Best ways to stay focused when you study

Staying focused when you study can be difficult, and sometimes impossible. There are many distractions, and people often give the same advice. When you search for "ways to stay focused," you'll frequently see the same old suggestions: turn off your phone and go somewhere you won’t be disturbed. While these are helpful tips, they are also painfully obvious! So, here are my top five suggestions that aren't your typical pieces of advice. I'll also provide a link to some of the things I used and information that helped me. These study hacks made a significant difference, and I religiously practised them during my STEM degree.

Tip 1 - Music

I cannot stress this enough: binaural beats are the key to unlocking your full potential! I noticed a night and day difference when I switched from my everyday playlist to these gems.

Binaural beats are auditory illusions that are created when two different frequencies are presented to each ear. The brain then perceives a third frequency, which is the difference between the two.

In other words, they turn your brain into whichever gear you want almost instantly. There are frequencies for focus, productivity, creativity and even REM sleep! If you're looking for a way to take your productivity game to the next level, give binaural beats a try. You won't be disappointed!

Check out my favourite ones on YouTube and Spotify

Tip 2 – Essential oils

My mother used to swear by essential oils, and I'll admit, I thought she was a bit of a floaty flower child. But after I put a few drops of rosemary oil in a diffuser while I was studying for my first exam, I was amazed at how much better I could remember the material. I was able to recall two months' worth of content flawlessly in just three days (Citations included).

I did some research and found out that rosemary oil has been shown to improve memory and cognitive function. Lavender also helps tremendously when you are feeling anxious and need a calm down.

I'm not saying that essential oils are a miracle cure, but I do think they can be helpful for improving memory and relieving anxiety. If you're looking for a natural way to boost your brainpower, I would recommend giving these natural remedies a try. I have popped some amazon links below for you to check out. If you are going to study and can’t be brining oils in the library, grabbing a roller, and popping some under your nose every hour or so is also a great method.

My Favourite Diffuser | Rosemary for Memory & Lavender for Anti-Anxiety

Tip 3 – Active Noise Cancelling Headphones

The library can be a great place to get some work done, but let’s be honest, it isn’t always super quiet. The public library is often better but if you’re at university, you’re normally trying to ignore the boys having a laugh about last nights party or the girl on the phone to her long-distance boyfriend. That's why investing in a good pair of active noise-cancelling headphones is a must for any student who wants to focus on their studies.

Noise-cancelling headphones work by blocking out ambient noise, so you can focus on your work without being interrupted. They're especially helpful in noisy environments like coffee shops, and sometimes your own home.

There are a lot of great noise-cancelling headphones on the market, so you should be able to find a pair that fits your budget and needs. Here are a few of my favourites:

Soundcore Anker Life Q20 - $59.99

Skullcandy Hesh - $80.99

Bose QuietComfort 45 - $259.99

Tip 4 – Micro Rests

We are all told to take breaks on a regular basis, and we know its good for us. But if you’re in the flow and have a deadline looming, it simply isn’t going to happen. So here I suggest micro rests.

These are random 10 second intervals throughout your study session where you close your eyes and do nothing. There have been multiple studies showing the benefits and accelerated learning associated with these rests. I found this a great way to have a break without the guilt of leaving my workstation.

Dr Andrew Huberman is a great advocate of this method, I have linked his explanation below so you can get a better idea: Micro-Rest Interval Explanation – Dr. Andrew Huberman

There is also a 5-hour video with randomised notifications that tell you when to take one of these breaks: Random 2 Minute Interval Timer

Tip 5 – Caffeine is the enemy of stress.

Throw out that Red Bull and discard that Monster. They are the enemy! Coffee is of course required in the morning but don’t have that 3rd cup. A bit more caffeine isn’t too bad when you’re chilled but when you are stressing my goodness does it make it worse? You get agitated and more anxious and end up writing below-average pieces of work you will have to reword in the morning. I know this is one of those run-of-the-mill bits of advice but it’s just a fact and it needs to be said again, caffeine sucks when you’re stressed.

I hope you found this article useful and picked up a new trick to help you study! If you have any other questions or suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment below. Thanks for reading!