It’s the single best choice you can make to turn your C’s into A’s: get off your phone.
Oh, you’re still here… looks like you’ve made the second best choice: to read this article before pulling the plug. Let’s dive in.
It’s pretty well-known that smartphones distract us from doing important tasks, but how many of us actually take action to prevent that?
76.3% of Gen Zers say they’re on their phone more than they’d like to be, but only 41% are actively trying to reduce their screen time.
When it comes to study-distractions, smartphones are No. 1 on the list. Just a few taps can send you down a digital rabbit hole that swallows your focus, productivity, and motivation.
Here are some tips to control your bad phone habits and improve your study:
Do a dopamine reset.
When we study, roadblocks like boredom or difficult material can drive us to grab our phones for a dopamine hit. The phone is an over-stimulant that conditions us to expect or crave more of that over-stimulation. You can “recalibrate” your dopamine levels by doing things like exercise or practicing mindfulness.
Place on Do Not Disturb.
You can’t concentrate on your work when your phone keeps buzzing every five minutes. Let only the most important notifications come through. Silence the rest.
Out of sight, out of mind.
Before you sit down, put your phone somewhere behind you so that you’re less likely to reach for it. Better yet—place it in a different room entirely.
Cap the screen time.
Set a time limit for your daily phone usage. Be realistic with your goal. What’s a reasonable time that would be effective at curbing your need for the screen?
Be intentional with your scrolling.
Make a list of legitimate things you can do on your phone while you study—editing your calendar, accessing study material, putting on background music. Stick to that list.
It all comes down to one thing: putting down the phone and picking up your pencil. Your GPA will thank you later.
Now, get to work!
...still procrastinating? Read this: How to stop procrastinating. Convenient, right?
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