On Focus
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels.
Lari Li
Have you ever spent hours procrastinating something and then got it done within minutes? That wasn’t too bad—it’s the phenomenon of mental inertia in play. With AP and final exams coming up, focus is more important than ever.
The scientific explanation for mental inertia is a tendency to resist change due to repeated thought patterns and behaviors. While this can apply to your daily routine and habits, it can also apply to your tasks and productivity. Here are my favorite productivity hacks to make the most out of 24 hours.
Inertia
Staying stagnant for too long is going to trap you forever. When I catch myself slipping and zoning out, I count down “3, 2, 1” in my head. Once I reach 1, I instantly get up and don’t think about anything. Why does this work? It gets you out of the stagnant and “nothing” mindset. The countdown works as a sort of reset. Once you’re at work, you’re in motion again, and it’s extremely hard to stop.
The Early Bird
Set an alarm for 4 in the morning. This is my favorite time for deep work. I know it’s going to be cold and lonely, but that’s the point. Everyone on “that damn phone” is asleep at 4 AM. There are absolutely no distractions. It’s quiet and peaceful, and let’s be real, you’re not going to have the energy to do anything other than what you woke up for.
It’s better than feeling overwhelmed at midnight while your friends are blowing up your phone with messages. Believe me, at midnight, no one wants to do anything other than talking with friends. The shifting between your phone and responsibilities makes your conversations less fulfilling and extends the time it takes to get something done substantially.
Every time I do this, I can get 3 hours of work done in 1. If I’m fulfilled, I just go back to sleep and wake up again for my 6 AM alarm. Don’t let the 4 AM throw you off! Other times, I just start my day on a positive and productive note with reading or a good workout. As someone who loves their alone time, mornings are extremely peaceful and a power bank for focus.
My only disclaimer is to only do this if you really have a lot of work to get done and don’t want to get overwhelmed and burnt out by the time you’re out of school and have lots of tasks to do. Doing a little in the morning is a great way to ease things off your plate and makes the rest of the day easier to handle. However, while I’m no sleep expert, I do know that you shouldn’t mess up your schedule constantly.
Still, it’s better than feeling overwhelmed at midnight while your friends are blowing up your phone with messages. Believe me, at midnight, no one wants to do anything other than talking with friends. The shifting between your phone and responsibilities makes your conversations less fulfilling and extends the time it takes to get something done substantially.
Make it Visual
My absolute holy grail is Google Keep. It’s a great way to visualize and organize your life. It’s basically a screen of editable “sticky notes” that can be color coded and pinned. For example, my Keep contains 9 pinned notes that fit on one screen and keep track of important things in my life.
Daily to-do list
Clubs (meetings, deadlines, responsibilities)
Dates (deadlines, AP exams, important dates)
Calc schedule
“Week” (Sunday to Saturday of due dates, tests, etc.)
Class 1 (homework and test dates)
Class 2
Class 3
Class 4
I have more notes on the bottom that are just filled with random ideas that come to mind, a reading and watch list, Wednesday’s late start schedule, and “things going on” that contain all of my extracurricular activities and responsibilities.
The 2-Minute Rule
If something will take less than 2 minutes to do, do it immediately. Whether this is replying to that email, hanging your clothes up, or finalizing your planner, these micro-tasks tend to build up. You’re not going to want to do these when your day gets busier.
Time Blocking
Assign times for each task. If I really want to get something done, I’ll pull up a Pomodoro Timer on Google. The Pomodoro Technique is a method of time management that breaks up tasks into focused intervals, typically with 25 minutes on and 5 minutes off. After 25 minutes of work, I take 5. If my task still isn’t completed, I go again. Usually, 25 minutes of a task is more than enough if it’s 25 minutes of pure focus.
Small Wins
Celebrate yourself after doing something productive. Incentivize yourself! I’ve seen people make reward charts on TikTok of things they can buy or do based on their test scores. This might not work for everyone and might harbor unnecessary stress, but it’s always nice to celebrate yourself.
Takeaways
Focus isn’t about being perfect. Being productive and getting everything done everyday is just not possible if you have a lot on your plate. Still, it’s important to learn to work with your brain and find what works best for you.
