It’s really hard, so instead of telling myself I’m going to do nothing but focus and not play at all I give myself measured breaks. “After 15 mins of work I can play my game for 5 minutes.” If my phone addiction is getting really bad I delete the biggest time wasting apps and put a coloring book in front of me. That allows me to disengage and take mental micro breaks, but won’t lock me into digital paralysis.
I use stayfocusd to block distracting sites and save open tabs to my reading list. As for the mind wandering, it takes practice, if it’s tasks I’m thinking about I just write them down, if I have some other issue worrying me, Journaling helps figure it out and take it off my mind
To close the phone and all the Alerts and notifications , put a Playlist, having candy and something to drink (like tea) nearby, put a timer.
I’ve had the same issue for a long time. A tactic that helped me is putting on a timer ( maybe a study with me video ), getting something to drink and working somewhere we’re there’s a lot of sunlight ( or a nice view ). Work as hard as you can for as long as you can. Every time your mind drifts away, you see how many minutes you lasted. Try adding 5 minutes to that specific time every day ( for up to 2-3 hours )
Well I am also struggling with it, but in my case, I prefer listening to instrumental music. It helps me blocking the distracting environment and my endless thoughts. Try it for yourself and over time you can understand which kind of music helps you to focus on your work/study.
It may help to work with a timer. Commit yourself to really focus on the work for 25 Minutes and set the timer. Try to get as much focused work done in this short period as possible. Take a short break afterwards. Then repeat. If that‘s even to much, maybe start with ten minutes. That helped me.
hmmmm, i also having the same problem with u. but, let’s try to switch off our phone and focus during online class. if u want to open other tabs, imagine your kindest ( if u have ) teacher’s face, how he or she would be disappointed.
Two solutions come to mind: The one that helps me most is visualizing my work. Our brain works in pictures. It doesn’t understand the word ‘don’t’ or ‘yes or no’, because they don’t have an image attached. Example: ‘Don’t think of the Eiffel Tower!’ What do you see in your mind? I bet it’s the Eiffel Tower. Our brain is so powerful, imagine what you DO want not what you don’t because you will get more of what you picture. To get back to your question, picture what it will look like when it’s done. Break down the steps in your head first and start. Just focus on the first step, not the whole thing just the first step, then think of the next step hopefully in picture. Keep your brain occupied with what’s next vs the tabs that randomly open. Second solution: have a clean (clutter free) environment, tackle one thing and have a note pad next to you. As soon as a tab opens, write it down and get back to your task. I use both solutions in my office. I have one pile (I have more) that I tackle and just that one pile. Otherwise it can get too overwhelming. I hope that helps or at least gives you some ideas.
If possible, I will turn off my notifications & WiFi connection. If I need WiFi, I will clear my window & commit to leaving only one page open & working on that page. Then I will close my eyes, sit & meditate for at least 5 minutes to gather my thoughts & purpose. This helps calm my mind & focus on the task at hand.
My mind wanders a lot but I started training myself to recognize when it wanders and bringing myself back to the work I was doing. I am learning that the time spent out of focus is getting smaller because of the wander-catch-return system when I am working. Sometimes I even catch myself just before I wander and refocus.
Answers reflect the personal experiences of Fabulous community members. They are not medical or professional advice — for guidance about your health, talk to a qualified professional.