12 Ways To Concentrate On Your Homework

Many students are looking for ways to increase their productivity when it comes to doing homework. The good news is that there are many things that you can do to help you focus on the task at hand!

For example, if your problem is procrastination, try setting a timer so that you know how much time you have left. If distractions are your issue, then choose a special place where there will be no interruptions.

In this article, you discover: How to focus on my Homework 🎯 and Reasons why I can’t focus on my Homework.

But why can’t I concentrate on my homework?

Attention is the most complex function of the mind because it is subject to three competing influences:

• The willpower.
• The Fear and Stress Response System.
• And the pleasure and reward system.

When your willpower is in control, everything is fine. But it is not so simple because attention is a bit like the main window of a computer screen, behind which several operations are carried out in parallel to the task at hand. And the window of our attention has the particularity of being very unstable, moving very quickly from one sub-window to another.

This makes us flexible and reactive but also easily distracted when the will to concentrate is parasitized by these elements:

• Lack of interest in the subject: Of course, it’s easier to stay focused when you’re interested.
• Fatigue: Concentration requires vigilance. Which is inevitably lacking after a bad night, a tiring day, and more.
• Not being ready to do your homework: To be able to concentrate and stay focused, you have to be ready, both psychologically and physically.
• The subject is too difficult: It’s hard to stay focused when you don’t understand everything, and you feel lost…
• We haven’t set study goals: Without goals, you lose motivation and focus.
• Too much noise or activity around you: Environmental factors play a great role in our academic performances.
• There is too much to study: Concentration has its limits! If you want to stay focused, be reasonable, and don’t ask too much of your brain at once.
• Boredom: The brain needs motivation to hold on, to move forward.
• Fear of failure: Like procrastination, the fear of failure is an obstacle to concentration. Unfortunately, lack of concentration is one of the major causes of failure.
• Stress and anxiety: The brain is built to protect us from threats. At the slightest alarm signal (weather, health, economic alert…), our attention immediately shifts to these urgent matters.

12 Tips to Focus on Homework

Homework can be a daunting task for anyone. It is especially hard to focus on homework if you are not in the right mindset. Here are 12 Great tips that will help you stay focused and complete your assignment more quickly!

If you are wondering whether you can concentrate or not then read this article fully with high concentration. It will help you learn how to concentrate on your homework. You have to master the art of concentration then only you will be able to focus on homework.

Again! if you are distracted or losing focus read these 12 tips for doing homework at least twice.

1. Have a set routine.

As with any activity, setting a routine helps a lot to get started with less effort. When you get into the habit of taking a shower every morning, you don’t ask yourself any more questions; it becomes automatic. The same goes for sport. When it becomes part of our routine, it’s a winner!

So making homework part of the evening or morning routine is a basic and very useful key!

2. Be and stay positive.

To help you be positive, remember these different things:

• You study to learn, you have chosen these studies, and it is a pleasure to enrich yourself with new knowledge.
• Tell yourself over and over again that you will succeed because you enjoy doing your homework that will lead to the career you envision for yourself.
• You will succeed because you work for it with courage, enthusiasm, and motivation.
• Do not worry about other students. Remember that each person has his/her own pace, so don’t compare yourself to others. Work as you see fit according to your ability to concentrate.
• Don’t focus on the results you need to achieve; this brings stress. Focus your positive energy on your process- methods.

3. Avoid Doing More Than One Thing at a Time

Researchers working for Microsoft decided to check the impact of multitasking on the quality of work. The results of their study showed that after each break, however short, it takes an average of 23 min and 15s to regain full concentration.

Another study indicated that multitasking wastes an average of 40% of our productive time. By constantly switching/moving from one task to another, we actually lose a lot of time to refocus.

Moreover, according to a study conducted at the prestigious Stanford University, multitasking has a negative impact on our brain functions. It could even cause our IQ to temporarily drop by 15 points.

Of course, multitasking isn’t always bad. Listening to podcasts while drying your clothes seems like a great idea. The more different tasks we try to accomplish at once, the harder it is to get good results.

4. Having a study plan facilitates concentration.

Choose the right times. We’re all different: some people are more efficient and better able to concentrate in the morning, others in the evening. It’s up to you to establish your work plan based on what works for you. Select the times of day when you are at your best.

Divide your work into logical steps that have a beginning and an end. The brain organizes things as a whole, so you need to help it see the connections between each element. By organizing your work-miles stones-, you allow your brain to see things more clearly, thus increasing your concentration.

5. Pick a neutral, healthy, and serene environment.

Your work place-study- has a huge influence on your concentration level.

• Choose an airy place with good lighting. In a neat, tidy, and pleasant room, the temptations to distract yourself are limited.
• Turn off your mobile phone or cut off the WIFI so that only urgent calls are received.
• You can also choose to leave your phone in another room to limit the chances of being distracted.
• Go to the closest library if there is too much noise in your sounding -Neighbor’s vacuum cleaner, loud music, etc.
• As for music, it’s up to you to see what works for you.Some people like to work with music in the background; others simply can’t. It may also depend on the type of work you have to do.

6. Do physical Exercise.

Our brain is closely linked to the rest of our body, which means physical exercise has a direct impact on our mental performance.

Daily exercise is a quick and easy way:

• To Improve brain function.
• Keep the brain active;
• Reduce stress;
• And many other benefits.

But that’s not the only way to exercise your brain to improve your productivity. It’s important to note that the endorphins released during exercise can increase your heart rate.

You’ll also notice that physical activity leads to an overall increase in fitness, so you won’t feel like sleeping at your desk.

And for those of you who are feeling restless, a few brain-boosting exercises, without being too exciting, can help you get in the right frame of mind before you start doing your homework.

7. Use timeboxing.

One of my most effective ways to be more productive is to use the timeboxing method. Timeboxing is a time-management technique that has emerged in the field of software development within the agile method, which consists in frequently and regularly delivering parts of the final project.

The general concept of timeboxing is quite simple. It consists in dividing a project into short periods, always identical.

I’ve gotten so used to it that I can’t imagine working without a running clock. When I sit down at my computer and want to focus on something, starting the timer is my cue to start. I have to pick one particular thing I’m timing myself for and focus on it.

What is the duration of a time block?

There are no rules about the length of time blocks. If you are new to this technique, start with blocks of 10 minutes, and increase their duration gradually. I started with 5 minutes blocs. Now, my blocks are 45 minutes long.

8. Rest your neurons.

It’s also much easier to concentrate for short periods of time with breaks in between than for hours without interruption. When you do your homework, favor short but regular sessions over long sessions of learning here and there: for both memorization and concentration, repetition is essential.

Remember, your brain works like a muscle that you can build. But, like the muscles in your body, take it easy! Would you ever think of doing push-ups for 3 hours (or even 2, or 1) without a break and without stopping to drink some water? I hope not! So, take breaks to increase your effectiveness.

Additionally, it is during breaks that your brain Consolidates the information you have just absorbed. So, it’s essential to take regular breaks when you’re doing your academic activities-studying, working on your homework.

9. Do abdominal breathing between breaks.

If you are doing your homework at home, you can practice abdominal breathing by lying on your bed between breaks. Close your eyes and relax. Note that breathing is controlled not by the rise and fall of the chest but by the rise and fall of the belly.

10. Break down the task at hand-Homework- into simple tasks

As we have already mentioned, concentration is a limited resource. No matter how hard you try, you can’t stay focused on the same thing forever. Setting specific goals is essential because the brain is more efficient when it has a clear direction. It can then immediately get into action. The clearer you are about what you have to do, the more focused you are.

We recommend that you break your work into sub tasks, a subject into chapters, and a chapter into sub chapters. This way, you can work in short sessions and take frequent breaks to clear your head and recharge your batteries.

11. Adopt a healthy lifestyle

Your concentration level is also an indicator of your health. If you are sleep-deprived or tired, it directly impacts your concentration levels; hence, reducing your academic performance. Adopt a healthy lifestyle and give yourself the rest you need to stay focused.

Some students try to exploit every bit of time to revise (do their homework), especially during exam periods. This is often counterproductive because if we get too tired, our brain will not be able to concentrate, and the revisions will be ineffective.

12. Create rituals to focus on.

During her tournaments, the female tennis player Serena Williams never changes her socks. She believes that a small change can result in her defeat.

When Beethoven was composing his music, he usually woke up early in the morning, counted exactly 60 coffee beans to grind and prepare his coffee. Afterward, he would sit at his desk and work until 2:00 pm in the afternoon.

By creating these rituals, it is possible to enter a state of intense concentration when you are doing your home works.

Conclusion

Focusing on your homework is a real challenge and always will be. However, by putting these 12 homework tips for students into practice, you will put all the chances on your side to reduce distractions and keep the focus on your activities and will help you to make the homework a fun activity.