aidenfire

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Hey guys, I've been having a lot of trouble focusing/getting shit done lately. Do you have any time-management and/or self-discipline tips so that I can actually accomplish the [50 million] things I need to do?

♥♥

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From:

shatterglass.livejournal.com

The thing that has been working best for me: taking things 15 or 20 minutes at a time. Work for 15, break for 5. It's surprising how much you can get done in 15 minutes if you just make yourself focus! And it's a lot easier to make yourself focus for 15 minute intervals than for like 4 hours blocks of time

From:

aidenfire

Thanks for this suggestion! It's been pretty helpful for me!

From:

yaycoffee.livejournal.com

I like shatterglass's plan.

Also--I don't know what your days/nights/extra-curriculars/classes are like, but I've always told myself that if I could re-do my undergrad, I'd treat work like a job (the culture at my uni was to take day classes), so in my ideal re-do, I'd set a time for classwork/study/paper-writing, like from 8:30--4:30 (with appropriate breaks). I don't actually know how well this would work for you, but it might be something to try?

I know that looking back, for me, the loosey-gooseyness of my schedule made it all too easy to put off work during the day and then feel totally overwhelmed after I got done with work in the evenings. Now that I totally understand what a day of work feels like, I think it would have been so much easier to be more rigid with a day schedule. (Seriously... a good rl friend and I *just* talked about this last week... how weird is that?)

From:

aidenfire

I would love to be able to do that but my schedule is so crazy. Like, on Mondays I have class at 2pm and then again at 8, but Tuesday I have class at 9am, and Thursdays I have a morning class but then work a late shift and don't get home until 8pm, and Fridays I don't have class at all but work all afternoon...so it's been so hard trying to figure out a regular time. I agree, it would really help but I can't find a constant time to do work every day.

look at me answering a month old comment like it's nothing, lol. How have you been?

From:

dragonfly-lily.livejournal.com

One (plural) word: Calendars

From:

aidenfire

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh so trouble I have been fucking double booking myself like I have never done in my LIFE before this semester and I hate it alskdjflsdkfjsa.

From:

aevalia.livejournal.com

Go somewhere quiet and far away, silence your phone, and disconnect from the internet. Only bring your work. If you must connect to the internet, go somewhere with a really shoddy connection. Be near food and beverages. Go somewhere you can feel comfortable and not mind if you look gross or weird.

Alternatively, find a getting-stuff-done buddy and make a date of it. Find someone who wants to get work done as much as you do or more, so that you don't end up talking the whole time. Let the peer pressure of your friend's productivity bully you into focusing.

Try studying in the morning instead of at night. You will be able to think better.

Pep-talk yourself and force yourself to care about what you are doing really hard. Remind yourself why what you are studying is the best, and if it's not through your work's inherent value, remind yourself how doing well in this work will help you do well in future work that is inherently valuable.

Yoga. Then study.

Run. Then study.

Nap. Then study. This is less effective, but better than nothing.

Start with 15 minutes of focus and 5 min breaks, then slowly build up your length of focus until you can focus for 2 hours at a time. Every 2 hours take a 15 min break. Even at real jobs, this is recommended because Org. Psych studies have shown that regular breaks help you refocus and decreases your stress.

Address your stress. Why can't you focus? Resolve issues in your life or remind yourself why they shouldn't be issues to begin with. Talk to your teachers if you are anxious about particular work so they can calm your fears. Talk to friends about your social life. When you have addressed your anxiety and there's nothing left to do but worry, let it go.