It seems impossible doesn't it; distraction free study. Surely not. We've all sat at our desks with gusto, certain in our objective of studying for the next half-hour, hour without being distracted. Some of us will run through pre-studying rituals - the classic 'procastacleaning' comes to mind immediately, making our space perfect, turning it into the environment fit for studying. Then we start. Not too long in, a stray thought enters your mind. But you quickly relegate it. Next there's a commotion outside and you drown out the sound. Your brain might starts to hit that sweet spot where you really feel like your studying and then bam, the phone vibrates, you lose your focus. In these moments you glance outside your window. It was only meant to be a glance, but you can't help but notice the blue sky, the foliage on the tree - so green. The world looks lively and here you are in your room, cold or hot - the temperature is never quite right, trying to study. It's a hard world we live in. One full to the brim with distractions. What follows are some handy secrets, tips that will help you take control of your study time to reduce those external distractions.
The Mobile phone
There isn't much to say here, the number 1 way to remain distraction free is to turn it off. Shock! Horror! I know, but it's truth and we all know it. Second best would be turn your phone on silent. I don't mean vibrate mode, I mean silent, where in your phone does make a sound or vibrate to anything.
The Computer
There are a number of method of keeping distraction free on the computer.
Macs
See our write up on SelfControl.
My personal favourite is Self Control. Nothing beats this wonderful FREE little app. It's beautifully simple to use. Set the amount of time you would like distraction free, enter in what websites you would like to block and press start. Once started, you're fully committed, there is nothing you can do to access the websites you have blocked - I know, I've tried. If that thought scares you, an alternative like Anti-Social may be better for you. A quick reboot and you can access all your beloved websites again.
If you'd like to know where your time is going. Consider an app like Rescue Time. It logs what you do on your computer and then reports this to you weekly letting you what percentage of time you spent on your computer was spent being productive. It comes in a basic version which is free, and there a paid pro version that provides even more features. A nice paid alternative TrackTime. It's equivalent to the pro version of Rescue Time. It visually shows you where each minute of time spent on your computer is going so that you can be guilt tripped into being more productive.
PC
See our write up on ColdTurkey.
I have never used this app, being a mac user, but a friend of mine swears by Self Vault. It is a paid app, but there does appear to be a downloadable version - I'm unsure if this is just a trial. The program is quite robust offering a way to control how long websites are blocked for, and how long you can access them for.
A free alternative is K9 Web Protection. This program is actually available on a number of platforms - Mac, PC, iPhone/iPad, Android. It was originally designed to prevent kids from stumbling into adult websites, but is easily adjusted to block any site you desire i.e those distracting ones!
Mac and PC
If you read our article on the Pomodoro Technique, you may find this program/app useful. Focus Booster is designed to help you implement the technique on the computer by both timing your bursts of work.
Background Music
Music is an interesting one. Some argue that music is helpful when one studies, some say that it is a distraction and there appears to be scientific evidence behind both camps. Do what ever you feel works in this department. If you're a person who studies with music, consider something different:
- A lower volume of music that what you currently use
- Softer/more mellow songs
- Try listening to ambient sound tracks eg rain, crackling fires, jungle sounds
- Go the full monte and give a grey noise (think of white noise, but not as harsh) a go. See this youtube video that promises 10 hours of grey noise for all your needs. (FYI: there's also such things as pink and brown noise!)
- Work in silence.
At home
This is the most tricky to manage as you can't physically stop someone from distracting you. There are a variety of ways you could go about this. The classic is a 'Do Not Disturb' sign on your door, or you can discuss this with those around you so that they don't distract you. You know your household best, so I'll leave it to you to decide how to manage this.
WAMSS does not receive any support from the applications/tools/websites mentioned in this article.