Hey Reader!

Focusing is just harder now 😕

During the summer, I could sit down and work for hours in the quiet bliss of my childhood bedroom. Now that school has started and I’m living on my own again, there are many more spinning plates, a barrage of WhatsApp pings, and a never-ending list of errands. Plus, my motivation for school is lower than ever and distractions are even more tempting.

I’ve made plenty of YouTube videos about focus, but a refresher is always nice. There are a bunch of tricks that I've found useful in the past, but that I've neglected for years (setting my phone to grayscale, for example).

So today I’m writing a “cheatsheet” of my favorite focus tips to help you and myself re-focus in this mid-semester slump. These techniques aren’t just about getting more stuff done. At the end of a focused day, I’m simply calmer and life feels more peaceful. And that’s a worthwhile goal, imo :)

#1 Don't rely on willpower

Willpower is a depletable resource. A day spent batting away distractions is tiring and no fun. Instead, there are a few tech tools I like to use to make up for my very human lack of willpower.

(The irony of using technology to battle the distractions of technology is not lost on me…)

Firstly, I use the Freedom app in my browser to make me wait 5 seconds before accessing a distracting website. That’s usually enough time to realize that I don’t really need to see that webpage, and I close it altogether.

The one sec app on my phone does the same thing for Instagram, and when I’m focusing on some deep work, I try to put my devices on Do Not Disturb.

P.S. If you’re an Apple Watch (or whatever brand smartwatch) user, I have this video with some tips on how to set it up in a way that’s less distracting.

#2 Recharge your focus battery

Willpower is limited, and so is your ability to stay focused. That's why you need regular breaks. I use the Pomodoro technique to recharge the metaphorical battery. After 25 minutes of focused work, I reward myself with a 5 minute break! When I move around and give my brain a rest, I come back to my desk with renewed focus. But if I remain seated, and especially if I continue to stare at my computer screen, those 5 minutes do nothing for me and I come back to my work still tired.

I also like to break up long chunks of work time with a change of activity and scenery. I might Ion homework for 2 hours, then walk to the grocery store before resuming work for another 2 hours. If I need to buy some food anyways, why not arrange my day to use that as a focus break?

#3 Take care of your surroundings

In this category, it’s all about your preferences.

If studying with others is distracting to you, it’s okay to say no to the study group (you can always hang out another time, sans schoolwork). If the temptation of Netflix is extra-strong when you’re home alone, the accountability of library study buddies (or strangers judging you in a coffee shop) might be nice.

Next up - sound. I like to use the Portal white noise app with noise cancellation on my AirPods to listen to rain sounds. I prefer to write my essays as if in a thunderstorm in the middle of the Amazon rainforest. Maybe you prefer music! My boyfriend likes to study with tranquil video game soundtracks, and honestly, they’re growing on me as well.

Finally - visuals. A clean desk always helps, and it only takes a few minutes to clear the clutter before starting a study session. I’m also a BIG proponent of hiding your phone while working. It’s been shown that the mere presence of a phone actually has a distracting effect, no matter if it’s on silent or powered off. I usually place mine behind my computer.

#4 Strengthen your focus muscle

Every innocuous thought that pops into your head (”I should make a Notion page for my upcoming road trip”, or “Wait, is my library hold available yet?”) can lead down a long rabbit hole. What should have taken two minutes leads to shopping for travel Notion templates and browsing Goodreads for other books by the same author. When you finally come back to work, you can’t re-focus and, oh, there’s the timer signaling the end of your Pomodoro! …sound familiar?

One way to train yourself to not follow these little “rabbits” is to keep a notepad and pen next to you so that you can write them down. Get them onto paper so that you can deal with them later.

The distractions will never stop coming, but setting them aside gets easier with practice. I often find myself wanting to check random websites just to avoid working. One time, I was doing homework when I suddenly had the urge to check which academic advisers were still available. I had already secured my adviser! I was just nosy and suddenly wondered which advisers were least popular 😳 Recognizing that this was just my subconscious brain looking for any reason not to work, I was able to get back on track.

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This week's video

Drumroll, please... the long-awaited updated weekly planning routine is here! Learn how I keep track of homework assignments, coordinate my weekly schedule with my boyfriend, and time block my entire calendar. Plus, I updated my weekly planning worksheet to go along with it!

Download the worksheet

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A few of my favorite things

💞 My boyfriend and I have been using this app to update each other on our moods during the day. It can be hard (at least for me) to communicate emotions, but somehow this simple interface with cute cartoon avatars makes it easier. You can also send little actions, like hugs and kisses (or throw a tomato at them, if you feel like doing that...)

🍝 Highly recommend this creamy tomato pasta recipe that I made for a dinner with friends (also check out the “Food” highlight on my Instagram Stories).

🪩 I was actually supposed to go to Taylor Swift’s Eras tour in June, but in the end we had to sell our tickets. Instead, I went to see the concert film this weekend and got to see the whole thing from all of the best angles, in a comfy movie theater seat, with subtitles on the screen, for a fraction of the price. Oh, and I got a free poster! That’s a pretty great deal if you ask me.

🎃 I’m planning a little Halloween party and found so many good ideas for decor, activities, snacks, etc. in this Reddit thread. I’m also planning out my Halloween costume! Any guesses? ;)

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❔ An exercise for you

Write down your two favorite focus techniques from this newsletter (or from your own personal library of tricks) and commit to using them when you're working this week.

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Feel free to respond with other tools that you use to stay focused, I’d love to do a little compilation to include in the next newsletter!

​Find all editions of the newsletter here. Thank you for reading, and have a great week ahead.

Lots of love,
Beatrice