Staying Focused is Key: 7 Ways to Keep Your Eye on the Prize
The middle of the semester is here and it may feel like you小蝌蚪APP檙e just barely surviving grad school.
With all the late nights and looming deadlines, you may wonder, did I make the right decision coming to grad school in the first place? And is Zoom fatigue a permanent condition?
We小蝌蚪APP檝e been there. Surviving grad school, let alone thriving, isn小蝌蚪APP檛 always easy小蝌蚪APP攂ut we have some suggestions to keep your excitement and momentum going.
Here are some of our favorite ways to help you stay focused in grad school.
1. Take a day off小蝌蚪APP攊ntentionally
Take a day to relax and recalibrate. And decide to do it beforehand. Spending a day or a weekend accidentally doing nothing for your thesis or dissertation is not the same as intentionally stepping away.
By scheduling time off, you小蝌蚪APP檒l avoid feeling guilty or scrambling to get something done on Sunday evening.
Try to take a day or two away from your normal work environment. Venture out on a hiking trip or simply spend time in the kitchen trying out a new recipe.
Experiencing something new will refresh your brain, broaden your perspective, and boost your creativity and focus when you get back.
2. Block unproductive sites or apps
This is one of our favorite ways to focus in grad school, because so much of your work happens on a computer with your phone nearby.
to block the sites you know will distract you, like social media, shopping sites, or Wikipedia (we小蝌蚪APP檝e all been down that rabbit hole at 2 a.m.).
There小蝌蚪APP檚 a little work up front, but once you have the extension set up, it prevents you from opening those new tabs and you can really get down to business.
For apps, we suggest . When you want distraction-free time, plant a tree in the app, and it grows while you work. If you reach the end of your scheduled work time, then your tree matures. If you touch your phone during the 小蝌蚪APP渙ff-time,小蝌蚪APP the tree dies! Nothing like a little incentive to keep you focused.
3. Set small goals
When you小蝌蚪APP檙e in the thick of the semester and just trying to survive grad school, you may have trouble remembering why you小蝌蚪APP檙e slogging away. Take a step back and look at the big picture.
Remember your main goal this semester: maybe it小蝌蚪APP檚 to finish a dissertation chapter, or maybe it小蝌蚪APP檚 to submit the first draft of your thesis.
Break down that big goal into smaller goals that you can accomplish each week until the end of the semester. Then break that down further. Step by step, identify what you can do to move towards your goal for the week.
Now write it down! It小蝌蚪APP檚 easier to keep yourself accountable to those small goals after you小蝌蚪APP檝e committed them to paper (or made a list on your desktop or phone).
Aim for progress over perfection. What can you do today that will make tomorrow easier? The confidence you小蝌蚪APP檒l gain from completing one small thing will go far in keeping you motivated.
4. Stay active
that are key for memory, concentration, and mental sharpness.
Again, perfection isn小蝌蚪APP檛 the goal here! Start by finding a quick exercise video on Youtube, doing some simple stretches between meetings, or taking a walk around the block in the evening.
Keep up the habit, and you小蝌蚪APP檒l find it easier to focus once you sit down to get your work done.
5. Put on some white noise
Music can help you be productive, but the interrupting ads on streaming services can yank you right out of your focus zone. , and you小蝌蚪APP檒l be able to tune out most things happening around you.
For those craving the hustle and bustle of a coffee shop, sites like help you reproduce that ambient noise from the comfort of any desk in the world (but you小蝌蚪APP檒l have to make your own cup of joe.)
High-quality, noise-canceling headphones help, but are not necessary.
6. Work for 15 minutes
Sit down and commit to doing something related to your work for just fifteen minutes. Once those fifteen minutes are up, re-assess and decide if you can go for another fifteen minutes.
Chances are, pushing through those first fifteen minutes is exactly what you need to get focused, and you小蝌蚪APP檒l be ready for a productive work session. Every fifteen minutes, you can decide whether it小蝌蚪APP檚 worth working for another fifteen.
For help structuring longer work sessions, !
7. Talk to somebody
Grad school can feel isolating, but it doesn小蝌蚪APP檛 have to be! Connecting with a peer in your lab or a professor, or , can all help you find more meaning in your work.
Talking with someone who is passionate about their work, whether they小蝌蚪APP檙e in the same field as you or not, is a great way to bring back your motivation. You can then encourage others, and the effect snowballs!
Let the camaraderie of grad school be a positive force that pushes you in the right direction: graduation.
Still feeling like one big ball of stress? . Remember, counseling appointments are available for free for all current students.
