My Guide To Productivity and Working Efficiently

With exam season being literally right around the corner for many students, now is a time of frantic revision and last-minute cramming of any topics you don't already know. However, it can be easy to lose steam at this point and be exhausted from all of your previous revision, which is exactly the opposite of what you want. I think that I've mastered my methods of being productive and working efficiently, and so I have some vital tips to share that'll hopefully help you get over the final hurdle of revision.

REMOVE ANY DISTRACTIONS 
The first step to being productive is having complete focus on the work that you're doing. I know it can be tempting to check your phone every few minutes to see if you're missing out on anything, but it breaks your concentration and often ends in scrolling through social media for hours with no progress on your work. I've found that the best method for me is to put my phone on 'do not disturb' mode, that way my notifications will be waiting for me when I have a study break but I'm not distracted by my phone lighting up every few minutes.


FIND A PRODUCTIVE PLACE TO WORK
I often find that the place that I'm working in will dictate my mindset and so directly affect whether I'm feeling productive or not. In general, I find that a silent area of the library is the best place for me to be when working, as I can get in the zone and fully focus on the task at hand. Although I'm guilty of doing a lot of my homework whilst comfy in my living room, there's often too many distractions and noise throughout the house that stops me from working. Ideally, you want to be somewhere comfortable and with lots of space, yet free from any distractions or interruptions.


MAKE A TO-DO LIST
If you're going to be productive and hopefully get a lot of work completed, it's important to see what tasks you have to do in a clear format. By creating a to-do list before I begin, I can clearly see what tasks are important and higher priority, and what other things you need to do. Not only is it incredibly satisfying to check something off the list when you've completed it, but it also ensures that you won't 
completely forget an important homework that you need to do.


ORGANISE YOUR TIME EFFICIENTLY
I'll be honest, I'm the type of person who gets consumed in one task and will focus on it for hours, only to realise that I have a handful of other things that also need doing. For this reason, I'd recommend organising your time and deciding what tasks you'll dedicate your day to. For example, a typical evening might consist of doing a piece of homework for an hour, some wider reading and then revision after tea. The number of tasks that you take on and how much time you dedicate to each will vary depending on your personal preferences and how much you have to do, but organising your time in this way ensures that you won't dedicate all of your time solely to one task and disregard any others.


GET IN A PRODUCTIVE MINDSET
In order to work efficiently, you have to be in the right mindset. Although this isn't easy to achieve, there are many things you can do to enhance your mood and feel motivated to study. Having a good sleep and filling breakfast will instantly give you a positive start to the day, or a morning shower may be helpful to leave you feeling refreshed and ready for the day. Alternatively, some motivational music and something else may be all it takes to get your mind in gear and ready to work.


GIVE YOURSELF BREAKS AND REWARDS
Your mind won't be able to focus if you try and work constantly, so it's important to give yourself regular breaks. Also, after all of the hard work that you've done, you should treat yourself and allow for some time off. When doing long days of revision or work, I often have some chocolate and diet coke to treat myself halfway, as well as listening to music or podcasts in the background of working later on. Not only does this make the final stretch of studying much more enjoyable, but it's also a great reward for all of the hard work you've already put in.

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I hope that these tips were useful, and if you have any exams or important deadlines coming up then I wish you the best of luck! Thank you very much for reading this post, and I'll see you again next Sunday with a new one.

Love from Daisy x