Are you easily distracted? Or do you waste a lot of time on social media, causing you to not finish homework (or do a good job)? Well, here’s the best way to reduce distractions to be more focused.
Distractions are the number one cause of failure.
Okay, maybe it isn’t. But I know for a fact a lot of you have trouble with distractions, especially when you’re trying to do homework.
Have you noticed that whenever you’re trying to study and a bing goes off on your phone, you have to check it?
Or you need to get something done, but you just can’t seem to get off of whatever social media app you’re on?
You are experiencing this because you are distracted. And these distractions are the source of why you’re not doing well in school.
How Phone Addiction is Causing You to Get Bad Grades
I’ve been tutoring for a few years now, and so many of my students can’t put their phones down for long periods of time.
They’ll study (or do their work) for a little bit and then get distracted by messages.
And then when I tell them to put away their phones and focus, they will… until they receive another message.
Some of them will work for 15-20 minutes, take a break by going on social media, and never end their break because they don’t realize how long they’ve been mindlessly scrolling for.
They’re addicted to these platforms and they don’t even know it; they waste so much of their time (and life) on them.
Working like this is not a good method and it won’t help you improve.
To be able to think, figure out problems, and understand facts, you need to concentrate and focus for a long period of time.
But you will never be able to achieve this if you’re constantly switching from one thing to another (or trying to focus on multiple things at once).
How to Remove Distractions via Airplane Mode
So, what can you do to remove distractions and be more focused when you are studying?
The best way, in my opinion, is to put your phone (and/or devices) onto airplane mode.
When you are working or need to channel lots of your focus into something specific, turn on this mode.
This will turn off all of the communication functions of the phone (as well as data and Wi-Fi). This will prevent it from receiving messages or calls.
It will also prevent you from going on social media and robotically scrolling through the newsfeeds.
Airplane mode, if you don’t know, is a function on your phone that “disables a device’s cellular radio, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth—all the wireless transmission functions.”
To turn it on, you have to go into your device’s general settings, look for the airplane logo, and tap on it.
What to do If Airplane Mode Isn’t Enough?
However, the airplane mode can easily be turned off and if you are heavily addicted, you will during your work session.
In this case, I suggest you turn off your phone or device completely. You can also put it in another room or lock it up somewhere.
The goal here is to create as much resistance to using your device as possible.
It will be hard at first, but once you get through the withdrawal process, you’ll feel so much better (and more productive).
You’ll improve your focus and get more work done, and thus improve your grades.
What About Listening to Music?
When it comes to listening to music, you don’t need to be online to do so.
You can download the album or playlist you listen to when you do homework.
And if you’re the type that needs to keep their phone in a different room, you can use Bluetooth speakers or headphones.
Just connect it and stream it prior to your work session.
I also want to add -and this may be a tangent- that you should listen to lyric-free music when you study.
The reason why is because the lyrics will distract you, especially if you have to read or write.
Music such as Lo-Fi, instrumentals, or classical is best for focus and concentration.
Final Thoughts
Being able to focus during work time is an important skill to have.
But you won’t be able to concentrate if your device frequently distracts you.
That’s why you need to put it on airplane mode before you do work.
And this is the only way you’ll succeed in school (if you have an addiction to your phone, that is).