How to Maximize Productivity During Long Days
Somehow, whenever I have a lot of work on the weekends, I find myself binge-watching movies and watching TikTok in bed. Then, at 8 pm I decide to get started and I end up getting 3/5 tasks done in mediocre quality by 11 pm. It took me an exceptionally long time to finally understand why this was happening to me, and some ways I could maximize my productivity during these long days. Today, I’d like to share them with you as well.
Tip 1: Willpower
This tip does not relate to studying, but if you increase your willpower, it will indirectly increase your productivity. Willpower is the ability of the mind to control itself by resisting temptations, distractions, and ‘the easy way out’. One highly effective way I increased my willpower was to always finish what I started. Example: If I’m going to take a shower, I won’t leave the bathroom until it is all back to the way it looked like before I used it. Exercising willpower like this in small portions helps strengthen your resolve and in turn, keeps you from wasting time with distractions when you are trying to work.
Tip 2: Breaks
It is essential to take breaks in between your work sessions, which should be 50-90 minutes long. These breaks should be 10-25 minutes long, depending on how long you studied. Example: If you studied for 50 minutes, take a 10-minute break. 90 minutes would require a 25-minute break. It is important to take these breaks away from your designated study area, and they should not be mentally engaging! This means no reading, TikTok, Insta, or anything like that during your break. For my breaks, I like to take a walk in my rose garden or run with my puppy, because the outside air always refreshes my head.
Tip 3: Switching Tasks
This tip is particularly helpful for me, even while simply doing my homework. Countless studies have proven that the longer you spend on a task, the weaker your focus and efficiency become. This means your productivity levels decrease if you spend too long on the same task. Formally, it’s known as the Law of Diminishing Return. To counter this, I spend around 20 minutes on a task, before switching to another task. 20 minutes later, I came back to the first task. This way, my brain is constantly engaged (never ‘bored’), and productivity increases.
Tip 4: Focus Music
One of my favorite things to do while studying is to play focus music! Something especially important to remember is that your music cannot take up your brain space, meaning it cannot have lyrics. Normally, I put on some piano-focused music, such as the one linked here. However, video game soundtracks were built not to mess with focus, so they are an excellent choice as well! YouTube is an awesome resource for this type of music.
Optional Tip 5: Study Buddy!
This is a tip I love to use when I am studying for finals or midterms. To hold myself accountable, I’d FaceTime a friend while studying. The important thing to remember here, however, is that it cannot be a friend who distracts you. During FaceTime, it should be silent, and preferably with cameras on. This way, both friends can hold each other accountable and ask questions if they are confused about a topic.
Conclusion:
Implementing these tips really helps me get the most out of my days, especially because I’m in high school. However, having these tools in your pocket is beneficial for people of all ages. Now you have everything you need to know to ace that test, finish that project, or write that essay without staying up all night!
