As we are going through our studying journeys in the hope that we end up with a career that is suitable for our skills, whether it is a creative career like writing, a logical or mathematical career like accounting, or something that really lights the fires in you, the sheer amount of studying you have to do, as well as the various essays, papers, dissertations, as well as examinations, can get on top of us after a while, and we can lose a lot of focus. Focus is pivotal to our overall comprehension, and we need to be firing on all cylinders at all times. So, how can we improve our focus?

Speed Reading

Imagine how much more studying you could get done if you were able to speed read? And regardless of your opinion on it, if you learn certain techniques, and practice these drills, after a while, it will become hard-wired into your system. An entrepreneur called Tim Ferriss has taught undergraduates at Princeton University this technique, and he has never seen the method fail. The idea behind it is about controlling your motor movements, in effect, really learning how to read, and wiping out certain bad traits we’ve picked up over time. This may take a while to get used to, but once you do, it becomes an indispensable tool for your studying.

Calming The Mind

What do we require to remain focused? Calm. We’ve all experienced that moment where we realize that we haven’t taken in any of the information we just read on a single page, and why is this? Very likely because we were feeling very distracted, either by external or internal forces. Stress is one of the biggest factors in how we prepare. And at the end of the day, no matter how many people tell you that some stress is good for you, when it comes to absorbing piles of information because you’ve got a test the next day, it really doesn’t help. It can take a long time to really get the knack of calming your mind, but there are mindfulness & wellbeing courses that can help you tune into that silence in your mind, and overcome that internal chatter. Even if you have an anxious brain, by practicing a meditation technique, or even controlled breathing, it will slowly begin to infiltrate your system, and you will feel calmer, regardless of the stressful situation that you are in, meaning you can focus better.

Preparation

Giving your brain a semblance of order and structure is vital to any cramming session. Before you sit down and study, prepare a list of what you plan on doing and how you plan on doing it. In minimizing distraction, and giving your brain something to actually focus on, this gives you a distinct advantage. You can also prepare your brain for any session where you need to focus, and this is why you should simply training your brain. Remember your mind is like a muscle, and it needs adequate warm up time.

There are things you can do to help your mind, such as caffeine, but preparation and learning how to focus will be the real tools your mind needs.