Online schooling has made it harder for many students to focus and keep their attention span directed towards long lectures, especially when they are sitting in front of a computer screen for so long.
I began reflecting on my own distractions and I found that I can be distracted a lot if I’m not paying attention intensely. I began making a list of things I can do in order to improve my online learning experience and thought to share them out!
Tip #1: I think it’s important during breaks to step out for a while and walk around your house or backyard if accessible. This allows your eyes to rest after having to spend a long period of time in front of a screen. It also guarantees that in your next class, you won’t be as tired and will focus more. I think for me I used to attend my zoom classes in bed and I found that this is not the best way to focus because being on your bed will eventually make you sleepy.
Tip #2: STEP AWAY FROM YOUR PHONE!
Your smartphone is the curse that you have to avoid in any way as long as you don't need it for your current work or study assignment. It is the biggest source of distraction with its app alerts and your friends’ conversations on it. It is better to have the phone on silent or do not disturb; that way you can keep focusing on the important things and not let apps such as Instagram or TikTok distract you while in class.
Tip #3: Meditation
Stress is a very serious issue that many teens have to deal with especially with online schooling so it’s important to take a minute to relax. Meditation aims to increase your awareness of the present moment and help you develop a better acceptance of yourself. And regular meditation has been shown to actually change the brain - in a good way. One study showed that the area of the brain dedicated to regulating your emotions was significantly larger in meditators. In other words, in a world bent on distracting you through distractions and unpleasant surprises, meditation can help you stay more positive and more focused.
Tip #4: Try to exercise
Being at home more than usual due to quarantine has obviously made many of us feel lazier than usual. I think a good way to start getting back your energy is to exercise or to even try to find a way where you can play your favorite sport. Recently I began doing yoga and found that it eases your breath and allows your body muscles to become more relaxed. You can regain control of your focus, release that stress, and wake up happier to start your day.
Tip #5: Simply have a coordinated sleep schedule
I have been staying up late a lot during summer and have had a hard time going to sleep early for school. But the sooner you do, the better, because the first week of school for me was very exhausting as I only ran on 4 hours of sleep. Try listening to music or calm medications that can put you to sleep or simply turn ur phone off and try not to stay up on Tiktok until 2 am!
I hope this list can offer some guidance to anyone struggling with stress and distractions as someone who always has to deal with them. I really find these tips helpful during the school year!