By Angelie Green
Distractions are everywhere in the world. People, pets, even on the very devices we do our homework on, they intervene with our lives and keep us from staying focused on the things we have to do. In a study conducted at California State University students were watched for fifteen minutes, yet they only stayed focused for 65% of the time. If you were in that study, how long do you think you would stay focused without picking up your phone? What is the distraction you find yourself looking for most?
When writing, I always find myself looking at my phone, petting my dogs, and opening different tabs on my computer that aren’t the research I’m supposed to be doing. However, there are methods to help you stay focused with writing, even some of my personal favorite ways.
One of the first steps to eliminating distractions by writing is putting your electronics (besides the one you’re using to write with) away. Try silencing them and turning off vibrate on them. On your computer, try ad blockers or other website extensions which help you stay focused on writing. StayFocusd on chrome gives you the ability to block distracting websites and limits your time on them.
Next, you can try listening to music. I recommend something without lyrics. Listening to music with lyrics may cause you to get distracted again. One of my favorite playlists to listen to is mario kart music! Music from video games attempts to keep your mind stimulated, it also prevents you from falling asleep while writing.
Finally, give yourself breaks! If you’re writing for too long, your mind will become tired and you’ll have more difficulty staying focused. One of my favorite methods of studying and writing is the pomodoro method. You study in 25-30 minute increments and give yourself 5 minute breaks in between. Another method many people like for writing is the Flowtime Technique. You write until you’re tired or lose focus, then give yourself a break for that proportional amount of time.
Distractions are everywhere in the world, however it’s up to us on how to eliminate them. Start by finding what works for you and keeping your phone away from you. It’ll help at least a little.