Studying from the comfort of your home definitely beats the noise and bustle of studying at school or at a public place. For starters, you have access to a wide range of snacks and you don’t have to worry about making sure your things are safe and secure when you take a bathroom break. At the same time, it has its drawbacks: you have unlimited access to your bed or the couch, and it can be very tempting to take an extended break or two.

Getting distracted while studying can seriously wreck your focus and prevent you from fulfilling important tasks. Any activity from scrolling through your phone or taking a walk are easy yet effective ways to put a halt to your productivity, and they also make it even harder to get back on track. Fortunately, there are ways to battle the lures of procrastination at home, and here are X of them:

Switch to Active Studying

Perhaps the way you’ve been studying needs a little tweak here and there. Give active studying a try, which doesn’t sound as exhausting as it seems: all you have to do is ask yourself questions before, during, and after your study time. It helps give your study session some direction while keeping you on track towards your study goals.

Some questions you can ask yourself before you begin is what you’re about to learn and what you already know about the subject. During your study time, you can ask yourself if you understood what you just read and if you can paraphrase it. Once you’ve wrapped up your session, ask yourself what you can take away from the session and what you need to revisit for next time. You’ll find that this is a much more effective way to maximise your study sessions!

Make a Schedule

Having some structure at home can be challenging—it’s where you’re free from the confines and strict rules of school, after all. Creating a schedule for your study session will help you organise time into appropriate blocks so you get a balance of productivity and rest. It’s also useful for arranging specific times to work on different subjects. A schedule will also help you break up your session into much more manageable pockets of time.

Using a timer will also help you stay on track with your schedule and encourage you to keep on working until the timer goes off. It provides a physical boundary between study and break time, which will help you keep focused.

Study During Your Most Productive Hours

Even though school has forced everyone to be a morning person, the truth is that some people are more productive at later hours of the day—and that’s okay! The wonderful thing about studying at home is that you’re in charge of your own schedule. Take advantage of your peak productivity hours so that you effectively process and retain information.

If you’re a night owl, then you’re free to schedule your study sessions when the stars come out. If your brainpower is fully charged and ready to go before the sun comes up, then make sure to schedule a study session then. 

Designate a Study Area

Create an area that is strictly for doing schoolwork or for studying. It’s important to draw boundaries when you’re studying at home so that your brain switches into productivity mode once you enter your study zone. Otherwise, if you mix your study and rest spaces, you’ll have difficulty getting your brain to focus. This is why it’s important to reserve your bed strictly for rest—otherwise, you’ll have trouble studying, falling asleep, or both!

It’s also important to keep your study space organised. Clutter is very distracting, and you might find yourself digging for a highlighter that’s been buried by the rest of your study materials!

Finish Your Chores First

Lastly, it’s best to finish the rest of your to-do list before hunkering down to study. Dreading the completion of your chores might be interfering with your focus when you study, so getting these out of the way will clear your head and make space for the information that you’ll be reviewing. 

Another perk of finishing your chores before studying is that once you’ve finished a session, you can look forward to relaxing and resting. It’s a much more productive way to go about your day.

Conclusion

It can be difficult to resist the siren song that is our bed, the couch, or even the telly. However, the truth is that your home can also be a productive place for you to study. Just keep these tips in mind and you’ll be a pro at studying at home in no time!

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