Pursuing an advanced degree is tasking and demanding. One of the things that make it even more tasking is the fact that you will be faced with more distractions than your elementary degree. A lot of people pursuing online Ph.D. degrees have to juggle their education with their work life and their family or relationship lives.
We now live in an age of distraction. There are more distractions today than ever before. In this article, we’ll focus on how you can deal with these distractions and pursue your advanced education successfully.
1. Set deadlines:
You should have deadlines for all your tasks. If you don’t set deadlines for your tasks, you will find yourself procrastinating and spending more time than you should on these tasks. Do not say something like ‘Write xxx paper.’ Use ‘Write xxx paper by Friday.’ This way, you get to finish your work on time and have enough time for revisions, emergencies and other things that may come up.
2. Avoid checking your email every time:
Emails are very distracting. They pop up several times an hour, demanding our attention. You might turn your attention from your thesis to check an email, only to realize that a lot of time has gone. Check your emails a certain amount of time per day and reply emails within these periods.
3. Avoid checking smartphone notifications:
Smartphones are one of the biggest distractions today. All kinds of notifications pop up, and we spend time on them. Keep your smartphone away from you at certain periods and set them to only ring up for important calls and messages.
4. Stay away from social media:
Social media is another big time suck. We spend thousands of hours on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and other platforms. We watch funny videos, smile at cute pictures and keep ourselves happy with them. But these platforms take away a lot of time from us. You should limit your use of them. If you find that you can’t stay away from them, you should uninstall the apps from your smartphone. You can also try some online tools that block you from using these social media platforms.
5. Let your loved ones know how tight your schedule is:
You will be pressed with various requests for parties, concerts, visits, dates, and other events. You need to let people realize that you can’t attend all these events. Make your schedule known to them and let them see that you can’t go to all the events that they want you to go to with them.
6. Practice meditation:
Meditation can help you clarify your thoughts and help you focus on what matters most. If you find yourself getting too distracted and not accomplishing much, you can try meditation. Find some good meditation tips online and start meditating.
7. Keep your workspace as simple as possible:
An uncluttered study space can help you to study faster and grab concepts faster. Remove distracting items and stay far away from people and things that may distract you. Don’t stay within reach of your television set.
