I Need Help Staying Focused

Hi readers! Welcome to another mental training session. Today we are going to take a dive into focus. A lot of people have trouble staying focused on things they need to do. The advancement of technology doesn't make this any easier. But what if I told you that technology isn't the issue of people staying focused? Technology is only a symptom of the root of lack of focus or distraction. Through several studies, the root cause of distraction is "boredom".

After reading a book called "Indistractable" by Nir Eyal, I've gained new insights on what being distracted actually means. Most of us can't stay focused because what we are doing isn't stimulating us. You ever wonder why people can play video games for hours and hours but when it comes time to study they can't focus at all? When you're constantly being stimulated mentally, it's easy to stay laser focused on what needs to get done. Humans often fear boredom and we view it as a bad thing when sometimes it's not. It's okay to sit and do nothing from time to time. In his book, Eyal further explains that people will do things to escape boredom which is why you see people go on their cell phones at the dinner table. It's not that they're disrespectful but usually it's that they don't find the conversation engaging or stimulating. Also it could be that they want to avoid some of the awkward conversations that often come up at the table like "School" and "Relationship Status". It's all a form of escapism but distraction just shows itself differently. So if you find yourself easily distracted and find staying focused hard for you, I would suggest you ask yourself what is it that you're trying to escape from.

Now I'm not gonna sit here and tell you to study for 9 hours in a day. What I want to tell you is to learn how to set aside time to do things like study and do leisure activity. It's only distraction when it's not planned. If you plan to play Fortnite at 7pm for an hour and you do that, it's not distraction because you planned to do that at that time. Now if you go past the time you originally planned then you are indeed distracted. Distraction can also come in many forms, even good things that you do can become a distraction if you get carried away.

Here are some ways to stay focused better throughout the day:

1. Schedule time to do things Try creating a schedule and sticking to it. When it's time to study, do just that and when it's time to play, do that as well. Remember, it's not a distraction if it has been planned.
   

2. Follow the 25 and 5 rule This is a great study hack, study for 25 mins and then take a 5 minute break and repeat for whatever time you allot yourself with. Do your absolute best to not get carried away with the break because that 5 minutes can easily turn into 1 hour if you aren't careful.
   

3. Turn off your cell phone or put it on DND When it comes time to do something, it is sometimes best to put your phone away. It's easier to not be on your phone when you aren't getting any notifications. Go as far as even leaving your phone in another room far away from you when doing something important.
   

4. Embrace boredom It is okay to be bored at times, you don't need to be stimulated 24/7. You can sit down and do nothing regardless of what others might tell you. Doing hard things can often result in boredom but hey the boredom won't last forever.
   

Thank you for taking time to read this. I hope this helps you stay focused this year and beyond. Months of focused work can put you far ahead than where you were last year. Do your absolute best to stay focused!

Until Next Time,

E. Ibadin