Getting back to studying after a break
Students are often reluctant to take breaks, and the reason they cite most often is that they find it hard to get back into the flow. So this week, I'm sharing a trick that makes it easier to go back to studying after taking a break.
CREATE A ROUTINE TO CLEAR YOUR WORKING MEMORY
The reason you find it hard to refocus on studying after a break is because your working memory – what you use to concentrate in the moment – is still occupied with facts from the break. For instance, if you've just had a conversation about weekend plans with a flatmate, your working memory will be holding the date, time, and theme of the party they've invited you to. And it can be hard work to replace these details with facts from the textbook chapter you're trying to read.
There is a way to speed up and simplify this process: invent a routine that clears your working memory. It makes your mind into a ‘blank slate’ and, when repeated, it instantly commands your brain to get into study mode.
So basically, you need something that is doable wherever you study (in the library, at home, on the train…) and uses things you already have available - or nothing at all.
IDEAS FOR A MEMORY-CLEARING ROUTINE:
Put on your headphones (a popular favourite): acts as a ‘shield’ from distractions around you.
Apply hand cream: my personal favourite. Especially if the hand cream is scented – then the smell becomes another cue for your brain. But not too scented, as you don't want to drive your library neighbours crazy. There are also aromatherapy roll-ons I used to love as an undergraduate. Perhaps my library neighbours loved them less.
Grab a random section of a book in front of you and count the pages: the practice of counting is amazing for clearing your mind.
Do a low-impact exercise without leaving your desk: clench and unclench your toes, roll your shoulders back and forth, or stretch your neck this way and that. Decide on the number of iterations you'll do, and always stick to that number (keeps your mind focused on the routine).
Visualise breathing in one colour and breathing out another: pick your colours and the number of breaths, and stick to these.
You get the idea. You briefly focus your mind on something very straightforward, which has the effect of erasing all the scribbles from the whiteboard of your working memory. And it leaves your mind free to take on the challenging stuff. Try it next time you feel reluctant to go back to studying!