How to Stay Focused When Studying at Home

Attention slips, a few seconds at a time

Nobody decided to stop working. Attention slipped away in small pieces: a buzz, a glance, a quick reply. After each one, getting back into the work can take a little longer than it seems.

Start with a two-minute distraction audit

Before the next session, ask the student what pulled them away last time. Go through the list below together, and choose one thing to change first. Keep it curious, not a telling-off: the student knows best what distracts them.

Five questions to ask

1. 1Did the phone pull you away?

   Put it in another room for this block. If it is also the timer, use a kitchen timer instead.

   1. Did the phone pull you away?

   Answer: Put it in another room for this block. If it is also the timer, use a kitchen timer instead.

2. 2Did messages or alerts pop up on the laptop?

   Close every tab and app this task does not need, and switch notifications off.

   2. Did messages or alerts pop up on the laptop?

   Answer: Close every tab and app this task does not need, and switch notifications off.

3. 3Did people or noise interrupt?

   Agree a quieter spot for the block. If music helps you settle, try music without words.

   3. Did people or noise interrupt?

   Answer: Agree a quieter spot for the block. If music helps you settle, try music without words.

4. 4Did you get up to fetch things?

   Put water, pens and notes on the desk before the block starts.

   4. Did you get up to fetch things?

   Answer: Put water, pens and notes on the desk before the block starts.

5. 5Did your mind wander to other jobs?

   Write each stray thought on a sticky note and go back. The note waits for the break.

   5. Did your mind wander to other jobs?

   Answer: Write each stray thought on a sticky note and go back. The note waits for the break.

Choose a block that fits this student

There is no right length for everyone. One student can work for forty minutes; another manages ten at first, and that is fine. Age, the subject and the time of day all make a difference.

Notice when attention first starts to drift, then set the block a little shorter than that. Write one goal for the block at the top of the page, such as "learn the three types of rainfall". Once blocks go well, add a few minutes at a time.

Plan the break before it starts

Agree when the break comes and what it is. A walk to the kitchen, a stretch or a glass of water counts. Twenty minutes on the phone is a different evening.

Some students like a fixed time; others prefer to stop at the end of a question or a page. Either works, as long as the break has a clear end and the next block has a clear start.

Decide where the phone goes

Another room is the simplest choice. Face down on the desk hides the screen but not the buzz, so switch notifications off too.

If the phone is needed for the work, agree what it is for during this block and nothing else. A plan made together tends to hold better than a phone taken away in the middle of an argument.

When attention drifts anyway

Drifting is normal, so plan for it. When the student notices, they write the stray thought on the sticky note, read the last line again and carry on.

If it happens every few minutes, end the block early, take the break, and make the next block shorter.

For the student: one block tonight

Try one block like this: phone in another room, one goal written at the top of the page, and the break decided before you start. When your mind wanders, write the thought down and go back. Afterwards, compare what you got done with an ordinary evening.

If focus is hard everywhere

If focus problems last, and show up in class as well as at home, talk to the teacher first. A short note of what you see, such as how long focus usually lasts, makes that conversation easier. If the worry continues, the family doctor is the next person to ask.

Tonight, start with the audit: ask what pulled them away last time, and change one thing.