Especially with college students and even students younger, it is important to have an effective study area to ensure that are focusing on what you are doing and what is right in front of you. Follow my six, easy steps to make sure that you have your very own effective study area.
1. Make sure your area is quiet
Having an area that is quiet is very important. One of the biggest distractions you can have while studying or doing work is to have un-wanted and un-needed noise around you. This means that you should set some time aside where it is designated just for studying and work. During this time, your phone should be silenced, there should not be any TV on near you and you should not have music on unless it is calming music that might help you concentrate.
Photo courtesy of: Hannah Fakhrzadeh
2. Make sure there is proper lighting
Having proper lighting is also very important. You want lighting that is not too bright that it blinds you but also not too dark that you can barely see anything. Also, make sure the lighting allows you to properly see what you are doing. You don’t want to be squinting to see what’s on the paper or on the computer.
Photo courtesy of: Hannah Fakhrzadeh
3. Make sure your study area is clean and clutter free
One of the most important things is to have a clean and clutter free workspace. Wherever you are designating as you study/workspace, whether it be your room or the kitchen table, you want to make sure that there is no clutter around you, which can serve as a distraction. Make sure there are no messy piles of papers that will leave you scrambling to find the paper you need. You want to make sure that you have all of your supplies near you and make sure your supplies are clean. Lastly, make sure that there is no garbage around you.
Photo courtesy of: Hannah Fakhrzadeh
4. Have snacks and drinks near you
While you study, something that can help to make an affective study area is having snacks and drinks nearby. Snacks like nuts and gum can help keep hunger thoughts away while doing your work and studying. Having drinks like juice and water can do the same as snacks while instead keeping the feeling of being thirsty away.
Photo courtesy of: Hannah Fakhrzadeh
5. Have a fish tank near you
One way to keep an affective study and work area is to have a fish tank in your study/work area. It is not known to a lot of people but fish are said to help you concentrate. Watching the swim around in the tank can also be peaceful. Petbloglady.com gives a good explanation as to why fish tanks can help during study or work hours. Click the link to read more about the health benefits of having a fish tank near you.
http://www.petbloglady.com/2014/02/calming-effects-of-aquarium-to-the-mind.html
Photo courtesy of: Hannah Fakhrzadeh
6. Play with Play-Doh
The last simple and easy way to keep you concentration going while doing homework and studying is to channel your inner child. You can do this by playing with Play-Doh. This doesn’t mean sit there and make Play-Doh animals. This means to just take a chunk in your hand and as you work or study, just squish it in your hand. Doing this can keep your mind focused and not distracted. The imaginationtree.com discusses how playing with Play-Doh as kids and even adults can be calming and soothing. Click the link to read what they said.
http://theimaginationtree.com/2012/06/benefits-of-playing-with-play-dough.html
Photo courtesy of: Hannah Fakhrzadeh
I think one of the most important parts of studying is to have an environment that’s just right. i never would’ve thought of using play-doh while studying–it looks like a good idea!
Social media can also be another distraction, much like T.V. I find that putting my cellphone in a draw helps. For another article, maybe you can write about the best methods to study? (For example, using index cards).
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Useful tips, I didn’t even think of using Play-Doh! I love that you took all of the pictures yourself. I also enjoyed that you used studies and incorporated them into your links and content.
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Great article! I agree with everything you listed. My only comment is that instead of having a long link thrown into the article you should link it to actual text. I like all of you visuals and ideas, I think the fish tank is great! Well done!
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