Let’s be real; we’ve all been guilty of wasting time before. Our brains switch from “kill mode” to crush the topics into a “chill bro” mode within 30 minutes. It could be gaming, watching Youtube, eating your favourite food, you name it. But, more importantly, as students, we know we need to avoid these time waster habits as they are hindering our study.
So, if you’re a student or even an employee, these are the top time-waster habits you’re most likely doing and need to avoid:
Spending too much time on the internet
Many good things come through the internet. Besides, what’s the harm? In a matter of seconds, you can access an almost limitless amount of data and study material thanks to this remarkable device.
Having said that, it may also be a double-edged sword because you’ll find your browser packed with unnecessary tabs if you’re not careful. For example, checking your Instagram account to visually attractive retail deals and lovely kitten videos.
Ultimately, only to realise that you have wasted hours during the day to consume these data that doesn’t contribute to your work.
Without training your mind to be like a monk who lives on top of the Himalayan mountains, your will can only fight off the internet’s power of temptation for so long.
Because the internet is so easy to use and efficient, it’s hard to argue against reading a physical, printed book. This is still one of the best ways to get the most accurate information. Also, printed books can help make things run faster. According to this study, both iPads and Kindles made reading slower by 6.2% and 10.7% compared to books on paper.
Choosing to do less important things
All of us do it. To get away from the primary task at hand, we all make excuses to do things that aren’t important, like taking our dog for a walk or sharpening our pencils. We all do this even though we haven’t even started with the report’s title yet.
We love it. People who study have to be very focused, have a lot of energy and be very determined to do well.
In the blink of an eye, you’ll be rushing to get crispy slices of snacks or asking your friends to hang out.
Multitasking is common in today’s era, you might think that being able to do more things at the same time might give you a leg up.
In fact, multitasking actually slows down your productivity level, is bad for your brain, and makes you study even longer than usual. But, of course, this is not what people think! On top of that, people who multitask get lower grades than people who can’t multitask.
The science is clear: don’t do two things at once. One thing at a time.
Loves procrastinating
Imagine this, to make sure you have enough time to complete your work before the deadline approaches, you’re getting out of bed early. Something you haven’t done since… well, since that time, you got up early to watch early episodes of Suits. Whatever the situation may be, you’re hell-bent on getting an A on this assignment.
However, as soon as you glance at the long list of things to study, reality hits. Things aren’t entirely as black and white as they used to be.
Breaking your job down into smaller portions is a great way to get into the “mood.”.
As a starting point, it’s a lot less overwhelming. By dividing your work into manageable chunks, you’ll be able to focus on each one without getting distracted by worries about time.
Secondly, breaking things down into smaller parts allows you to prioritise the tasks that need to be completed.
Each “chunk” should be completed before moving on to the following “chunk.” As time goes on, you’ll discover that even the most daunting projects can be broken down into manageable chunks.
An avid fan of daydreaming
Have you ever found yourself drifting off into the vastness of your own vivid imagination?
When done in moderation, daydreaming can benefit your mental health, including making you a more effective thinker. However, excessive daydreaming has a negative impact on work.
It’s OK to fantasise about living in a house in the mountains with 12 huskies, but don’t do it now because it won’t help you study.
If you can’t get out of your own head, take a brief stroll or engage in some cardiovascular workouts. Which have been shown to impact brain power and stress reduction significantly.
Gaming, binge-watching series, having some drinks with your buddies
They don’t all come from the internet; time waster habits for students also come from the things that make us happy. The games are fun. Chill out with your friends. Food cravings. There are a lot of drama shows on TV. There are so many things close by that it’s easy for your mind to wander off.
Putting your gaming device on or getting a text from a friend asking you out is all that it takes to make you stop what you’re doing and do something else.
Make sure you keep up with this, and you can say goodbye to a good grade on your exams.
Designing a timetable and a routine is helpful! Map everything you need to do, including when you should study and take breaks. When setting goals, you don’t have to make them too high. Instead, you can set goals based on what you can do, stay on track, and reach them. The most important thing is to have the patience to change your habits.
Try out the Pomodoro Technique, which helps you organise your schedule better and work in short spurts of time, which can help you be more productive.
As with any problem, there are effective ways to deal with it. As human beings, it’s easy to get distracted and tempted especially when it comes to studying.
All it takes is changing how you think and act. Taking charge of these time waster habits will get you where you want to go!
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