Smart study strategies for staying focused

Everyone’s attention span is different. Here’s a quick exercise you can do to estimate yours.

1. Sit at your desk and open up a textbook on your favourite school subject. Pick a chapter you haven’t read before.
2. Start reading and try to stay focused as long as you can.
3. Note how long it takes for your attention to drift. That’s your maximum focus time.
4. Take a break, and when you feel ready, sit down at your desk again. This time, choose a textbook on your least favourite school subject.
5. Try to stay focused as long as you can.
6. Note how long it takes for your attention to drift. That’s your minimum focus time.

Most people can keep focused for between 10 and 20 minutes at a time, but it can vary depending on how you’re feeling, your lifestyle, and how tired you are. If your number is below average, don’t worry! There’s no right or wrong answer here. Your estimate is just a piece of information that you can use to structure your study sessions.

When you try to concentrate past your maximum focus time, your brain has a much harder time retaining information. That’s why it’s harder to study when you’re mentally fatigued. Ideally, you should structure your study sessions so you can avoid going past your maximum focus time.

Here are a few tips to keep you on track:

1. Every time you work past your maximum focus time, take a five-minute break to clear your head: listen to music, eat a healthy snack, get some fresh air, exercise, etc. You can use our Motivational Timer tool to plan your breaks.
2. After each short break, quickly review the information you just went over and try to summarize it out loud or on a piece of paper.
3. You can repeat these steps until you feel comfortable with the material.
4. The following week, reread your notes and see how much you’ve improved!

Your study space can also have a big impact on your concentration levels. Sometimes it’s hard to find a quiet place to do your homework. Here are two tips for creating a calm work environment:

1. Avoid distractions like your cellphone, video games, or TV. You can even wear earmuffs[1]  or headphones so you don’t get distracted by noise.
2. Sit on a comfortable chair and make sure your work surface is uncluttered and well lit.

When you spend long study sessions in front of a screen, one of the greatest challenges is keeping your mind from wandering. Just like when you’re doing homework, it’s important that you find a calm space away from household distractions.

If you tend to get fidgety, it can be helpful to sit on an exercise ball or under-desk bike so you can burn off extra energy and stay focused.

Lastly, remember to eat and drink regularly and to take breaks outside if you can. Getting some sun will keep you motivated and reduce your stress. You can also follow the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break and focus your eyes on something at least 20 feet away. This will help your eyes relax.