4 concentration tips to stop getting distracted all the frickin' time
Do you sometimes think that your teen has the attention span of a fruit fly?! You're not alone!
Struggling to concentrate while studying is a big problem for a LOT of teens. And unfortunately that seems to have gotten much worse thanks to everyone being glued to their phone and social media.
It has probably never been harder for teens to concentrate and easier for them to procrastinate than it is right now. And if your teen has issues concentrating then studying is an uphill battle. They're going to have a hard time taking in and retaining information if they can't focus for more than a few minutes.
In good news though, there are simple things that your teen can incorporate into their routine that can give their productivity a massive boost. Here are four practical and simple things your teen can start doing right away:
1. Phone time out
No doubt you’re battling with your teen about their phone already, and no this is not an original tip, but it’s crucial if your teen is struggling to concentrate.
I’m sure your teen knows that when they have study do but they just sit there staring at their phone that that’s a waste of time. The quality of study achieved is rubbish, and let’s be real — scrolling on your phone isn’t even enjoyable.
So I suggest they look at it this way: The study has to be done, so put the phone away, smash out some producive study and when they have a break they can have their phone back guilt free.
To ease your teen into their phone separation, they could start with no phone for an hour. And if they're worried that the world will "LITERALLY" end if they're detached from their phone for too long, you could suggest that they tell their friends beforehand, hey — I'm about to study so am putting my phone away for a few hours. This way your teen doesn't need to worry that people will think they've fallen off the face of the Earth when they don't reply within 5 minutes.
2. A study goal to work towards
When your teen sits down at their desk to study, in order to maintain focus and actually achieve something, they need to have a goal to work towards.
If they sit down at their desk without any plan of what they're going to study, this is a recipe for having no motivation and becoming distracted quickly and easily.Their goal for a study session might be one of the following:
Completing a practice exam
Working through 10 math problems
Deciding on the structure of an essay (what each paragraph is going to be about
Revising and writing out their notes for one topic they've gone through in class
The goal can be incredibly simple. All your teen needs is something to work towards. Without a goal or a plan the risk is that they sit down at their desk, already feel like they don't know what to do, and become unmotivated and disheartened before they've even started.
After all, starting a study session is often the hardest part, so by giving your teen a FOCUS for their study session, you're giving them the momentum they'll need to concentrate long enough to actually do some effective study.
3. Encourage study techniques that engage
Studying may not ever be your teen's most favourite pastime, but this doesn't mean it always needs to be a huge chore that they dread doing.
Part of figuring out their unique Study System requires finding the study techniques that capture their attention for longer periods of time.
This might be using flash cards, watching a video that explains one of their topics, writing study notes, drawing diagrams, whatever it is that works for them.
If your teen thinks that studying means reading through their notes for hours on end then it's no wonder they can't concentrate. We would all have a hard time maintaining concentration reading a text book for hours. But interspersing reading with writing, drawing, watching and creating can make studying a much more engaging process.
4. Studying in 'chunks' of time
Good studiers know what their most effective window of concentration is. They know how long they can effectively take in, process, and retain information for before their brain starts to run out of puff.
Some say that the optimal time period of concentration is 25 minutes. This Pomodoro Technique might prove to be highly effective for your teen, but they might also find that once they're on a roll they can really sink their teeth into studying for more than 25 minutes.
For me it depended on what I was doing while studying that determined how long I could study effectively for before losing concentration. When attempting practice exams, if the exam was close I would set a timer and attempt the exam in the same amount of time I would have in the real exam (sometimes 3 hours!). Other times, and particularly if it was for a subject or topic that I didn't enjoy so much, I would only be able to concentrate for up to an hour before needing a break.
Your teen's task is to figure out what their optimal concentration window is. Like me, it might depend on what they're studying. It can also depend on their mood, stress levels, and how much sleep they've had. Therefore, it’s also important for your teen to learn to recognize when they're losing concentration. At this time, they'll be better off taking a short break, recharging their batteries, and returning to their study once they're feeling fresh again.
As always this is a learnt skill
As with any part of studying, improving your concentration is a learnt skill.
If your teen is really struggling to concentrate right now, the key for them will be to build up their capacity to concentrate over time. If they can't sit still at their desk for more than 15 minutes now, expecting them to study all day without a complaint is setting an unrealistic expectation. Any improvement in their concentration levels is an improvement that should be celebrated. Everyone's study skills should be a work in progress, and your teen's concentration skills are no different.
I hope these tips help. Thanks so much for reading.
Clare
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