function.
• 👫 Interaction : If you have a sibling, plan your breaks together and go outside together. 

Tip 8️⃣ : How to Stop Procrastinating

Jake changes his study location to keep things fresh, and Sarah sets mini-goals for each math study session to stay on track. Since Math is Sarah’s most challenges tasks, she starts it first in order to avoid procrastination or fatigue. 

Jake also suggests

• Keep a procrastination diary to understand and mitigate your triggers. A sticky note next to your desk is a helpful way to track your procrastination tendencies. 
• Break down large tasks into smaller, more manageable steps. Decide to just get started on first benchmark. 

Redirect your attention if you notice your mind wandering. Try “Focus, refocus” techniques. 

It’s hard to maintain focus in the evening after a long school day. Procrastination becomes a common challenges to manage. “Focus, refocus” techniques helps to enhance your ability to maintain continuous concentration, even in the face of distractions, which is crucial for efficient and productive study sessions.

This training involves:

• 🔍 Recognizing Distractions : Becoming aware when your focus shifts from the task at hand.
• 🔍 Refocusing Techniques : Practicing methods to promptly bring your attention back to your work. This might involve deep breathing, a brief moment of mindfulness, or a quick review of what you were studying.
• 🔍 Reinforcement: Regularly practicing these techniques strengthens your ability to regain focus quickly after a distraction.
• 🔍 Building a Habit : Over time, this training develops into a habit. The more you practice refocusing, the more instinctive it becomes to redirect your attention effectively.

Move to a new study spot if you’re feeling bored.

Shifting your study environment can re-energize your brain and sharpen your focus. Consider relocating to a new room, stepping outside, or choosing a completely different venue like a library study room. A fresh setting can make you feel more alert and revitalized. Even small changes to your usual study area can make a difference. Try adding new decorations or simply switching to a different seat at your dining table. 

Put away anything that might make it hard to concentrate.

One of the key strategies to improve focus in high school and avoid procrastination is to minimize digital distractions. Despite the common belief in multitasking, research indicates that our brains can only focus on one task at a time. Texts and social media notifications, if attended to during learning sessions, will split your attention. 

“A focused mind is like a fortress; don’t let digital distractions breach its walls.”

To combat this, it’s crucial to keep your phone away from your study area and disable social media notifications during class time. Additionally, consider using anti-distraction apps that block potential interruptions, helping you maintain focus on your studies.

Effective Strategies and Support

Don’t be afraid to let others know that you’re studying and require some time and space to get your work done. Decide on fixed hours for studying and tell your friends and family members that you won’t be available during that time of the day. If others respect your study time, you’ll be more inclined to respect it as well. 

🎉 Reward yourself with something fun when you’re done.

After completing a study session, treat yourself to a reward as a motivation booster. For instance, taking a 20 minutes break to bake brownies is wonderful incentive to reward your hard work.

🧘 Be Patient, Trust the Process

Understand that mastering focus takes time and practice. As an example, if you struggle with a particular subject, remind yourself that gradual improvement is better than instant perfection.

🙋Reach out to your guidance counselor

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or unsure about your academic path, don’t hesitate to talk to your guidance counselor. They can provide tailored advice, like suggesting a study group or tutor if you’re struggling with a specific subject.

🔄Find What Works, Stick to It

Identify study techniques that are effective for you and make them a regular part of your routine. For instance, if you find that studying in short bursts with frequent breaks works best, incorporate this method consistently into your study habits.

• Answer: Utilize the 52-17 rule for breaks, create a distraction-free study space, and engage in active note-taking.
• Answer: These tools offer interactive and gamified learning experiences, making studying more engaging and effective.
• Answer: Focus on minimizing distractions, follow a structured routine, and opt for healthy snacks to maintain energy levels.
• Answer: A specific study area helps associate that space with productivity and focus, reducing distractions and enhancing concentration.
• Answer: Regular breaks, such as those recommended in the 52-17 rule, prevent burnout, refresh the mind, and improve overall focus.
• Answer: A balanced diet, especially low in sugar, can help maintain steady energy levels and concentration, which is crucial for students with ADHD.
• Answer: Incorporate study methods that work best for you, such as specific note-taking styles, and adjust your study environment to suit your preferences.

We’ve delved into effective strategies like minimizing distractions, embracing the 52-17 rule for study breaks, and the importance of active note-taking. The use of interactive tools like Quizlet and Quizizz, along with tips on maintaining a healthy diet and creating a productive study environment, particularly for students with ADHD, are highlighted. The blog also stresses the significance of customizing study methods, rewarding oneself, exercising patience, and reaching out for guidance. 

Dr. David Murphy, an Special Education Teacher and Academic Coach, leaves you with this last point as you take these suggestions in this blog to “Work Smarter, Not Harder” in your efforts to be the best student you can be. 

“Stay consistent in your homework routine and make yourself accountable to doing the homework like it matters. Imagine there is a quiz tomorrow. You will find yourself in a much better position when it’s time for the real assessment. Also, you will feel prepared for class, which also feels pretty good.  Trust me, it works.”

Dr. Murphy wants to leave you with these additional reminders. 

• Design an adequate learning space and then create a method to track the flow of homework, classwork, handouts, and written notes.
• Learn how to use a planner to track daily homework assignments, and prioritize and initiate a successful homework routine.
• Develop and practice active note-taking, active reading, active listening, and active study strategies.

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Some of the Best Tips for How to Stay Focused and On Task

When college students take the summer off from their rigorous academic workload, the brain gets a much-needed rest – but it also may lose a bit of its sharpness. Indeed, there’s a phenomenon known as the summer “brain drain” where students lose some of what they learned during the academic year.

If you’re returning to college classes or grad school in the next few weeks – or perhaps to a work environment – you may need to brush up on how to stay focused at work or school, and how to improve concentration.

To help you make a smooth transition back into memorizing , studying, writing papers, taking exams, and learning, here are some tips for how to stay organized and on task.

4 of the Best Ways College Students Can Stay Focused & On Task!

• Make Sleep a Priority

If you want to have full command of your mental faculties to memorize, concentrate, and make good decisions, adequate sleep is essential.

A lack of quality sleep decreases blood flow to the brain, which can compromise your concentration and memory while reducing your energy and motivation. Less sleep also can lead to slower response times in tasks.

How much sleep do you need? Experts recommend 7 to 9 hours of restful sleep each night. Improve your sleep with these helpful tips:

• Power down electronic devices and LED TVs at least an hour before bedtime. These devices emit blue light, which can delay the secretion of melatonin.
• Limit caffeine consumption to mornings only and avoid alcohol and late-night meals. All can make getting restful sleep difficult.
• Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet.
• Get Organized

Organization is a learned skill. You can learn how to be organized at work and with your academic life with these useful strategies.

Use Your Calendar

Free up mental space by entering your class times, office hours, meetings, and appointments into your calendar on your phone or computer – and synchronize them! Block out time for schoolwork. Be sure to enter important deadlines and exams, and don’t forget to schedule some time for fun!

Keep a “To Do” List

When you think of tasks that need to be done, write them down and keep an ongoing master list. Each day, plan to tackle a few of the most important items on your list.

Have a Place for Everything

Make a home for everything that you use daily and put everything in its place – especially the critical items that make your life work (wallet, keys, laptop, backpack, phone, etc.).

Maintain a Clean Workspace

Research shows that clutter on your desk diffuses your focus and attention. Take a few minutes every day to tidy things up.

Discard What You Don’t Need

More stuff means more clutter, which can steal your attention. Dispose, recycle, or donate what you don’t need on a regular basis. Keep only what’s essential.

• Eliminate Distractions and Stay Focused

In our digital age with information, social media, and myriad other distractions at our fingertips 24/7, it’s critical to be disciplined when it comes to a work project or assignment. That means turning off the phone and moving it out of sight, closing distracting windows on your computer, turning off the television, and closing your door.

To remain on task, set a timer so you can stay focused on your work for a period. It might be as little as 15 minutes or as many as 50, and then get up and stretch, exercise, or just be away from your work for 10 minutes.

Some data shows that the most productive people work for 52 minutes and take a 17-minute break. However, other research indicates that taking regular momentary breaks actually can help you maintain focus on a singular subject.

When you work, don’t multitask. It’s been proven that you can only concentrate on one thing at a time. If you toggle between several tasks, it takes time to transition and focus when you move from one task to another – making it inefficient. Do one thing at a time and give it your full attention.

• Embrace Exercise, Brain Healthy Foods, and Targeted Supplements

You can support your cognition by exercising regularly, and consuming foods and nutrients that nourish your brain .

Exercise increases blood flow to the brain. This is especially important to help support optimal function of your prefrontal cortex , which influences cognitive control thereby affecting attention, impulse control, prospective memory (needed for planning), and cognitive flexibility.

Low impact exercise , sports (especially tennis, ping-pong, and pickleball ), water play , or yoga are all excellent for your brain as well as your mood , which helps with motivation!

Consuming nutrient-dense vegetables and fruits, plenty of lean protein , whole grains, healthy fats like olive oil, fatty fish such as salmon, and avocados are all wonderful for your brain function. Avoid consuming a lot or refined carbohydrates and sugar , which can affect your blood sugar levels and cause erratic brain cell firing – ultimately compromising attention and energy levels.

Don’t forget to take targeted supplements to support brain function! Our recommendation for those who need to stay focused is…

Attention Support

One of the formula’s main ingredients, choline , is essential to the brain’s production of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that plays a role in mental function. Choline provides support for healthy memory function, focus, and calm.

Another key ingredient, phosphatidylserine (PS), is a building block for cell membranes. PS is highly concentrated in the brain and is clinically proven to support healthy attention, learning, and memory.

Attention Support also contains a powerful and well-studied antioxidant extracted from the French maritime pine bark called Pycnogenol®. It promotes blood flow to the brain, and research indicates that it may help improve attention span, memory, decision-making and overall cognitive function.

Take-Home Lesson

The good organizational skills and brain healthy habits you begin practicing now as you ease back into a college routine will also benefit you long after you earn a degree. They will set you up for success in life.

Start now with these practical tips to help you stay focused and organized!

At BrainMD, we’re dedicated to providing the highest purity nutrients to improve your physical health and overall well-being. For more information about our full list of brain healthy supplements, please visit us at BrainMD .

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How to Stay Focused on Homework: 13 Easy Tips

Whether you’re a 15 year old and trying to pass the 10th grade or doing your Master’s degree and trying to complete the required reading, learning how to stay focused on homework is a lifelong skill that can feel boring and painful at times, but is necessary.

We learn to dread homework growing up, viewing it as the thing that gets in the way of our recreational time.

Who wants to be doing math problems when they could be outside playing with their friends?

Who wants to deal with pages of required reading or worry about staying focused when studying when they could be watching the latest bingeworthy shows on Netflix?

I’m not here to argue for or against the necessity of homework itself, but instead that sometimes, doing homework is a part of life.

And if we want to succeed in life, we have to do the homework.

We have to get motivated to write that essay , we have to get motivated to study , and we have to learn to stay focused on our goals .

Staying focused on homework when there are so many other distractions competing for our attention can be difficult, so in this post we’re going to get real, get honest, and talk about how to stay focused on homework even when you’d rather be doing anything else.

Study Tools You Need RIght Now

1. See How Fast You Can Get it Done Accurately

Getting your homework done quickly is usually the goal for most people, and while you don’t want to sacrifice accuracy, making a game out of it and seeing how fast you can get your homework done is usually a great way to stay focused on your homework.

There is a theory that we use as much time for tasks as we give ourselves, so it may be that actually you can write a good essay in 2 hours, when normally you would take 6 hours.

How much of that 6 hours is spent being distracted and wandering around your room aimlessly?

When we limit our time, we can get things done faster.

This isn’t to say that you should try and do 56 math problems in 2 minutes or sacrifice actually learning the material, but making a game to see how fast you can accurately do your homework is a great way to stay focused because now instead of just trying to focus on the content, you are focused on the goal of completing it and that will carry you through when it gets hard to stay focused.

2. Give Yourself a Reward When You Finish

It’s the only trick in the book, but that’s because it works and is one of my best productivity tips .

If you’re find it difficult to stay focused on your homework, make sure to promise yourself some sort of award when you finish.

For example, if you finish your book report, you can watch 30 minutes of your favorite TV show.

If you finish your math problems, you can have the snack you’ve been wanting since you got home.

Those of us adults with homework can also do this, but in bigger ways.

When you finish your dissertation, reward yourself by buying the new purse you’ve been keeping your eye on.

When you finish your physics problems, you can call a friend and go meet up for dinner.

Human nature is to work best when we are working towards something, and this is another way of keeping you focused on your homework by keeping you focused on the reward that will come from staying focused and completing your goal.

3. Find a New Way to Study

Sometimes, focus comes down to what you’re actually doing to learn the material.

For instance, I never learned well just rereading my notes to study for tests, and I found it much easier to use index cards to create questions and quiz myself with.

If part of your homework is studying for a test or something that you’re able to do in a way that makes more sense to you, do that!

We had quite a few projects that I was able to be more creative on that really helped keep me focused on working on them because I was much more interested.

If you’re having major problems focusing on your homework, check to see that you’re picking topics that really interest you, where possible, or talk to your teachers or professors to let them know that you’re struggling and see if they have any creative suggestions on how you could learn the material.

You can also use something like ClickUp to help you organize your homework and studying virtually.

4. Create a Study Group and Set a Goal

Study groups aren’t always good for focusing on homework because by the end of it, you’ve devolved into planning your Spring Break and no one has stuck to the plan or gotten much work done.

However, I like study groups as a way to stay focused on school work when you have a goal in mind. For instance, you could meet up and say you’re not going to leave the library until you’ve finished the project or you could say you’re not going to leave until you all feel confident that you could pass a test on Chapter 7 or you won’t finish until everyone has finished and understands how to do all of the math problems.

Having a study group just to have a study group isn’t always helpful, but with a clear outcome in mind, you can at least try and keep the socializing to a minimum until you go out and celebrate later for having finished.

You can also do it virtually with a platform like Zoom , which I talk about in my list of productivity tools .

This is also a great time to actually be honest with yourself about who that you know would make a good study group.

5. Do the Hardest Homework First

Our ability to focus goes down the longer we work on something, so if you have 4 hours of homework in 4 different subjects, you should start with what you find hardest first when your focus can be at its peak.

By the time you reach the fourth hour, you may be really wishing you had something that was much easier to focus on because you will naturally lose the willpower and ability to stay focused for that long.

This sometimes goes against our natural inclinations to save the hardest homework for last because we don’t want to deal with it until later, but putting it off makes it even harder to focus.

6. Listen to Instrumental Music

For some people, music can help keep them stay calm when stressed and is a good idea when trying to focus on homework, but make sure it’s the right kind of music.

For me, music with words is actually really difficult to have on in the background while I work on something also related to words (reading or writing or trying to understand concepts) because it uses that part of my brain to try and sing along.

I find that instrumental music is much better, whether it’s just basic instrumental music, instrumental covers of my favorite songs, or dedicated study playlists that use music that is actually thought to improve your concentration based on the tones of the sounds it creates.

You can find tons of these on Youtube and just put it on in the background as you try to get to work.

7. Create Your Perfect Environment

Equally, some of us find it super hard to focus with any noises in the background.

The aim of the game when it comes to focusing on homework has to do with creating your perfect environment and testing different environments to see what works for you.

Some people will find it easy to work in a library filled with other people working and walking around, while others will want to be in a cubicle with nothing else going on around them.

Some will want complete silence, others will want to blare music.

You should also think about the actual physical way you do your homework and whether that’s helping you.

There is a big difference for some people in the ability to focus when you’re laying down on your bed versus sitting at a dedicated desk, or working outside versus working inside.

Create the best environment you can before you get started on your homework and you’ll make it that much easier for yourself to focus.

8. Complete It In 20 Minute Chunks

Most people can focus for about 15-30 minutes before needing a quick break to look at something else or just stop looking at whatever they’re working on for a minute or two.

If you chunk your homework down into 20 minute chunks and aim to complete one at a time, this is actually a really useful way to stay focused because it’s not as daunting and you can focus on getting through one chunk at a time.

You can do this in so many ways, like chunking down the math problems and doing 10 at a time before you take a break, or reading a certain number of pages before you take 5 minutes to look up from your book.

Do everything in your power to make focusing seem less challenging, and your mind and body will more easily cooperate.

9. Get a Tutor

Sometimes, a study group of your friends isn’t necessarily the best idea under many circumstances, but a tutor almost always is.

Unlike a social companion, they’re there basically to help you focus on studying and to help coach you through anything you find difficult.

Having that external person who is sitting with you and helping you chunk down your work and setting goals for you is exactly what some people need to get their homework done in a productive way.

The level of tutor you need depends on what you’re working on.

If you just want someone to help you with the material who has done it before, you could ask someone a few grades above you to help out.

Equally, some families hire tutors for children with learning disabilities or those who are really struggling in a topic, and in this case the tutor may have a lot more experience in behavior and helping people to get the work done that goes beyond having done it beore.

10. Plan to Teach it to Others

Teaching the material to others is always a great way to help yourself stay focused when learning, because believe it or not, you’re learning to!

I used to teach my stuffed animals the material after I had done some homework on it, but you can also try and teach it to anyone to see how much you remember.

Many times, this transition into an active way of learning rather than passive is a great way to stay focused on studying and get things done instead of just hoping you remember it.

11. Use Website Blockers on Your Computer

If your problems with staying focused on your homework come down to other distractions, you can install plenty of software on your computer or phone that actually block certain websites when you tell them to.

You could block social media so you’re not taking breaks to scroll Instagram, block the entire internet or turn off the WiFi if you’re trying to focus on reading but can’t help continue to go on Reddit every couple of minutes, etc.

Staying focused isn’t just a “you” problem, it is a pretty prevalent human problem, especially in the modern world where we have more distractions than ever before.

So be strong, block the websites and apps, and then get down to business.

Not giving yourself the option to go on them means you don’t have to use up willpower trying not to.

You could also do this by giving someone else your password to your social media accounts and having them change it and not telling you what it is so it’s impossible for you to get in.

12. Make a To-Do List with Color Coding

For us visual people, making color coded to-do lists isn’t just an Instagrammable organizational tip, but a big life hack that helps us stay on track and be more productive.

If you’re struggling with your homework and staying focused, make a list each day of exactly what you need to do and use color codings, post-it notes or another visual way of checking things off to work through your list.

The more that you visually see completed on the paper, the more motivated you’ll be to keep staying focused and getting through the rest.

When you don’t have a list, it can feel like you’re not making any progress.

13. Use a Highlighter When Reading

If your homework involves reading or studying, you can also take an active role in this by using a highlighter to highlight important passages or use a pen to make notes next to the reading as you go.

This is proven to keep you more engaged in the material, which in turn will keep you more focused on your reading.

When you’re forcing yourself to engage with and respond to the material, you’re much more likely to remember and stay focused on it as opposed to what happens when you just passively read a book or read over your notes.

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How to Get (and Stay) Focused

Here's how to make the most out of your time and life..

Posted October 19, 2021 | Reviewed by Kaja Perina

• What Is a Career
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• Stop focusing on the problem and focus on finding a solution.
• Learn to indulge in moderation.
• Understand your triggers in order to get and stay focused.

This post is part 2 of a two-part series. You can read the first article here. Now that you have a clear picture of what causes people to lose focus, it’s time to learn the tools to overcome distraction. The following three tools can be used to help you regain your focus:

Complain Better

Emotional Intelligence 2.0 author, Dr. Travis Bradberry, argues that frequent complaining is a detrimental habit that can – and should – be broken. Complaining releases the stress hormone cortisol which negatively affects mood, reduces energy levels, and can ironically lead to more of the uncomfortable emotions we seek to escape through distractions.10

It’s time to learn how to complain better. Instead of complaining by focusing on the problem, Bradberry suggests adopting a “solution-oriented” approach.

Next time you feel the urge to complain about a looming deadline or difficult task, stop to consider the real source of the problem. For instance, ask yourself whether a solution to the problem of not wanting to do a task can be found in changing your perception of the work. If so, changing your mind proves much easier and healthier than trying to avoid it. A little self-awareness through introspection can go a long way.

Schedule Your Indulgences

In a 1992 study, researchers found that participants who cited being unable to lose weight despite dieting underestimated their daily caloric intake by 47%.11 These same participants overestimated their daily activity level by 51%. This study suggests that we have a tendency to overestimate behaviors we know to be good for us – how much we exercise, how healthy we eat, how often we clean our homes. We do the opposite when it comes to behaviors we know have detrimental effects – alcohol consumption , sugar intake, and monthly entertainment spending.12 While frivolous indulgences are satisfying in the short-term, they tend to move us away from what we really want. An episode of TV can feel relaxing and satisfying. But what happens after one, two, three…? One episode feels good. A whole series can fill you with regret. When it comes to indulgences, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying yourself. However, the key to moderation is intent. By setting aside time for the things likely to distract you, you ensure to control them instead of letting them control you. Instead of watching television or scrolling social media whenever the urge strikes, put that activity on your calendar, just as you would timebox any task. By planning ahead, you give yourself the peace of mind knowing you’ll soon have time for something fun, without being taken off track when you want to stay focused.

Master Your Triggers

In a George Mason University study, researchers found that distractions have a negative impact on the quantity and quality of our work.13 During the study, 54 participants were asked to outline and write essays on three different topics. Researchers found that interruptions negatively affected both the quality and quantity of work produced. This study supports research that distractions eat up time as well as decrease quality of work. According to one University of California study, it takes approximately twenty-three minutes to get back on track after being distracted.14 Triggers to distraction come in two categories – Internal Triggers and External Triggers. Getting and staying focused requires understanding and mastering both.

External Triggers: Cellphones, work colleagues, and even our kids, can all take us off track when we planned to focus. These triggers in our environment are called “external triggers.” External triggers are relatively easy to control – turn your phone off, logout of social media, put a sign on your computer monitor telling colleagues you’re busy, and so on. Internal triggers, on the other hand, are more difficult to recognize and correct. Internal Triggers: Internal triggers come from within. They are uncomfortable emotional states you seek to escape. Understanding the internal triggers driving you to distraction is critical to staying focused. When do you feel the urge to check your phone? Do you check it when you feel lonely ? Bored ? Anxious ? Overwhelmed? If so, what’s the source of these negative emotions? Reflecting on why you get distracted and learning healthier ways to respond is an integral part of developing sustained focus. While you may be unable to control what you feel, you are able to put practices in place to help guide what you do in response to the desire to escape into distraction. Is your habit of falling out of focus when you feel a negative emotion helping or hampering your ability to stay focused? If you are honest about why you become distracted and understand your negative emotions, you can respond in a healthier way in line with your values and goals .

Becoming indistractable requires an understanding of why you lose focus and learning the skills to do as you say. Establishing healthy habits, breaking out of your unproductive routines, and making time for what matters help you stay focused. By learning not to complain, scheduling indulgences, and understanding your internal triggers, you can harness the power to stay focused.

Nir’s Note: This article was written in collaboration with the NirAndFar.com team .

Nir Eyal, who has lectured at Stanford's Graduate School of Business and the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design, is the author of Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life.

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How To Focus On Homework And Score Top Grades (Really)

The term homework is one that many students would rather not hear mentioned. Furthermore, the subject of homework has sparked such a heated debate among scholars – is it necessary or not? However, this article’s focus is to help students at all levels learn how to stay focused while doing homework.

If homework is not your favorite, do not skip this post. You never know what the end of it holds for you.

What Is Homework?

Although this may be a cliché to many already, it would be prudent to have a working definition to guide this discussion. As the root word suggests, homework is schoolwork done outside school – especially at home. Teachers may assign homework based on:

What the students have learned that day in class What the teacher intents to teach the following day Some of the concepts that brought difficulty to the students

Students are therefore required to carry this assignment at home and complete it on their own. However, as we will see in our discussion, this is not always easy. Most students, whether kindergarten kids, college or university students, have trouble focusing on their homework.

How To Focus On Homework – Why Is It Necessary?

Research has shown that homework plays a critical role in the life of any student. Some of the reasons why homework assignments are necessary to include:

• It helps students understand concepts better.
• Teachers can gauge the understanding of the students
• It keeps students engaged while at home
• Parents can be part of their student’s academic journey through such tasks.

Therefore, all students need to learn how to focus on homework to achieve the above objectives and more. Learning how to stay focused on assignment is necessary in the following manner:

Students will be able to complete assignments on time. When students know how to ward off any homework distractions, they can fully concentrate on their homework and complete it on time. It helps them write correct answers. Students who know how to focus on homework can research well and develop the right solutions for their assignments. They will also be able to avoid minor grammatical and spellings errors in their papers. It makes a complex assignment seem easy! With a total concentration on a particular homework problem, students can easily find answers even to the most challenging issues.

That is why you need to master how to concentrate on h/w. It is a skill that has helped many students finish their assignments and score top-tier grades even at the college level. You are not an exception either! Once you cultivate the skill of how to focus better on homework, the returns will be rewarding.

But why can’t I focus on homework? You may ask.

Can’t Focus On Homework? Here Is Why?

• A long day at school: The long, tiresome school activities can wear you out to the point of failing to focus on your homework. Some may not even want to see their books anywhere close to them.
• Complex assignments: Some of the technical tasks can turn you off completely. For instance, failing to find an answer after four or more attempts can make you lose your concentration.
• Unfinished businesses: In the process of trying to complete your homework, you may remember an errand you were to make. Sometimes, you may have promised to pay a courtesy call to a particular friend. All these will raise a sense of anxiety in you and derail your concentration levels.
• Environmental factors: There are times when the downpour is so heavy that you lose concentration. A stubborn bird that likes to rest next to your window can also be a distraction.
• Emotional disorders: Although many may not know this, emotions and attitudes play a crucial role in concentration. If you are experiencing any form of emotional instability, you may not be able to complete your assignment as planned.
• Noise from around: Your neighbor might decide to show you how loud his home theatre system can go. Your siblings might also distract by noise from their toys or video games. None of these will keep your mind fully on the homework.
• You might be lazy! Please don’t feel like I am too hard on you. Laziness is a common thing that affects everyone – even the president feels sluggish at times! It can distract a student from focusing on the homework and completing it.

All these might distract you to the point of screaming (like I did some time last year). However, there are working tips and advice from expert writers that can help you concentrate on homework. Let’s have a look at them.

What To Do When You Can’t Focus On Homework

Use the following tricks to focus when doing your homework:

• Get some rest after coming home from school: The human mind also gets tired, just like any other body part. Therefore, you can take a shower and a little nap after school before engaging in your homework. A fresh mind is a catalyst to total concentration.
• Have all the materials you need beforehand: It is essential to assemble all the tools necessary for your homework before starting. Collate all the stationery and refreshments you may need in advance. It prevents getting up now and then to get a forgotten ruler or calculator from the other room or classmate next door.
• Choose the best time for completing your homework: Research shows that the mind works best early in the morning. You can decide to rest early and wake up in the morning to complete your assignment. After all, your stubborn siblings and the noisy neighbor will not be awake by this time.
• Have an order of completing your tasks: For instance, math homework can contain both problematic and simple sums. You can alternate these two so that you do not end up tackling five technical aggregates at the same time that will drain you off quickly.
• Get rid of destructions: Things such as music, television, computers, mobile phones, and other electronic gadgets can be a huge distraction. It would be wise of you to put them away when completing your homework not to be distracted. If possible, you can switch them off.
• Complete urgent errands first: Before sitting down to begin your homework, ensure that you have completed every chore you were assigned. It will enable you to focus your mind entirely on your task and not on the incomplete errands you have to go.
• Make a cup of coffee! It can do the magic perfectly well. When you feel like your concentration levels are getting low, especially during the night, you can make one for yourself. It will also keep you from dosing off amid the work.
• Listening to soft, soothing music: Psychologists say that the mind works best when a conducive environment is created. Slow music playing in the background can help maintain your concentration levels during studying. However, loud music is not recommended for such cases.
• Take a glass of water: Long hours of completing assignments can dehydrate your brain. The result of this is loss of concentration. Taking water hydrates it and thus increases brain activity. You will be able to focus on your homework once again as if you just began.
• Keep your mind up and alert: Psychologists have recommended chewing gum as a way of engaging your mind and keeping it active. It will help you maintain focus on your homework to the end.
• Avoid sugary foods: Things like sweets, chocolate, juice, or biscuits are a no-go zone if you wish to focus on your homework. They will only work to reduce your brain activity and make you sleepy.

The tips discussed above are only practical when implemented. Some of them may require you to push yourself to the limit, but they are necessary if you want to score top-notch grades. Remember that practice makes perfect!

How To Do Homework Without Getting Distracted During COVID-19

The coronavirus pandemic struck the whole world with a bang destabilizing almost every system. Education has not been spared either, and students have to adopt new and creative ways of completing homework amid the pandemic.

Here are some expert ideas:

• Limit your exposure to COVID-19 related news: The more you watch the news or read social media posts on coronavirus, the more you get anxious and distracted. Get verifiable facts from the WHO website or trusted government sources. These will reduce panic and give you ample time to complete your homework without losing focus.
• Adhering to the coronavirus prevention protocols: By following the laid down measures, you will not have to start doubting yourself when completing your homework. For instance, if you washed your hands, avoided physical contact, and wore your mask all day while in school, you would not have to fear the risk of exposure to the virus.
• Staying calm and composed: It is essential to focus your mind on the homework rather than the mere gossip you’ve heard all day long concerning the virus. A calm and composed mind will focus on the need of the hour, which is the homework and not any other thing.

Although the virus has ravaged the whole world in diverse ways, remaining optimistic will give you the calm mind necessary for completing your homework.

How To Stop Getting Distracted From Homework In Remote Learning

Most schools have adopted the distance learning approach, and students must complete their homework online. It comes with its fair share of distractions which may hinder effectiveness in the completion of tasks.

However, you can put off homework distractions in remote learning with the following tactics:

• Avoid visiting unnecessary sites: When conducting your research online, refrain from visiting places such as YouTube or Netflix to check the latest music or movies. Doing this will help you focus on the assignment at hand.
• Make sure that your laptop accessories are working: These include the laptop charger, mouse, or keyboard. When all these are in perfect condition, you will complete your homework online with ease.
• Have a stable internet connection: Remote learning depends on internet connectivity, and any interference on this can bring overwhelming frustrations on the part of the student. That is why you have to ensure that you have the proper bandwidth for completing your assignment online.
• Avoid the temptation of browsing outside the homework scope: While online, you might remember a particular fact or feature you wanted to Google during the day. It will only serve to take your focus away from the homework. Stick to your homework scope and do not deviate.
• Avoid social media sites as plague: You might think to yourself, ‘let me see what people are talking about on Twitter for two minutes, then come back to my assignment.’ The two minutes can end up being two hours. Social media sites have a way of attracting you and making your stay there all day long.

With the advancements in technology, computers can now know your preferences and automatically present to you what you like. Clicking on a link or visiting a site that is irrelevant to your homework will distract your attention. If possible, block any ads that may pop up in your remote learning course, as this may make you lose focus.

Final Words On How To Focus On Homework

We have seen the necessity of homework, some of the distractions, and how to handle them. Remember that homework, just like any other assignment in class, requires your maximum attentiveness. In some institutions, task amounts to the final grades, making it necessary to handle it with utmost precision.

Perhaps you have tried any of the expert tips above and still failed to focus; we are here to offer you quality homework assistance. You will find suggestions on how to focus on homework and experts who can help you complete those tedious homework problems.

Are you aspiring to score an A+ with professional writing help? We are here for you! Let us relieve you of that homework burden and give you all the time you need to socialize with your friends.

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Keep Calm and Go On: 18 Great Strategies to Keep Students on Task

Whether you’ve been a teacher for one day or over 30 years, you’re likely all too familiar with how challenging it can be to keep students on task. If you’ve ever had to deal with students talking during lessons, wandering the room, reading a book during instruction, or engaging in other off-task behavior, take some time to read through the tips I’ve put together below for you.

I’ve had huge success implementing a few of these tips with some of my students, and I think you could benefit from trying them out as well. You may also want to share this video from a school counselor with your students.

The school counselor in the video highlights some key behaviors and tips for students to help them better maintain their focus, attention, and on-task behaviors.

Best Strategies to Help Students Stay on Task

Here is my top list of 18 best strategies for helping teachers maintain classroom management and students stay focused on the assignment.

• Provide Focus Through Student Goal Setting →
• Create Awareness with Countdown Timers →
• Hold Direction-Focused Conferences →
• Include Physical Activity →
• Break Tasks into Pieces →
• Rate (and Change) Tasks →
• Incorporate Printable Checklists →
• Provide Only One Task or Assignment at a Time →
• Use Preferential Seating →
• Use Contrasting Colors to Increase Visual Focus →
• Use Natural Sunlight or Lamps Instead of Fluorescent Lighting →
• Remove Visual Distractions →
• Have “Attention Breaks” →
• Explore the Option of Medication →
• Set Up a Home Office →
• Leverage Interests →
• Vary Instructional Strategies →
• Set Deadlines →

Read on to take a closer look at each of these great ideas.

1. Provide Focus Through Student Goal Setting

Setting goals with students can be a very powerful motivator to help them focus. Take time to sit down one-on-one with students and review their performance and some of their work samples. Discuss areas for improvement, and work together to set a goal.

Have students write their goal somewhere they’ll see it every day so it can help them stay motivated to focus to improve and meet their goal. Be sure to schedule quick check-ins with students to discuss their progress towards meeting their goals and to praise the effort and focus you’ve been observing.

2. Create Awareness with Countdown Timers

Many students get off task and don’t realize how much time they’re taking away from whatever it is they are supposed to be doing. Using a countdown timer  is one strategy that can help students gauge the amount of time they have left to complete a task to limit off-task behaviors.

For many students, seeing the visual of a timer counting down in front of them is enough to keep them focused on their work to ensure they finish insufficient time.

3. Hold Direction-Focused Conferences

Direction-focused conferences are a way to give students some personalized attention each day to help keep them on task. A direction-focused conference is a short (1 minute) conversation between you and each student in your class. During the conference, ask each student two questions: “What work have you been completing, and what will you be working on next?”

Giving students the opportunity to articulate these answers can help them refocus when they return to their seats.

4. Include Physical Activity

Sitting in the same spot for an extended amount of time and maintaining focus is hard enough for adults, let alone children. Children also have a shorter attention span and benefit from broken-up instruction. Take time at various times during the day to give students the opportunity to get a little physical activity.

This can be as quick as asking the class to all stand-up and do 10 jumping jacks or putting on a short dance video for everyone to dance to.

5. Break Tasks into Pieces

As we just mentioned, students have a short attention span. This can make it challenging for them to complete longer tasks in one fell swoop. Try breaking tasks into smaller chunks and give students a short break between each task.

For example, if you ask your students to write a story about something and draw a picture to go with their story, consider breaking this task into smaller pieces. You could ask students to write the introduction to their story, then take a quick movement break, then come back and write the middle of their story, followed by another break, and then write the end of the story, take another quick stretch, and then draw the picture to go with the story.

6. Rate (and Change) Tasks

Some children may get off task when they feel overly frustrated with a task or perceive it to be too challenging for them to complete. If you feel this may be the case with one of your students, have a conversation with them and ask them to rate how difficult the task is using a scale of 1 to 10.

If they communicate that the task is very difficult for them, work with them to brainstorm a list of things you could do to support them with the activity.

7. Incorporate Printable Checklists

Another common reason students get off task is that they simply don’t remember the directions or aren’t clear on what they should do next. Avoid this potential problem by making quick checklists for each task that layouts the various steps that students should complete.

You can also ask students to turn their checklists in with their finished product to show that they completed each step.

8. Provide Only One Task or Assignment at a Time

Another idea you can try with students who seem overwhelmed by complex assignments or having too many tasks to keep track of is to only assign one task at a time.

Giving students one specific thing to work on will help make it clear what they should be doing. Then, once they have finished that task, you can give them their next assignment.

9. Use Preferential Seating

The preferential seat is a well-trusted method used by many teachers to keep specific students on task. With a preferential seat, you make very strategic decisions about where to seat each child.

Place students that you know have more difficulty staying on task closest to you. This will allow you to more closely monitor their behaviors, and they’ll be more likely to be on task knowing that you are so close by.

10. Use Contrasting Colors to Increase Visual Focus

Another reason some students may have trouble focusing is if they are having a hard time seeing or reading the information on the board or a smartboard for classroom .

Using contrasting colors to increase students’ ability to focus on the words or visuals that are important to their learning. Here are the best colors to use in your learning environment.

11. Use Natural Sunlight or Lamps Instead of Fluorescent Lighting

Many classrooms have fluorescent lighting, which can be hard on the eyes. Consider keeping your overhead lights off and opening the blinds or purchasing lights with softer, more natural light to use in the classroom. These lights will be much easier on the eyes and may help increase students’ focus. Find some harmless lamps for your classroom in this article .

As a benefit, you may also notice that you feel better at the end of each day without sitting under the fluorescent lights all day.

12. Remove Visual Distractions

An overload of visual stimulus can overwhelm students and make it very challenging for them to focus on just one thing, such as their work. Evaluate your classroom and considering paring down your decorations and posters so as not to overwhelm your students.

Also, consider how visually distracting the directions you post or the worksheets you share with your students may be.

13. Have “Attention Breaks”

An attention break is an opportunity for students to determine whether they were focused on their work at a given time. Before conducting attention breaks, teach your students what paying attention is and what they should be doing if they are truly paying attention. Give a few examples and have students act out examples and non-examples of paying attention. Then, throughout the day, set timers to go off at different times and have students indicate whether they were or were not paying attention when the timer went off.

This can help students become more self-aware and also help them gain a better understanding of what paying attention means.

14. Explore the Option of Medication

If you have tried several of the strategies listed here and still have major concerns about a particular student’s ability to pay attention, ask their parent to come in for a conference. Discuss your concerns and get the parent’s opinions about the behaviors and what they are seeing at home.

If you can’t brainstorm additional ideas to try, consider recommending that the parent set up an appointment with their child’s pediatrician to explore the next steps.

15. Set Up a Home Office (For Doing Home Tasks)

If parents have shared that they are also having trouble keeping their child on the task at home when completing homework or other assignments, suggest that they set up a home office space. Giving students a dedicated space where they can focus away from siblings or other distractions can help increase their focus.

If parents don’t have a separate room they can use as an office, suggest purchasing a study carrel or even just a tri-fold board that can be set up in front of students to block out other distractions while they work.

16. Leverage Interests

Find out about what interests your students and use their interests to help keep them on task. For example, if one of your students who has a particularly challenging time staying focused and on task loves dinosaurs, find ways to work dinosaurs into your lessons.

This may include reading books about dinosaurs in reading, making up math word problems about dinosaurs, giving dinosaur stickers out to students who are working, or anything else you could think of that has to do with dinosaurs.

17. Vary Instructional Strategies

Students have different learning styles. Some may be visual learners, others are auditory learners, while still others may be kinesthetic learns. A child’s learning style impacts which types of tasks will deliver the greatest educational benefits.

It is important to vary your instructional strategies and work to meet the different learning styles of your students through the different lessons you teach.

18. Set Deadlines

Finally, set deadlines for when work needs to be completed and turned in. When students have a deadline to work towards, it is more concrete for them than saying something like, “finish this as soon as you can.”

Your deadline may be in the next 20 minutes, by the end of the day, or by the end of the week depending on the task, but having something concrete and communicating it to students is important.

Staying on Task Worksheets

Staying on task and maintaining focus through instruction and classwork does not come naturally to many students. In fact, you’ll need to work with your students to teach them this skill, the same as you would need to work with them to teach them to add, subtract, read, or write. Incorporating some lessons and worksheets that specifically focus on the skill of staying on task can help students improve their ability to focus and pay attention. Below are a few great places to find some staying on task worksheets to use with your students:

• Staying on Task Worksheets from Teachers Pay Teachers
• SMART Goals Worksheet from The Art of Education University
• Following Directions Worksheets from teAchnology

Keeping students on task is a problem nearly all educators face. Every child is different, and some strategies will work better with different students. Take some time to experiment with your students using some of the ideas from this post. Come back and share your successes in a comment; I’d love to hear about what worked with your class!

Last Updated on February 22, 2022 by Emily

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Emily is an active mother of two and a dedicated elementary school teacher. She believes the latest technology has made a huge impact on the quality of early learning and has worked hard to upgrade her classroom and her own children’s learning experience through technology.

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How to stay focused on homework - 5 easy ways.

There are many easy ways to learn how to focus on homework that is simple for anyone to do for assignments on any subject. If you have problems staying focused when doing schoolwork at home you’re not alone. When the subject is something you don’t like it can an eternity to get it done because it is hard to stay focused. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to ensure you get your work done on time and give it the attention it deserves. Here are some tips to help you focus on your work no matter what the subject or topic.

How to Focus on Homework: Focusing on One Task

A good way of understanding how to stay focused on homework is to complete tasks one at a time. When choosing to work on your assignment, give your full attention to the task. Some say multi-tasking helps them stay focused, but sometimes breaking up your time in intervals to do other tasks not related to your schoolwork may take time away from getting it done sooner. If the assignment doesn’t require as much effort, try getting it done first without doing other activities. A suggestion to encourage taking action sooner on assignments includes learning how to focus better of homework.

How to Concentrate on Homework: Avoid or Limit Distractions

When you need to know how to concentrate on homework you should review potential distractions before getting started. If you like playing games on your smartphone, chat on social media, or other leisure activities try putting them off until your work is done. Work in a room that is quiet and way from others or things that make noise such as televisions or radios. Turn off your phone and put away the munchies until you are finished. A light snack is okay for energy but don’t get distracted wanting to sit around and eat, talk, or play games. It is common for anyone to want to know how to not get distracted while doing homework. Now you have some insight to help you.

Plan Your Actions and Your Time

Planning ahead how to complete your work may include using mobile apps or digital tools to assist with time management. Sometimes when students wonder why I can’t focus on homework is they didn’t plan their time accordingly. Make a schedule you can stick with for schoolwork assignments. Designate a time during the day to work exclusively on schoolwork. If you set aside time it shows you are making the action a priority. It is especially significant when the work counts toward your grade, counts as extra credit, or helping prepare for testing or exams.

How Not to Get Distracted while Studying

As you assess how to concentrate on homework think about using on examples for study purposes. Using 123 Homework will help you focus on what you can create or recreate for your work. It can be difficult to focus when expected to create something from scratch with no fresh ideas in mind for motivation. At least with an example you have direction on where you can take your idea if you need to create something for a writing assignment such as an essay or report. When you find yourself saying “I can’t focus on homework” when you’re not sure, a great example can give you a quick start.

How to Stay Focused on Homework: Plan a Reward for Yourself

When you’ve had one of those “I can’t focus on my homework” thoughts before actually getting things done, you’ll recall getting frustrated and stressed over the assignment. When school coursework assignments pose additional challenges to get done, a reliable homework problem solver is a great motivator. You can choose to play an activity or enjoy a really sweet treat.

Now you have an idea of what you can do when considering how to not get distracted while studying. Take the task seriously and be determined to finish your work so you have something to submit when you go back to class. Remember your efforts are helping you practice and gain skills you’ll use later.

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12 Ways to Maintain Focus All Day Long

“why can’t i focus” you learned long ago that good intentions don’t magically translate into concentration — particularly when your task is boring, difficult, or extra critical. designed for adhd brains, these 12 strategies will help you develop the muscles for real, sustained attention..

Why Can't I Focus?

You’ve crafted your to-do list. You’ve gathered your supplies. You know what you need to do. And yet when the time comes to actually complete the day’s tasks, your brain drifts off.

Why is focus — both finding it in the first place, and pulling it back when it starts to stray — so difficult for people with attention deficit disorder ( ADHD )? The answer lies in brain chemistry: ADHD brains are naturally low on dopamine and norepinephrine, which control brain arousal and attention levels. Other people may find that, when the situation calls for it, they can “buckle down” and force their brains to focus. For people with ADHD, the advice to “just focus” is maddening; it simply can’t be done.

You can’t force focus, but you can create an ideal environment — both physical and mental — for it to thrive. The key is working with (not against) your ADHD brain, and combining the specific factors that help your focus flourish. When you're wondering, "Why can't I focus?" follow these 12 tips to get started.

1. Remember the Zeigarnik Effect.

The “Zeigarnik Effect” is the principle that unfinished tasks are harder to get out of your brain than are tasks that haven’t been started. This means that starting a project — even if you work on it for just 10 minutes — will make it harder for your brain to forget or dismiss it. If you find yourself daydreaming instead of getting started, set a timer for 10 minutes and do something (anything!) during that time. Once you start, the big, scary project will turn into an unfinished task — meaning your brain will latch onto it and figure out how to get it done.

2. Use a “daily focus list.”

Write down your major priorities at the beginning of each day. This is a great way to block out annoying distractions and periodically refocus your attention. A daily focus list — a short, bulleted outline of three major and three secondary priorities — isn’t just a “to-do list”; rather, it’s a grounding tool that keeps your head out of the clouds and focused on what’s really important. (Download an example of a daily focus list .)

[ Get This Free Download: 6 Ways to Retain Focus (When Your Brain Says 'No!') ]

3. Create a “parking lot.”

Racing thoughts and hyperactive imaginations mean that ADHD brains are easily thrown off course by passing thoughts about dry cleaning or returning Aunt Linda’s phone call. Deal with sidetracking thoughts — and the anxiety they can create — with a “parking lot,” an easily accessible place to dump unneeded thoughts until a more appropriate time. The parking lot could be a notebook you carry in your purse, or a post-it note stuck to your desk; whatever it is, it will save you stress and keep your focus unbroken.

4. Identify your “overwhelm” triggers.

When the ADHD brain gets stressed, it jumps into fight or flight mode. This looks like a lack of motivation: You abandon your piles of laundry or half-done taxes and binge-watch Netflix instead. Break this cycle by identifying the triggers that cause you to feel overwhelmed. For some, it’s hunger; for others, it’s too many conflicting priorities. Getting a handle on what causes your overwhelm won’t be enough to deter it every time, but you’ll be better equipped to anticipate its arrival and plan accordingly.

5. Go with your flow — not just the flow.

ADHD comes with plenty of superpowers (like hyperfocus ), but you can’t always predict when they’ll kick in. Respect your brain! Recognizing when you’re “in the zone” — and able to tackle tasks that require attention and focus — is just as important as recognizing when your brain is in a fog. When you’re totally out of it, give yourself permission to shift your attention to less-demanding tasks, like filing papers or folding socks. You’ll get more done in the long run!

6. Look for “positive distractions.”

“ Distraction ” need not be a dirty word. Certain diversions can actually help you get more done in the long run. Take, for instance, exercise: stepping away from a project to go for a walk might seem like avoidance, but physical activity actually boosts the brain and can help you operate more efficiently when you come back. Seek out the “positive distractions” that work for you; good examples include meditation, a quick dance break, or a creative art project. If you’re nervous about getting lost in your distraction, set a timer — and stick to it.

[ Click to Read: 25 Everyday Brain Boosts ]

7. Forget perfection.

Hyperfocus isn’t always a force for good. Sometimes, it can lead people with ADHD to obsess over small, unimportant details — and kill their real productivity in the process. Work on letting go of perfectionism and settling for “good enough.” This is a journey, not a destination, so don’t expect your perfectionist tendencies to disappear overnight — but you can expect to reduce your anxiety, build your self-esteem, and improve your productivity along the way.

8. Buddy up.

Recruit an “accountability partner” — someone you talk to daily, weekly, or monthly — to help you prioritize goals, chart progress, and celebrate successes. Accountability builds focus — and, in the long run, creates change — because everyone (particularly someone with ADHD) thrives on being able to say, “Yep, I did it.” A partner — whether it’s an ADHD coach, a close friend, or even your mom — can help get you where you want to go.

9. Set aside planning time.

Lack of planning is one of the biggest focus drains; it’s hard to stay in the zone when you don’t know exactly what you’re supposed to be doing! Even one minute of planning can save you as much as 40 minutes of work, so it’s important that you schedule regular, short planning sessions to sketch out priorities and deadlines for the upcoming days or weeks. Of course, nothing is set in stone — priorities can shift and emergencies can arise. But having even a general sense of your goals and how to plan to achieve them — even if you get thrown off course — works wonders for retrieving your focus from La-La Land.

10. Find clarity.

The greater your clarity, the easier it is to stay focused and get things done. If you’re having trouble paying attention to a project, ask yourself these questions to expose the root of the problem: What do you want to achieve? Whose expectations are driving this project — your own or someone else’s? Do you understand what you need to do? Getting a handle on what’s expected of you will make it easier to ignore distractions and maintain a positive mindset.

11. Set deadlines.

Ever wonder why you do everything at the last minute? It’s because deadlines are actually neurologically useful to the ADHD brain — they eliminate competing priorities and boost adrenaline, making it easier to dive into hyperfocus and crack down on a task. Not every task comes with a clear deadline, however — so you need to create your own. These could be deadlines for each phase of a project — “On Tuesday at 4 PM, I’ll pick up the paint supplies from the hardware store” — or for the project itself: “The bathroom needs to be painted by February 1.” Post your deadlines prominently and set frequent reminders — they’ll increase your likelihood of following through.

12. Acknowledge — and then dismiss — negative thoughts.

Rumination is the enemy of focus. Repeatedly dwelling on, say, a recent argument with your spouse can block out other important thoughts, making it nearly impossible to get anything done. Trying to block out negative thoughts entirely, however, usually backfires. Instead, acknowledge your natural thought patterns, and plan a time when you can give them the attention they deserve. Tell yourself, “Yes, the argument last night upset me, and my feelings right now are valid” to help you manage strong emotions and circular thought patterns — without letting them hold back your focus.

[ Read This Next: How to Banish Negative Thoughts & Feelings ]

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How to Stay Focused on School (when you feel lazy!)

Whether you have big exams coming up or just need to improve your study skills, I’ve got you covered! Learn my tried and true tips that’ll teach you exactly how to stay focused on school, when you seriously would rather be doing anything else.

I get it. We all have our moments when we want nothing more than to just lay in bed and watch tv. But, there are looming stresses of school assignments and tests and quizzes that never seem to leave us alone.

Over my years in high school, I have found that it’s a lot easier to just do the work than sit and think about not wanting to do it. And that has come mostly by following these tips for staying focused on these school assignments.

This post is all about how to stay focused on school!

Make a plan

I cannot tell you how many times I stress myself out over an assignment that isn’t even that much work. I think it is going to be a big production so I push it off and constantly worry about it. Then, I finally look at the work and realize I spent more time stressing over it than it is actually going to take me to do the assignment.

Avoid all of my mistakes and just deal with it from the beginning. When you get a long assignment, make a plan right away about how you are going to do the work. Pushing it off is only going to make it worse.

Split up the work

In the plan that you want to make, try to split up the work into bite-sized pieces so the assignment is more manageable. Studying for a half hour every night sounds a lot better than studying for 5 hours one night.

In this step, you want to be really specific about your goals for yourself. Plan out what you want to do, when you want to do it, and about how long it is going to take you. The more specific you are, the better. While you don’t have to follow this plan down to the minute, having it as an option is so helpful!

Now that you split everything up, you don’t have to stress over the assignment anymore. You have a plan, so you know everything is going to get done on time if you follow through.

Another benefit is that you will be more motivated to keep going. If I told you you had to do a five hour assignment in one night, it is extremely difficult to keep going and motivate yourself.

But, if I said all you have to accomplish is one hour each night of the week, you have smaller goals. Instead of only “rewarding” yourself at the end of the entire assignment, you are creating small goals that can be “rewarded” each time.

Just to clarify, by rewards, I do not mean you need to go out and buy yourself something special. The reward in this case could just be finishing the assignment and feeling accomplished. This feeling will keep motivating you to continue working until you finish.

Small time increments

Another way to split up the assignment is by working in shorter time increments. It is so much easier to stay focused on school when you only have to focus for a short time. Working for hours on end is not going to result in your best work. Work for smaller amounts of time and take breaks in between.

Personally, I focus best when I work for 25 minutes and then rest for 5 minutes. This is a long enough time for me to actually get work done, but I don’t get too tired. Try out different time increments and see what works best for you.

Listen to study music

I am going to be honest, I have no clue about the science behind this. BUT, I can tell you from experience that listening to study music seriously makes a difference. In one of my classes, I got these super long assignments that used to take upwards of three or four hours.

When I was trying to focus one time, it was really loud, so I put on study music to drown out the noise. Now its been about six months and I listen to the exact same music every time I do this assignment.

Like I said, I don’t know what it is about the music, but it helps me stay focused on school SO WELL!

What used to take me three to four hours, I am now about to do in only two! Just listening to this music helps me concentrate and focus SOOO much better.

Click here to check out my go-to study music. There are also hundreds of videos on youtube with other music, so try some out and find your favorite!

Know your why

If you have a long assignment or big test, you need to have a reason to do it. You need to “know your why” if you want to motivate yourself. Giving yourself a tangible reason to keep going is so powerful.

Figure out your motivation to complete the assignment and then remind yourself of it constantly! Whether it be a physical reason or just the feeling of accomplishment, either will push you to keep going.

I love to keep a letter board right next to my desk for some constant motivation to keep working! Check out my favorite quotes here !

Get rid of distractions (aka your phone)

I am not even joking when I say I physically throw my phone across my room when I am working. Just a few taps on my phone and I can be sucked into Instagram for hours, with my assignment basically forgotten.

If you are anything like me, just the presence of my phone next to me is sometimes enough to get me distracted. So, just get rid of it. Don’t even have the looming thought of a distraction nearby. Move your phone to the other side of the room or put it in another room entirely.

When all else fails, just keep going

My last tip to help you stay focused on school is to just keep working.

It’s like running a mile. If you are trying to run the fastest mile you can, you can’t stop. If you need a break, you would slow your pace and jog for a bit before getting back to the running. But, if you stop altogether, it makes it 100 times more difficult to start running again.

This is the same with school work. If you have to “slow down,” that’s fine. But, try your absolute hardest not to stop completely! You will stay focused on the school work so much better if you just keep going.

And always remember, you WILL finish the assignment. So just keep working till you get to that point!

If you want more of my BEST study tips, check out this article about My Life-Changing Study Tactics for a Successful Year ! You are going to love it!!

This post was all about how to stay focused on school!

Other posts you may like:

• 15 Genius Tips To Learn How To Study Smarter & Ace Your Classes
• How I Edit All of My Essays for School
• 23 Best Books For College Girls That You Have To Read

Hey there! My name is Bri and I am a college lifestyle blogger! I love organization, productivity, cooking, baking, reading, and photography. Throughout my blog, you will find a little bit of all these passions! My goal is to help high schoolers, college students, and young adults, whether it be by creating a functioning living space or learning how to cook healthy meals.

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How to Focus on School Work & Stay Concentrated: 18 Tips to Follow

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Every new academic year has unique challenges that make students ask questions like, "Why can't I focus on school work?" It is more complicated than ever to maintain optimum concentration. Some people struggle because they are juggling family time, social activities, and media platforms. Nevertheless, you can focus on homework and finish your tasks efficiently by adopting interest-focusing strategies. These techniques will be helpful in overcoming diversions and concentrating on your schoolwork. You can achieve this by making simple schedule adjustments. In this blog post, we will discuss 18 tips on how to stay focused on homework in a clear and detailed manner. In case you have any questions or need expert assistance, contact StudyCrumb. Our academic writing team will be glad to solve any homework task you are dealing with. Say ‘ help with my assignment ’ and get top-notch assistance.

Why Can't I Focus on My Homework?

The question "why can't I focus on homework?" is popular among students, as numerous things can be distracting when doing assignments. Several hindrances like social networking sites, overthinking and watching digital content continuously demand concentration. As a result, you have little or no control over your thoughts. You must ensure your brain is dedicated to completing the task at hand. Focusing on an assignment may be challenging for many reasons. From my perspective, one of the reasons why I can't focus on school work is experiencing stress or exhaustion. Of course, being bored with the subject itself could also be the cause of why you are not concentrating. Many people find that figuring out the obstacle is the best way of understanding how to get focused on school work. Similarly, eating well and leading a healthy lifestyle is what helps you focus on homework.

Can't Focus on Homework? Find Out All Distracting Facts

Why can't I concentrate on my homework? Is paying attention to my assignments so crucial? Welcome to the new era where distractions are everywhere, and you can't concentrate on homework. How can you possibly finish your schoolwork and focus on it without being interrupted? Something minor, like social media browsing, may not seem harmful initially, but it can hinder studying. Students must learn how to stay focused while doing homework so that they can perform well. Many factors may contribute to these distractions and make you feel like you have limited power over your thoughts. These elements of distraction include the following:

• Fear of failure.
• Electronic devices.

Lack of interest is a common reason why students experience difficulties with concentration. If you aren’t interested in your subject and are looking for an expert to pay for homework , StudyCrumb is the best place to seek for academic help. Let us know the details and we will match you with the best writer in your field.

Tips for Focusing on Homework

You may struggle with focus occasionally as a freshman or a graduate student. One of the obstacles is the question of how to concentrate on homework. It can be challenging when you are thinking about something else. For example, your mind is constantly shifting focus onto your phone, your stomach is grumbling, or you want to lie down and nap. Start by learning how to focus on schoolwork in general by adopting technology as a core part of making you creative. However, technology is responsible for a never-ending stream of diversions that can weaken the will toward education. Check a few tips below on how to focus better on homework while avoiding interference.

1. Provide Quiet and Comfortable Environment

Students should learn how to focus on school at home as a core part of achieving academic success. Using a computer to do your homework staying in a noisy living room environment may affect concentration. To focus on school work, move to a quiet area where you can listen to helpful videos and read books. Make the space cozy, ensure it is also tidy, and maybe use inspirational banners in the room. You will probably have an easier understanding if you minimize distractions when studying. A quiet and conducive environment can optimize the quality of time spent on schoolwork and spare enough hours for free time. This is one of the crucial ways how to stop getting distracted from homework.

2. Prepare Snacks and Water Beforehand

This is another critical method and a sure way how to focus when doing homework. Here, you can learn how to focus on school by consuming water and healthy snacks, including low-fat yogurt, whole-grain bread, and dried fruits. It is not a good idea to eat a substantial meal prior to starting to work on the homework since it takes a lot of energy and time to digest the food. Thus, large meals can make you unproductive. Instead, preparing snacks and water beforehand is one of the easy-to-implement tips to help focus on homework. Water prevents dehydration and helps in digestion. Healthy snacks are a crucial element of a well-balanced diet, particularly when studying for long periods. Easy meals for college students play a critical role in curbing overeating. They also boost energy levels and metabolism and reduce hunger pangs, allowing you to concentrate better on your schoolwork.

3. Provide Silence to Concentrate on Homework

People often need silence when contemplating how to not get distracted while doing homework. Most students wonder why it is so hard to focus on school work in a loud environment. This is because it shifts your mind to what is happening around you rather than concentrating on your homework. Maintaining silence when focusing on school work enables you to absorb information better, remember it, and formulate new questions. You can assess the significance of alternative viewpoints and internalize different emotions and facts. Furthermore, silence allows you to practice deliberate and purposeful communication. It is also necessary to ensure effective use of the time allocated for schoolwork.

4. Organize Your Study Place

Taking an hour or more to arrange your space is helpful when figuring out how to focus on doing homework. If you study in your room, ensure the windows are open for the flow of fresh air. However, remain mindful of outside noise that may become even more distracting. One of the things to help you focus on homework is adequate illumination to help with reading and writing and clearing your mind. Both these preparations can be achieved using music and easy hygiene procedures. If you enjoy classical music, turn it on for the smooth sounds that will help you relax. Spend a few minutes removing dirty things on the desk, table, and study space, including your sitting position. The whole idea of organizing your study space is made to avoid time wastage. Furthermore, great organization boosts concentration and output and helps you avoid distraction.

5. Block Apps and Websites That Can Distract From Doing Homework

Another incredible tip on how to concentrate on school work is by blocking apps and websites that cause distraction. Focusing is undoubtedly tricky if you are completing homework on a laptop. Some apps are beneficial while others are not, especially when you think of what helps you focus on homework and ensure effective use of allocated time. For instance, Screen Time is an app that assists you in avoiding frequent distractions. Avoid apps like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube to focus on homework and close any notifications like text messages not to get distracted. By blocking these apps, you will concentrate more on your studies and enhance your workflow. You can run a few applications that support your efficiency in handling schoolwork.

6. Avoid Multitasking to Be Focused on School Work

If you are unsure about how to focus on homework at home, you are in the right place. You should identify different methods so you can concentrate thoughts on schoolwork and optimize the learning process. Focusing on one assignment at a time is another way how to stay focused on school work. Multitasking will reduce your productivity. Avoid watching a video lesson on science while completing your math assignment because you might be losing more than you gain. Before beginning a new task, finish the previous one and concentrate on homework. This enables you to take part in the activity more deeply and stay attentive. In addition, you will retain more knowledge and have less trouble applying the information in the real world if you can focus more on your schoolwork.

7. Choose the Best Time for Homework

As the saying goes, to everything, there is a time and place , and with homework, you need to set the appropriate time and place to work it out. You need to choose designated periods to make yourself focus on homework. Attentiveness to schoolwork may be difficult if the event is not scheduled correctly. Therefore, choosing the most appropriate time to focus on your homework without many distractions is key. The correct perspective in handling assignment deadlines would entail the selection of a timeframe that is best for you. In other words, the time allocation should be uneventful yet scheduled at an appropriate time for maximum efficiency. This means you will consider periods when your mind is fresh and there are minimal distractions to remain productive while focusing on schoolwork.

8. Put Aside All Gadgets

When researching how to do homework without getting distracted, gadgets are considered to be some of the most distracting elements that you can have. Having gadgets around, such as phones, leaves you vulnerable to shifting attention. This entails calls and messages from friends in social media or online interactions. Although gadgets are essential in helping you study, switch them off in order to not get distracted when doing homework. Accordingly, managing screen time must be a central topic when developing ways how to focus on your homework. You will find that without distractions, you can easily set attention to the tasks that matter. Putting off your gadgets often results in higher efficiency and productivity, especially when handling academic tasks.

9. Prioritize Your Homework

As with many other things, priorities are central when getting work done. Schoolwork at home can easily fall into events that are of lower importance. However, eliminating this perspective may be critical when considering how to focus while doing homework. Prioritization is the most effective when planning and scheduling events. Tasks like doing homework should, in this case, be set as the most important and high up on the schedule compared to other events. More time should also be allocated to more urgent events. This allows you to organize your thoughts and ideas while doing your homework without feeling rushed.

10. Plan Your Schedule to Be Concentrated

Students often wonder how to focus more on school work, especially when dealing with time-critical events or when they have a lot on their plate. I have, in several instances, successfully used scheduling when strategizing how to make myself focus on homework. The trick lies in developing a schedule that works for you. The plan, in this case, should operate around all your daily events and take advantage of the free periods. You can therefore complete the tasks that are typically overlooked. Keeping time will be easier with the correct approach to scheduling. You will also make more time for the things that previously fell between the cracks and remain undone.

11. Divide Your Task Into Parts

Undertaking large volumes of work that cannot be well-tracked may seem overwhelming. Being compelled can then make it hard to stay focused. In my experience, the practice of dividing work into parts has been able to help me focus on homework. Breaking down large volumes of tasks enables you to easily keep track of the progress you make and avoid the feeling of being overwhelmed. You can use this as a tip when figuring out what to do when you can't focus on homework. Also, scheduling periodic breaks after completing a stressful section will be helpful.

12. Make To-Do Lists to Focus on Homework

Lists are a common way of tracking the important events that should be done throughout the day. They can also be helpful when thinking of how to stay focused on homework in college or even in your personal engagements. You may wonder how to stop getting distracted while doing homework using lists, and here is how. Listing all the day's tasks in order of how you would like to undertake them keeps you focused on your goals. The order will help you tackle things individually and shape your focus on the next item you need to work on. Setting goals for each step can also lead to exceptional results in completing homework and minimizing distractions.

13. Use Tools and Apps for Studying

As a student, you must leverage technologies and all available ways to focus on homework. The advantage of studying in the modern schooling environment is that you have a wide array of tools and resources. For instance, mobile apps and games can help you meet the objectivity tasks you may require. They will also help you to get useful time management skills . Many free apps and tools help you to focus on school work at home. For example, scheduling apps offer time management and planning resources that help you get that extra edge in keeping focused. These tools provide alerts to inform you of your tasks and even help manage your progress. In addition to scheduling applications, using PDF annotating apps and tools can be very helpful for studying. Apps like PDF Reader Pro allow you to open, edit, annotate and share PDFs with ease. You can highlight important textbook passages, add notes and bookmark pages to better focus on your homework. 

14. Set a Timer While Doing Homework

Using timers is a great option when you are not able to concentrate on homework. Students who can't focus on school work may benefit from using them to manage their engagement in different daily activities. Timers are mainly instrumental in keeping your attention focused on a specific goal. Productivity timers, for instance, may help keep your focus by holding you accountable for every minute that passes. You know you need to finish a set number of tasks based on the time spent on these tasks. This can be beneficial if you are prone to procrastination or are too busy with other things. Older students wondering how to stay focused on homework in college or tertiary institutions may also use timers to manage their efficiencies. Timing yourself can also help keep pressure on the mind and focus your thoughts. Therefore, make timed tasks a habit.

15. Come Up With Motivation

Motivation greatly helps when you wonder what to do when you can't focus on homework. Sometimes, simple inspiration and goal realignment may be all you need to restore your attention. Motivation comes in many forms and shapes. For instance, using reward systems or adjusting your school goals with personal interests may go a long way. Other options include joining group work discussions that match these objectives and engaging in an exercise that may help keep you motivated. So next time you think of how to focus on schoolwork at home, consider what benefits you may get from developing motivation for your goals.

16. Make Breaks for Better Concentration on Homework

Concentration is part of what can help me focus on homework, and there is a chance you may be severely affected by fatigue. Exhaustion is to be expected, especially when handling challenging course materials. I mostly find that I can't focus on my homework when I am tired. It becomes complicated to focus on homework without getting distracted when exhausted, and the solution I have found so far is taking a break. This helps rejuvenate the mind and generate new energy. Scheduling periodic intervals minimizes stress and allows you to refocus your thoughts. Nevertheless, be mindful and do not take a break that extends for too long.

17. Change Study Spot

You may be curious how a change in the environment affects your ability to concentrate or how to make yourself focus on homework with so many distractions at home. Fortunately, there are standard solutions to these questions as well. If you are wondering how to focus on school work at home, you should move to a different study spot. In a spacious house, you can find a quiet, designated space to set up and do your homework. Having a fixed location with the right environment for concentration may increase your creativity significantly. In smaller houses, getting a place that is secluded from direct distractions may also help minimize the impact these distractions have on your attentiveness.

18. Listen to Music

Changing approach to studying may also be needed to stay focused on homework. Listening to your favorite music can be a great option. This is particularly true if you have considered most of the options shared above and are still wondering how to do your homework without getting distracted. Music to study to is a great way to keep you focused, especially when using headphones to prevent external noise. It is exceptionally effective in stress management. There is a higher chance you may get distracted when doing challenging homework assignments. Music is one of the things that can be used to clear the mind when you are curious about what to do if you can't focus on homework. Symphonies and upbeat music, for instance, help manage stress by boosting the thinking process. It is, however, important to avoid listening to songs playing in the background with lyrics that may be distracting. Instrumentals are, in most cases, the more practical option.

Final Thoughts on How to Focus on Schoolwork

Beyond education, learning to concentrate on your schoolwork might also help you in other pursuits in your life. Among the best abilities for fostering your development is concentration. Various tips are practical when you spend all day and night working on school or college papers and cannot concentrate on your assignment. Stick to these 18 strategies if you want to try and work out how to focus on homework without getting distracted. We have all been through the "how do I focus on my homework" moment occasionally. However, listening to music, organizing your study place, and setting a timer will help you stay focused when doing homework. Make it a routine to read and utilize these tips; you will not regret a single day in your life.

Forget about piles of books and endless assignments! Turn to our professional writing service and buy assignment from an academic pro who can complete any task for you.

FAQ About Focusing on Homework at Home

1. why can't i focus on homework for more than 10 minutes.

Gaining strict concentration may be one of the most challenging issues affecting students. Many learners find that they can't focus on homework even when they want. Distractions, exhaustion, and a general lack of interest in the subject are to blame for their lack of focus. In some cases, stress and other emotional distractions may affect a person's ability to focus.

2. How can I train my brain to concentrate on homework?

Fortunately, this problem can be solved by simple discipline routines and habits that enable students to concentrate on homework. Working past the undisciplined mind can be achieved by simply following a strict routine. Scheduling tasks and timelines are some of the ways that can be used to keep your mind set on targeted goals. Turning off all distractions, such as the television and background music, may also help improve concentration levels.

3. How to get my child to focus on homework?

Parents or guardians are often a great source in helping their children stay focused when doing homework. Creating an enabling environment and assisting in doing homework are ways that parents can improve their child's concentration and remain involved in their learning process. Other options, such as helping develop workable schedules for children, are also plausible ways that parents can use.

Rachel R. Hill is a real educational devotee. She prides in writing exceptional general guides while listening to every need of students.

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How to Stay Focused and Productive on a Project

Do you find it difficult to stay focused on your projects at work or at home?

Are you looking for some positive encouragement and some practical solutions?

Staying focused while working on a project or assignment can be quite a challenge.

It’s one thing to work on a project for weeks on end, but it’s an entirely another thing to consistently keep a healthy dose of focus and attention going in the interim.

In this post, you’ll find a few ways to help you keep your mind on track as you work on a project, assignment, or task.

Whether you’re at the halfway point, have a handful of work sessions left, or are a little less than a third of the way through your work, these pointers will help you block out distractions and overcome personal tendencies.

Stop comparing yourself to others.

Do you ever get a tiny bit curious and wonder just how your productivity stacks up against the productivity levels of other people?

Are you working more productively than Joseph in marketing on those reports?

Are you trailing behind your friend when it comes to crossing off items from your to-do list?

While curiosity is commendable in other subjects and situations, you’d do well to put an end to this way of thinking.

There’s absolutely no way for you to know what’s going on in the lives of others. We all have different skills, talents, challenges, and situations to deal with on any given day.

The best advice is to avoid comparing your productivity levels to other people.

Focus instead on the project at hand and what you need to get done.

Take note as to how your own skills and capabilities have improved over the past few days, weeks, and months.

This latter method is a much more fruitful way to keep your attention on what matters.

Identify and neutralize troublesome tasks.

Do you want to easily solve several of your productivity woes and headaches?

Who doesn’t! One way to do this is to figure out exactly what sets you on edge and find an appropriate solution.

What it is about your project that either annoys, bothers, disgusts, frustrates, give you the most trouble, or takes up an enormous amount of your time? Where do you procrastinate, delay, or perform less than satisfactory work?

Are you putting off vacuuming and dusting your house in order to get it ready for upcoming house guests?

Have an ongoing personal feud with the office photocopier that makes it difficult to print out those glossy presentation kits?

Once you identify what’s sucking away your energy, attention, and focus, you can neutralize the situation by either delegating the work or learning a new skill.

For example, you might hire a local college student to clean your home or ask a coworker to show you how to properly use that troublesome piece of office equipment.

Create a positive and fulfilling work environment.

While a well-organized desk or workstation is a nice thing to have, a work space infused with meaning, encouragement or motivation is even better.

We’ve all gone through our fair share of days where we wish we could press a magical “reset” button to start the day afresh, or crawl back into bed and throw the bedspread over our head.

All the more reason to have a reason (or two) to keep you focused when those difficult days pop up.

How can you transform your current workstation, office, or cubicle, to motivate you and keep you on track with your project?

Try incorporating small, personal, and meaningful touches to your immediate work area. This could be anything from a list of inspirational quotes , to a favorite coffee mug, to a giant wall calendar with your project’s deadline circled in red marker.

Choose those items or materials that fill you with both excitement and encouragement.

So, what are you waiting for? Your source of inspiration is just waiting to be discovered and incorporated into your daily routine…

How about you? Where does your attention wane when working on a project? What methods or steps do you take to keep on going until the project is complete? Join in the conversation and leave a comment below!

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How to Stay Focused at Work: 20 Effective Tips & Tricks

Last updated on: May 22, 2023

Staying focused at work can be as much of a hassle as keeping your focus while working from home — you’ll likely have to deal with many distractions. Sometimes it’s noisy neighbors, other times, constant meetings take away from the time you should be spending on priority tasks.

Still, learning how to reduce common workplace distractions and tweaking your work (and life) habits can help you retain focus and keep moving forward.

To help you out with that, in this blog post, we’ll:

• Talk about why you struggle to focus at work, 
• Give you 20 effective tips that will help you improve your concentration, 
• Explain the main benefits of staying focused, and
• Provide you with some handy instant focusing techniques.

So, let’s begin.

Table of Contents

Why do I struggle to focus at work?

Distractions are everywhere — whether you work in an actual office or you’re comfortably seated in your home chair. However, external distractions are not the only reason you can’t focus on work. 

Perhaps you waste your time on trivial things and burn your brainpower and energy by having an internal debate over what to eat or wear. 

Or, you might lead an unhealthy lifestyle and struggle with sleep deprivation which leads you to make more mistakes.

Some people even struggle to leave their personal issues out of work, making it difficult to manage their emotions and achieve the optimal level of focus for completing their tasks. 

So, before deciding on a technique for improving your focus, try to:

• Take a long hard look at your habits,
• Identify which of these concentration killers are the main culprits for your attention deficit, and
• Build your way up from there. 

This way you’ll be able to introduce far-reaching changes to your lifestyle and develop lifelong habits that will help you retain focus despite the circumstances.

Now that we’ve established why you can’t concentrate at work, we’ll provide you with some useful, practical advice on how to improve concentration.

20 Tips on how to stay focused at work

As we’ve promised, here are 20 tips that will show you how to increase focus by altering your work or lifestyle habits, inducing new scheduling methods, avoiding distractions, and much more.

So, let’s get right to it.

Tip #1: (Re-)evaluate your work habits

Before you start blaming others for distracting you and thus making you less productive, think about your work habits and whether they make you productive in the first place:

• Do you force yourself to get up early in the morning just because that’s what productivity gurus recommend, only to spend the hours before noon drowsy, moody, and unfocused?
• Do you wake up fully energized, only to immediately focus on frivolous tasks that drain your energy until you have no zest left to finish the project that’s due tomorrow?
• Do you work for 2 hours in the morning and then go to an early lunch just when you’ve fully immersed yourself in work because you want to adjust to your colleagues’ schedules?

If your answers are a sad “ yes ,” then it’s your own work habits that you need to re-evaluate and change.

How best to (re-)evaluate your work habits

A problem with your work habits has a lot to do with how you schedule your day. You may schedule activities too early or too late in relation to your biological prime time , i.e., the time when you’re the most productive:

• If you’re the most productive later in the afternoon (and you have flexible work hours), try to get to work at a later time — you’ll avoid the dreaded morning drowsiness and ensure a larger number of productive working hours per day.
• If you’re the most effective early in the morning, schedule your most important activities for this time — you’ll finish your priority tasks early, and spend the rest of the day working on less urgent activities, thus relieving yourself of unnecessary stress.
• If your colleagues have different productivity peak hours than you, don’t try to fit in with them no matter what — do your work at your own pace and try to socialize with colleagues at other times.

Following a fixed routine is beneficial for productivity, but, you’ll have no benefit from it if it’s the wrong fixed routine. So, work on your current schedules to find ideal times for all your assignments.

To calculate your biological prime time, you can use a time tracker like Clockify and track the time you spend on the same activities in the morning and the afternoon. That way, you’ll see when you’re more efficient with said activities.

You can do this for all your work activities to create an archive telling you when you’re the most efficient with a certain type of task.

💡 Clockify Pro Tip  

If you already know whether you are more productive earlier or later in the day, check out the following guides: 

• Why morning people are productive (+ tips for morning larks)
• Why some people are more productive at night (+ tips for night owls)

Tip #2: Create and follow a to-do list

Not organizing or prioritizing your work can interfere with your ability to concentrate, so it’s best to sort your tasks and make a to-do list.

Therefore, the first thing you need to do to start your day right is to create a to-do list you’ll follow. This way, you’ll know:

• Exactly what you need to do today, and
• Which tasks you’ll need to reserve time on your calendar for.

💡 Clockify Pro Tip

If you want to see the main differences between some of the interesting methods you can use to organize your to-do list, read our blog post:

• I tried 6 to-do list methods: Here’s my verdict

How best to create and follow a to-do list

Customize your own to-do lists to your liking — for this purpose, you can use one of our free to-do list templates . Whether for work, school, or even daily chores — create and download your personalized to-do list in PDF format, share it with your colleague in Google Docs, or simply print it out.

When creating your to-do list, make sure you:

• List all the tasks you need to do today,
• Parse these tasks into smaller subtasks you can keep track of more easily,
• Mark all items as urgent/NOT urgent and important/NOT important ,
• Reshuffle your list to put tasks and subtasks you marked as urgent/important first,
• Delegate the tasks and subtasks you’ve marked as urgent/NOT important — delete them from your to-do list, notify the person you’re delegating to, and
• Eliminate tasks you’ve marked as NOT urgent/NOT important — delete them from your to-do list.

Read more about the Eisenhower matrix and how to use it to make efficient to-do lists here:

• How can Eisenhower matrix improve your time management

It’s of the utmost importance to prioritize your work when creating to-do lists. Therefore, when you start working, do your urgent/important tasks and subtasks first, and your NOT urgent/important tasks and subtasks second.

Then, put a checkmark next to each task you finish, as soon as you finish it. Watching the number of tasks you’ve finished increase will make you feel more confident to continue working and reach the end of the list as soon as possible.

To facilitate the creation of a to-do list, you can use task management software like Plaky and have all your tasks sorted and in one place.

To learn more about the importance of prioritizing your workload and how to actually do it, check out this article: 

• The pickle jar theory in time management

Tip #3: Timebox your emails and meetings

On average, you spend about 13 hours per week on emails and about 6 hours on meetings. That means you spend almost half of your workweek on routine activities that don’t bring your company any profit.

To minimize the time you spend on these less important activities, you can limit meetings and inbox management tasks by timeboxing your schedule.

With timeboxing, you’ll plan your day more efficiently by allocating less time to activities that are not your priorities.

How best to timebox emails

For example, you can schedule 15 minutes for managing your inbox every 2–3 hours. Start the timer, and once the 15 minutes are up, close your inbox, even if you’re in the middle of writing an email.

After 2–3 hours, it will be time for another email timebox. You’ll then have 15 minutes to continue writing the said email.

How best to timebox meetings

The same goes for meetings. If you have a standup meeting every day, set aside 20 minutes for it each day, and try to wrap up the meeting as soon as the 20 minutes are up.

This way, you’ll ensure you stick to your meeting agenda and keep everyone focused on what they want to say in a straightforward and fast manner.

By timeboxing your meetings, you’ll put the time you spend on them under control and save more time and concentration to allocate to more important tasks.

In case you’re not the one who organizes the meeting and decides how long it’ll last, you can maintain your focus by automating repetitive tasks , which will leave you enough time to finish all the tasks that require your undivided attention.

If you’re interested in learning how to organize your tasks and your time for maximum efficiency, check out this blog post:

• How to be more efficient with your tasks

Tip #4: Define personal deadlines

Setting personal deadlines and parsing your project into milestones helps you work your way through projects briskly. A personal deadline can be any time frame you come up with that comes before your official deadline. 

Even though official deadlines set by your supervisor or clients still remain your main frame of reference, personal deadlines are there to increase your chances of completing your tasks on time. 

How best to define personal deadlines

So, once you are assigned your share of work on a project, block time in your calendar for your tasks and set a realistic deadline. Here’s what you should keep in mind when defining your personal deadline:

• Don’t set a loose deadline — according to Parkinson’s Law , all your tasks expand to fill the time you’ve allocated to them, so try not to give yourself more time than you need. 
• Don’t be overly optimistic about your deadline either — Hofstadter’s Law states that your tasks usually take more time than you originally think, so try to be as realistic as possible when setting a deadline. 

The best practice is to set your deadline based on previous experience with the same type of tasks. If you know it takes you 3 hours on average to finish a project proposal, then you should set a deadline of 3 hours each time you write a project proposal.

Sure, sometimes it will take you 5–10 minutes more, sometimes 5–10 minutes less, depending on the scope of the proposal. However, following the steps for defining personal deadlines will help you obtain the most precise time estimate faster than ever before. 

Tip #5: Make others aware of your schedule

Once you’ve organized your work, defined your deadlines, and identified your priorities, it’s best to make sure your colleagues are aware of your schedule.

How best to make others aware of your schedule

For this purpose, you can take a popular time management game called “Circadian Rhythms” as inspiration and make your schedule public. To play this game, you and your colleagues need to write plans with your daily activities and your energy levels throughout the day and post those plans on a wall. This way, everyone gets to see when is the right time to call their co-workers and for what type of task.

Aside from posting plans on a wall, to make your co-workers aware of your schedule, you can:

• Hang a printed version of your schedule for the day/week on the front of your office door, or
• Share your Google Calendar with your colleagues.

As an alternative, you and your colleagues can join the same workspace to track time in a team Dashboard . This way, you’ll all be able to see what everyone is currently working on and decide whether it’s the right time to interrupt them.

Tip #6: Take short breaks

According to research on the effectiveness of short breaks for improving well-being and performance , breaks are among the most important things that not only help you focus but also reduce your mental fatigue levels. They function as controlled distractions from our work, vastly improving our ability to concentrate and thus perform better at work.

So, taking regular breaks is important for maintaining focus for longer periods of time — you’ll recharge your energy and increase your alertness levels.

How best to take short breaks

As the previously mentioned research explains, taking a respite from working on tasks helps us be more productive and stay energized and concentrated throughout our workday.

So, to make sure to take frequent breaks, take a look at the list of ideas on what to do when you step away from your desk:

• Go outside to take a walk around the block — the fresh air and natural sunlight will help increase your productivity and even help you improve your sleep quality .
• Make yourself a cup of green tea — this type of tea is a superfood filled with antioxidants, minerals, and caffeine, perfect to increase your physical performance.
• Do some desk stretches — you’ll feel refreshed.
• Watch an educational TED video — you’ll distract your mind from a current problem for 5 minutes and learn something new, like how sugar affects your brain and why we dream.
• Chat with a colleague you rarely see by the water cooler or reach out to them via the team chat app — you’ll get a social boost and refresh your mind.

What’s more, you can make use of the Pomodoro timer that can help you track the time you spend on tasks while keeping you focused and improving your productivity altogether.

The Pomodoro technique works on a very simple yet effective principle. You work in 25-minute “pomodoro” intervals separated by short 5-minute breaks. Every five “ pomodoros ,” take a 20 or 30-minute break.

Afterward, it will be easier to start another focused work session. Plus, now you’ll know you have something to look forward to when you start feeling too hazy to continue work.

Tip #7: Turn off notifications in apps

Notifications in apps are useful in general. They tell you when you can update a favorite program with new useful features or when your colleague has just sent you a new message. 

But, when you’re trying to focus, a message from your colleague telling you about the newest Black Friday deals would only distract you.

How best to turn off notifications in apps

You can disable notifications on all your devices altogether or disable notifications just for a select number of apps.

Most apps have the option to disable notifications, so you can do that app by app. For example, you can select the channels you want to get notifications from in the settings of your chat app or block updates from a certain program you’re looking to uninstall anyway.

Learn about the importance of decluttering your digital workspace here: 

• How to declutter your digital space

Also, you can use ‘ Do Not Disturb’ mode for your emails. 

According to Juliet Dreamhunter , a certified goal success coach and productivity consultant, utilizing ‘ Do Not Disturb’ mode for emails is one of the best ways to take control over your focus:

“Emails can be really disruptive to your work and prevent you from getting important tasks done. Set designated times to check your inbox and turn off email notifications so they don’t constantly pull your attention away from focused work.”

Have you ever thought about the amount of time you spend checking your inbox? To learn how to manage your emails more productively, check out what a professional organizer, Patty Kreamer, says on the subject:

• How to manage email productivity: Tips from Patty Kreamer, a professional organizer

Tip #8: Schedule quiet time

Finding some quiet time when you have to finish an important assignment with flying colors is often challenging.

So, it’s best to find a quiet, isolated place where you can go to work when you need ultimate focus and zero distractions.

How best to schedule quiet time

If you work from home and get distracted by noisy household members, try setting some ground rules. You can all sit down together and make a schedule, or some sort of compromise, that fits everyone’s needs. If you need quiet time for an important video call or a task that needs to be completed by tomorrow, that can be an ideal opportunity for them to finish some of their errands outside the house.

In other cases, like when you work on-site, you may have to leave your desk and move to some other, distraction-free room to work.

Nowadays, most companies that operate on-site have an open office policy — you all sit and work together, for better or for worse. 

But, most offices still have isolated rooms for meetings and similar activities.

So, when you’re feeling overwhelmed but have an important project proposal to finish:

• “Book” the conference room for an hour or two when there are no meetings and job interviews planned.
• Explain to your colleagues that you don’t want to be disturbed during this time.
• Take your laptop, put on your headphones (if you want a fully immersive effect), and focus all your attention on the task at hand.

As a result, you’ll likely work faster and achieve better-quality results. You’ll probably also feel a nice tingle of accomplishment once you re-emerge in the open office with a perfect final product.

Tip #9: Avoid your phone

Your phone is often your biggest obstacle on the road to focus at work. You can use it for phone calls, texting, browsing the Web, posting pics on Instagram, and more. In other words, you might use your phone to waste the time you should be allocating to work.

So, if you’re wondering how to increase focus and attention, avoid your phone like the plague during work hours.

How best to avoid your phone

It’s best to keep your phone on mute at work. This way, you won’t get distracted by notifications about personal emails, texts, phone calls, and news articles delivered directly to your inbox at an alarming (and annoying) rate.

Unfortunately, putting your phone on mute will only get you so far.

You can always reach for it in your pocket and see all these new, shiny notifications any time you want. So, you’ll likely need to take more drastic measures to deal with your lack of self-discipline at work.

Your best solution is to leave your phone or other devices that you use for cyberloafing at a place you can’t always reach. Cyberloafing happens when you use the Internet for personal use (e.g. surfing the Web, using social media, etc.) during office hours. To prevent that, leave distracting devices at some of these places:

• A locked desk drawer,
• A hard-to-reach place in your bag,
• A cabinet in the office kitchen, or
• The glove department of your car parked 8 stories below and half a mile away.

The more attached to your phone you are, the further away you should leave your phone during work time — this way, you won’t fall into temptation as often. And, if you do, you’ll at least get some fresh air and exercise looking for your car in the parking lot.

Tip #10: Avoid time-consuming websites

Working on the computer for 8 hours per day also makes it relatively easy to slack off on the computer. You can watch random YouTube videos, scroll your Instagram feed, and aimlessly browse the web. 

Such procrastination habits can easily lead you to fall out of line with your schedule and work extra hours to make up for the lost time.

How best to avoid time-consuming websites

Avoiding fun websites such as YouTube is much easier said than done, so once again, it’s best to turn to an external app to help you block time-consuming websites.

Website blockers such as Cold Turkey or Freedom are a good choice — they let you add the URLs of the websites you want to avoid to a blacklist. Consequently, you won’t be able to access them during preset times or until you whitelist them.

In case you want to have detailed reports on how you spend time throughout your workday, you can automatically track your computer activity to better manage your time. 

This way, you’ll have a better grasp of how much time you spend on productive work and how much on distractions such as social media, emailing, and similar. Comparing these times will definitely beat the habit of cyberloafing and improve your focus once and for all.

Tip #11: Use specialized headphones

Your focus is also often challenged by the noise from your surroundings — whether you have to deal with noisy neighbors and household members or work in an office full of people where there’s always something going on.

In case you’re, for some reason, unable to move from the noise and relocate to an empty conference room or similar, specialized headphones are a great solution. They’ll help you block the noise and give you some peace at work.

How best to use specialized headphones

Investing in a pair of noise-canceling headphones is a great idea — whether you work from home or in an open space office, they will enable you to concentrate better by dampening the disruptive noises around you. 

They’re also useful because they almost completely erase lower-frequency sound waves — the same sound waves that make you tired if you’re exposed to them for too long.

However, the only downside to noise-canceling headphones is that they often come with a hefty price tag. But you can usually find some affordable solutions or borrow a pair from a tech-savvy friend.

Or, you can make a request letter for these headphones at the office and see whether it gets approved.

Tip #12: Use productivity tools and extensions

Sometimes, you just need a little extra help with staying fully focused on your work. Luckily, the ever-evolving world of technology offers a lot of hands-on tools and extensions for that purpose.

The previously mentioned website blockers and time trackers are just the tip of the iceberg — there are various tools that can help you plan your workday and execute work with focus.

How best to use productivity tools and extensions

For maximum output, use productivity tools to: 

• Track your progress,
• Streamline your workflow, and
• Stay on the right track.

If you need a detailed list of productivity tools and extensions you can use, here are some of our blog posts to help you decide on the best tool for your needs:

• The best productivity tools for programmers
• Best Chrome extensions for productivity
• 20 best productivity apps for Mac
• Top productivity tools for remote teams

You can also use various browser extensions to increase your productivity levels and  redirect your attention whenever it wanders.

We asked Alexis Haselberger , a time management and productivity coach, what she thinks is the best way to stay focused at work. Alexis claims that using a Chrome extension such as Momentum can help us subtly redirect ourselves:

“When you have Momentum installed, every time you open a new browser tab, you’ll be confronted with what you planned to do that day instead of whatever rabbit hole your mind is trying to follow.”

This type of extension — which is actually a personal dashboard — uses daily inspirational photos, encouraging quotes, and your own to-do lists as friendly reminders to redirect your focus.

Nowadays, you can also find a productivity tracker to help you with every type of activity you have to perform at work. So, make your picks and remember — using productivity tools can help you decrease stress and finish work faster.

Tip #13: Set up a comfortable workstation

You won’t be able to focus properly if your chair and desk are uncomfortable — common problems include backaches, migraines, and increased fatigue.

Moreover, staring at a blank wall surrounded by dim lighting and stuffy air won’t do you any good either.

So, you’ll need to make some adjustments and tweaks to your workstation for maximum comfort.

How best to set up a comfortable workstation

If your desk allows no alterations, you’ll have to focus most of your energy on adjusting your chair:

• Raise or lower the seat pan — so that your feet lay flat on the floor or the feet rest.
• Ask your operations manager for computer risers — your screen should be at or slightly below your eye level.
• Adjust the back support of your chair — so that you feel comfortable sitting for long periods of time.
• Adjust the armrests — so that your arms can rest nicely without you hunching your shoulders.

Next, you’ll need to elevate your workspace with the right lighting and some greenery:

• Bring a small houseplant to put on your desk — plants help relieve stress in the workplace, and you’ll have something to take care of when you need to put your mind off work.
• Open the shutters on the windows closest to you — to bring in as much natural light as possible and keep yourself fresh and alert — if your colleagues protest about this, bring in a small overhead LED lamp you’ll use to emulate natural lighting just for you.

Finally, make sure your workspace is organized by removing distractions such as your favorite book, an interesting figurine you keep looking at, and similar from your desk.

You may believe that you can find everything you need in your creative chaos setting. However, according to research on how visual stimuli affects our cognitive functions , both our concentration levels and productivity decrease when we’re constantly looking at the clutter around us.

Interested in improving your focus under various conditions at work? Check out our other focus guides:

• How to stay focused in meeting at work
• How to stay focused when approaching retirement
• How to stay focused at work during the holidays
• How to stay focused at work on the computer

Tip #14: Meditate for 5 minutes

Meditation helps you relax and regain your focus after a stressful work session. On top of that, you can easily meditate at work whenever you need to organize your thoughts for future work.

In addition, people with ADHD can benefit from a specific mental training practice called mindfulness meditation . This type of meditation can help increase attentional functioning and other cognitive abilities. 

A study aimed at the effects of mindfulness meditation on attention (among people with ADHD) showed that mindfulness meditation:

• Improved participants’ sustained attention — i.e., the ability to focus on one specific task such as reading a book, watching TV, etc. — by 54.2%, and 
• Reduced their impulsivity (commission errors such as pressing a control button twice instead of once).

How best to meditate for 5 minutes

You can meditate at work during short breaks between tasks. This practice can relieve stress and help you regain focus, but it can also serve as a great strategy to help people who cope with ADHD. 

A five-minute meditation is easy and efficient if you follow these 7 basic steps:

• Sit on the floor next to your chair or in the conference room,
• Close your eyes,
• Breathe deeply in a rhythmic pattern,
• Focus on your breathing,
• Don’t ignore your thoughts but perceive them as clouds passing by,
• If you feel anxiety or fear, take a short break and return to your breathing exercises, and
• Perform these meditation exercises for 5 minutes per session.

By the end of each session, you’ll feel refreshed and more likely to focus on the next task on your to-do list. Regularly repeating this practice will help reduce impulsivity and inattention from ADHD.

Tip #15: Build a better bedtime routine

Many of the mistakes we make due to lack of focus actually stem from sleep deprivation — the lack of regular sleep not only influences our attention but also hinders our daily performance. This is why we want to emphasize the importance of having an established bedtime routine. 

Adults aged from 18 to 60 need seven or more hours of night’s sleep , while people aged from 61 and over need up to 9 hours of sleep each night. 

Therefore, creating a bedtime routine is one of the best things you can do to get enough sleep and be energized enough to focus at work.

How best to build a better bedtime routine

To get enough sleep and stop yawning at work, try incorporating the following tips into your bedtime routine:

• Have a regular sleep-wake cycle (for example, go to bed at 10 p.m. and wake up at 6 a.m.),
• Drink a cup of chamomile or lavender tea to calm your mind before you go to bed,
• Read a book before bed to reduce stress,
• Always aerate your bedroom during the day or half an hour before you go to sleep,
• Don’t eat heavy and fatty foods before sleep,
• Don’t drink caffeinated drinks,
• Don’t scroll through social media, and
• Don’t chug lots of water to avoid getting up in the middle of the night.

Tip #16: Get some exercise during the day

Exercising boosts your energy, gets your blood flowing, and makes you more alert — which are all excellent qualities for focused work. So, it’s a good idea to include an exercise routine at work, at least to some extent.

Sure, you can’t really bring a treadmill into the office if you work on-site (unless your company has a lax policy about such things) — but you can introduce exercising on a smaller scale.

How best to get some exercise during the day

If you work from home, you can use the most convenient spot in your apartment, spread out the mat, and do a 10-minute break workout. You can find some really easy but effective 10-minute break workouts on Youtube , and you don’t even need any special equipment — just a little bit of space.

Even if you’re working on-site, you can still do a series of quick and easy exercises during break time. You can use water bottles (or bring in your own set of weights) to do a couple of overhead presses or arm curls right at your desk.

Also, if you have flexible working hours and have a gym near the office, you can parse your day to work/exercise segments:

• Work for 4 hours in the morning,
• Hit the gym for 1 hour in the afternoon, and
• Finish your workday with 4 hours of focused work after the gym.

Alternatively, you can take a quick jog around the office building before lunch to really get your blood flowing.

If you need some more useful exercises to keep your body and brain active throughout the day, here are 10 productivity exercises you can try:

• 10 Productivity exercises for body and mind

Tip #17: Do one thing at a time

Have you ever caught yourself trying to switch between projects and tasks more often than is humanly possible? You probably thought this would help you get more done, but in fact, multitasking will only make you confused and less productive.

Instead of dealing with several tasks simultaneously, try doing one thing at a time. It will enable you to direct all your attention to that particular task and do it in the best possible way. 

When you’re 100% focused on one task, you can think more clearly and be more effective.  

How best to do one thing at a time

As we already mentioned, multitasking tears up your mental energy, so the best advice is to avoid it as much as you can.

To avoid multitasking, you should:

• Create a list of daily priorities and follow it,
• Try to say “No” more when asked to handle some additional tasks, and
• Close unnecessary tabs in your browser.

If you minimize distractions and stick to the defined list of priority tasks, you’ll decrease the amount of information your brain is trying to process. That way, you’ll maintain your focus and actually get bigger chunks of work done. 

Tip #18: Keep a record of your thoughts

If you feel like you can’t focus at work or on a specific task at hand because you can’t stop thinking about some other, perhaps non-work-related issues, try writing your thoughts down in a journal or a planner.

Getting those distracting thoughts out of your head will empty your mind of clutter and get your focus back on track. 

How best to keep a record of your thoughts

According to research on the benefits of journaling , writing our thoughts down not only reduces stress but also helps us understand our own feelings and thoughts better and clear our minds.

So, whether you’ve suddenly got a new idea on how to redecorate your bedroom or a solution to a troublesome task that isn’t even on your schedule for today, just write it down in your journal and remove these thoughts from your head.

Aside from keeping a journal, you can keep a record of your thoughts by:

• Writing them down on index cards,
• Making a quick note on your phone, or even
• Using a voice recorder.

That way, you’ll get rid of unnecessary ideas and thoughts and be able to pay attention to what matters at that moment.

Are you looking for a more creative way to keep track of your time and daily activities? Using a bullet journal time-tracking technique could be the right solution for you, so read our blog post and learn everything about it:

• I tested bullet journal time tracking for a week

Tip #19: Find purpose in your work

If you’re not really sure what the point of doing a certain task is or what your ultimate career goals are, you may find it hard to stay motivated and thus focused. 

Finding purpose in what you’re doing is essential to staying focused at work. Sometimes you may feel lost career-wise, without any instant benefits arising from your hard work, but that’s just because you haven’t set clearly defined goals for yourself.

To learn more about how to find motivation and what motivation strategies you can try out, read our blog post on the subject:

• How do you motivate yourself to keep working

How best to find purpose in your work

You can start by setting smaller goals that will gradually grow. Still, keep in mind that  these goals should be clear and realistic, such as, for example, “I want to earn that promotion” or “I want to improve my skills and get another certification.”

When you connect your daily tasks to a wider purpose, it’ll be much easier for you to concentrate on the task at hand because you’ll be able to see your effort paying off in the long run.

Tip #20: Create your own “focus mantra”

Having a personal mantra — such as affirmations or reminders of your priorities — is another great way to motivate yourself and stay focused on work.

How best to create your own “focus mantra”

According to Alexis Hasselberger, choosing a phrase that you can say to yourself to redirect your attention back to the task at hand helps a great deal with focus:

“When I find my mind wandering, or when I feel the urge to check email when I’m working on a big report, I say ‘Do what you’re doing right now’ to redirect myself.”

This is a simple yet effective way to quickly get back on track and finish the task you’ve been working on.  

What are the main benefits of staying focused?

Perhaps you don’t need to be reminded of the benefits of staying focused. However, in case you still have trouble setting your mind to making some changes, we’ve singled out some of the greatest benefits of being focused. 

Benefit #1: Staying focused ensures productivity at work

As we mentioned before, focus and productivity are closely related — you’ll hardly ever become productive if you don’t learn to maintain your focus.

Staying focused also helps you make the most of your workday. You’ll be able to finish all the planned tasks, and maybe even quicker than you anticipated.

As Alexis explains, the primary benefit of being focused at work is that you can work far fewer hours and get the same work done:

“Studies show that most people lose up to 1/3 of their workday simply to recover from distractions. Many people end up working much longer than a standard 8-hour work day to account for this. This means that if you are able to reduce distractions and stay focused, you can fit all your work into a standard workweek, or maybe even less, which means that you’ll have more time to do whatever you like outside of work!”

Benefit #2: Staying focused helps you reach a “flow state” and perform better

A flow state, colloquially known as ‘ being in the zone, ’ is a state of mind that allows you to get fully absorbed in a task at hand and thus perform better. So, if you want to produce high-quality work, you’ll first need to focus deeply on what you’re doing.

Productivity consultant, Juliet Dreamhunter, further explains that achieving a deep-focused flow state is important as it leads to better performance at work:

“When you concentrate on one task and avoid multitasking, you enter a deep focused flow state, a mental state where you are fully immersed in the activity, leading to higher productivity and quality of work.”

To learn more about how to get into a state of uninterrupted workflow and work faster and better, read our article on the subject:

• How to engage in Deep Work and achieve your goals

Benefit #3: Staying focused reduces stress

When we are fully concentrated at work, not only do we perform better, but we also stress less because we get to complete everything we want for the day. 

According to research on the impact of stress on attention , stress exposure and attention deficit are highly related — the more we stress, the lesser our ability to complete our task requirements is.

Moreover, when we’re able to stay on task long enough to successfully complete it, we feel a sense of accomplishment and more at ease.

To add to the subject, this time Juliet explains that staying focused benefits our mental health too:

“Staying focused minimizes the cognitive load associated with task-switching, which minimizes stress and helps avoid burnout.”

So, we can conclude that working on your focus definitely helps your overall well-being.

To learn more about burnout and its effect on health, read the blog post below:

• Career burnout and its effect on health

Quick concentration techniques for instant attention boost

You might be reading this blog post and thinking: “The tips would probably help me focus, but it’ll take too much time!”  

So, in case you need to focus right now, take a look at the following brain hacks that can help you concentrate within minutes .

Bear in mind that these might not work for everyone — but considering they virtually take no time, you can give them a try.

Focus hack #1: Try the 5-second rule

The 5-second rule, introduced in the eponymous book by Mel Robbins , is as simple as it sounds.

When you can’t make yourself start working on a task, count down from 5 — the moment you reach 0, plunge yourself into work.

Maybe all you need is that initial push to get things going.

Focus hack #2: Utilize the 4-7-8 breathing technique

The 4-7-8 technique was developed by Dr. Andrew Weil and is based on a yogic practice of controlled breathing, i.e., pranayama . This breathing technique helps reduce stress, which is always a good step toward regaining focus.

Here’s how to practice it:

• Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whooshing “ocean” sound (by making a soft restriction in the back of your throat),
• Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds,
• Hold your breath for 7 seconds,
• Exhale through the mouth for 8 seconds, again making the “ocean” sound, and
• Repeat the cycle several times.

Focus hack #3: Do the work and the brain will catch up

No concentration? No problem!

Your focus may be failing you, but your body won’t. It may sound silly, but if you’re putting off a task because you can’t focus, you should try Nike’s advice — just do it.

This advice might irritate you — if you could just do it, you would be doing it already . 

However, the point is — you don’t have to do it well to start with.

For example, if you’re trying to write an article and your mind is blank, just open your doc, and start writing anything — even if it’s complete gibberish. Your mind will eventually catch up with your fingers, and before you know it, you’ll be fully focused and ready to do the real work.

Final thoughts: Building focus is doable, just find what works for you

Keeping focus at work is crucial for a successful career. It’s sometimes challenging but always manageable — if you follow the right focus tips.

Even though tweaking your focus takes time as you need to make changes in your lifestyle and start some new routines, for a quick solution, you can always try out some of the focus hacks we mentioned.

In the end, when you change your habits, you’ll find that you’re finishing your work faster and better, which will ensure you feel happier with your job and life overall.

✉️ What keeps you from getting into flow? Which tips are you going to integrate into your work routine to boost your focus? Write to us at [email protected] for a chance to be included in this or one of our future blog posts. And, if you liked this blog post, share it with someone you think would be interested in reading it.

Marija Kojic is a productivity writer who's always researching about various productivity techniques and time management tips in order to find the best ones to write about. She can often be found testing and writing about apps meant to enhance the workflow of freelancers, remote workers, and regular employees. Appeared in G2 Crowd Learning Hub, The Good Men Project, and Pick the Brain, among other places.

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