What to do When You’re Unable to Study

It’s almost exam season! And studying gets tricky at this time around the year, especially when the “I want to study, but I cannot concentrate” hits! 

Finding ways to stay focused while studying is a struggle we all encounter, whether you’re a veteran student earning your master’s or just starting high school. Whether social media, procrastination, time management, or a mix of all three are your main struggles, we have several tricks and tips that can help you reduce the stress of studying and keep your attention on what really counts.

And this school year might seem a little bit more dreadful, but after sitting for online exams for over three years, the offline exam might feel overwhelming. But we want to ace your exams like never before and not let these trivial challenges bring you down! So, let’s dig in and find out what to do when you’re unable to study!

What does being unable to concentrate mean?

We need to break this chain of being unable to study or concentrate in order to excel in the world of academics. But what does it actually mean? 

Well, we rely on concentration to get through school and work every day. When you’re unable to concentrate, you can’t think clearly, focus on a task, or maintain your attention.

Here are ten reasons why you cannot focus!

Bring your A-game!

Now that you know what is stopping you from concentrating on your studies. It’s time to work on those obstacles. Make sure you never look back again! We are about to spill the tea on how to focus like never before!

• Create a study bubble: 

If you’re someone who gets very easily distracted and tends to procrastinate away to glory while working, clearing your proverbial plate can go a long way in helping you concentrate better! Here’s how you achieve that!

1. Assemble everything you need: Stationary, bottle, emotional support pillow, whatever you need; get them all together before you sit down to study! Try your level best to avoid getting up for anything once you’ve started!
2. Multitasking doesn’t work: Clear your inbox, mind, to-do list, etc., before you start studying. Or if there’s something you want to attend to, write it down and tend to them once you’re done with your studies! Because little did you know it is a scientific fact that multitasking doesn’t work!
3. Clear your phone notifications: If you’re working off a device, try to sign out of any social media apps that might send you thousands of notifications. Turn your phone to silent or simple in DND mode! Or even better, could you leave it in another room? You won’t hurt Siri’s feelings, we promise.

• Set study goals:

Now that you’ve created the perfect study bubble, it’s time to take things to another level! Mastery of any craft or subject needs steady learning and daily practice. Freddie Mercury didn’t write “Bohemian Rhapsody” the first day he realised he loved singing or writing! It’s the result of weeks, months and years of practice! It’s the same for you! You shouldn’t crack open your first literature book and say, “Time to write world-famous books like The Godfather.”

If you break the study material down into bite-sized study sessions, you’re well on your way to acing the subject. The key to mastery is invariably devoting time to learning, whether twenty minutes or two hours a day. Therefore, your next stop towards honing razor-sharp focus skills is setting study goals or milestones. Try following these three tips for better concentration. 

1. Skim the study material before diving in
2. Pinpoint your strengths and weaknesses
3. Break it down into bite-sized sessions

• Don’t Study for Long Hours:

Research has determined that long hours don’t necessarily mean a lot of productivity; it is found that our mind can focus only for 50 min after that, it gets distracted. So try studying for 50 mins at a stretch with no distractions, and then take 5! Keep on taking breaks while studying to retain your concentration!

• Invest time in journaling and meditation!

Who doesn’t know the power of maintaining a journal and meditating? We sometimes overlook the importance of journaling and meditation! But these are the two best ways to concentrate on your studies and organise your life! You must be wondering how? Well, both of these take a lot of patience and practice, which leaves you with no choice but to concentrate! Don’t believe us? Try it out for a few days, and you will undoubtedly see drastic changes in your habits. This is one of the tested methods to improve your concentration power!

Maintain focus and keep daydreaming at bay!

We wish the answer would’ve been as easy as the picture below. But don’t worry, it isn’t too difficult either! 

Studying is quite a mentally taxing and demanding activity, so it makes sense why it inspires inertia. Keeping focus during studying can feel like a constant battle for anyone, you’re not alone! The issue is only made tricky given we live in this digital age, with its continuous distractions and diversions.

But after reading this blog (good job, by the way!), you should have a thoroughly stocked mental toolkit at your disposal on how to ace this game of concentrating! But if you’re still struggling, fear not! We here at Mentoria are here to help you out! Get in touch with our counsellors today, and let us help you focus on your studies like never before!