How to drag your mind from special interests to assignments?

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Joined: 10 Mar 2012
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11 Mar 2012, 10:33 am

I've all my assignments due in a fortnight. I have a problem dragging my mind away from a special interest topic and settling down to work. I keep thinking about it, when I'm seated at the computer and should be writing essays and designing teaching activities. If I can get my mind to leave that subject and start work, then I find it easy enough.

Does anyone have any handy tricks that allow them to get down to work? I'm finding it a really big problem at the moment, but it has been a problem for me for years. It seems that any time I study anything, even things I'm really interested in, I just can't keep a proper study pattern, and have problems writing anything. One thing that sometimes works is that if I stay up for long enough, my mind seems to turn off, and I can finally do the work that needs doing. This isn't a great solution, as I don't think I do good work when I'm that tired, and I've a 3 yr old who'll wake me early the next morning, so I feel like a zombie all day.

I'd be grateful for all tips!

The-Raven
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11 Mar 2012, 10:38 am

I reward my self with looking at my special interest stuff after every chapter of note taking or after every 2 paragraphs of essay writing, I try not to let myself spend more than half an hour on my special interest then go back to the studying. I try to have a couple of days off just doing special interests after an essay has been handed in as a reward and give myself certain days off and evenings off regularly.

PaintingDiva
Deinonychus

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11 Mar 2012, 10:56 am

Use a timer. An old fashioned, turn the dial back timer? Or use your smart phone to set up an alarm. Use visuals, a chart, to plan your time.

Work in 30 minute increments. Self talk. Tell yourself, I am going to give this non favorite subject thirty minutes of concentration. Reward yourself when you do.

A link from MIT edu on studying, organizing your time etc.

This doesn't really answer your question, as to how to wrench my mind off my favorite interest and do the stuff I am not so interested in but it might get you started.

Good luck, being aware of the issue is a good start.

http://web.mit.edu/

PaintingDiva
Deinonychus

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11 Mar 2012, 11:18 am

Old idea but do your least favorite subjects first. and an interesting article from somewhere on the internet on improving memory, note the writer talks about positive self talk while working on the subjects you don't like, or don't interest you:

Quote:

Improving memory techniques are most needed for exams. This is especially the case, if you hate a subject or a topic but you still have to revise for it. School children or even adults struggle to tackle this problem. Here are some improving memory techniques which can help you improve your memory for subjects you don't like.

1. Self Affirmation

This is a very important thing to do before beginning to study a subject. You need to tell yourself that the subject is interesting and that you'll enjoy it. You need to believe in yourself that you'll be able to grasp this subject by its throat and pass with flying colors.

This may sound silly for those who have not done self affirmation before. But it works.

When you repeat statements to yourself and try to honestly believe in these statements, you'll find that your sub-conscious mind will actually believe it. It won't take long before you actually believe what you're saying to yourself.

By continuously repeating positive statements to yourself and believing in them, you'll find that you are more motivated and excited when you start to study the material. You'll have a whole new perspective on the subject and your memory will improve ten-folds using this technique.

2. Understanding The Subject

When you are reading the subject, start from the beginning and read right through it till the end. The point is not to memorize the facts in this reading. The point is to understand what the whole picture is of that particular chapter. You need to understand the material and how it works.

Once your brain understands the logic of the subject and it knows in general the topics covered, then you can start revising seriously by trying to memorize the facts. This memory improving technique is very powerful.

Since your brain understands how things work, remembering the details is so much easier. Whereas if you don't understand the subject and just try to remember the facts, the revision process will be painful and ineffective.

3. Use Short Breaks

This memory improving technique works hand in hand with the 2 techniques described above. When humans try to memorize facts, they often remember the beginning and the end most clearly. The bit in the middle is the part that is most easily forgotten.

The reason is that when we start revising, we have an interest in the subject so the beginning of the material can be easily recalled. The material which you have revised at the end is also more memorable, because you're happier since you're nearly finished revising and plus the material is most recent as it's the last thing you've read.

Now if you take short breaks such as a 10 minute rest between every 30 minutes of revision, you'll find that you can remember a lot more facts. You're fully utilizing the ability to remember the beginning and end of the material to a much greater advantage.

These 3 techniques are a start to help you improve your memory. You need to read more on improving your memory and with continuous practice of the techniques, you'll be saving a tremendous amount of time remembering important things.

Nascaireacht
Snowy Owl

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11 Mar 2012, 1:27 pm

Thanks very much everyone. I'll try some of them and see if they help! Has anyone tried Omega oils, or anything else?

The-Raven
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11 Mar 2012, 1:33 pm

Nascaireacht wrote:

Thanks very much everyone. I'll try some of them and see if they help! Has anyone tried Omega oils, or anything else?

I find a cup of coffee and bar of chocolate help the essay get written on time.

Kyra71
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11 Mar 2012, 1:35 pm

Nascaireacht wrote:

Thanks very much everyone. I'll try some of them and see if they help! Has anyone tried Omega oils, or anything else?

When I first started taking flax oil for omega-3 the difference was instant and obvious. I suddenly was sleeping better, focusing better, not obsessed with my one favorite thing...

Over time it's not so obvious anymore. I think I got used to the omega-3 and I'm back to how I always used to feel. But maybe slightly more balanced.

I do notice that omega-3 "dulls" me, so if I want to be hyper-focused and creative and have fun with my favorite obsession, it's best if I don't take it. I really have noticed that if I'm in the mood to be creative and productive, and I take omega-3, I suddenly feel lazy and don't want to do it any more! :/

Merculangelo
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11 Mar 2012, 5:37 pm

The only solution I've found is to come up with a reason why something I have to do is related to my special interest. Sometimes the reason can be extremely weird, but it is something.

for example, "i need to stop and take out the trash because if I don't it will start to smell and if it starts to smell it will eventually start to smell so bad It makes it hard for me to concentrate on my special interest, so I should take the trash out so that I make sure I can always concentrate on my special interest."

and right now "I need to study for this exam because i need to do well on this exam because i need to get an A in this class because I need to keep a high GPA because i need to get scholarships and get into good programs so that I can afford to live so that I can continue studying my special interest and be around things that support my special interest."

sometimes this does't work, though mostly after very long periods of time (such as months) without getting to directly work on my special interest. but i see it all as a very long term plan to secure for myself a solid platform for my special interest.

Mayel
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12 Mar 2012, 2:42 am

Nascaireacht wrote:

I have the very same problem up to staying up all night until my mind is to tired to concentrate on my interest.
I try to "fill" myself with my special interest before the assignment. E.g. I have one month to write an assignment,..I'll use 2 weeks and concentrate on my special interest as much as I can. As some others have said connecting purposes is also a good idea....so I will say to myself "you have to get an A here because that's how you can spend more time on your interest in the long run"....or something of that sort.

OddDuckNash99
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12 Mar 2012, 7:09 am

I either daydream about my special interests in the back of my mind when I'm doing actual work in the "main" part of my brain, take special interest breaks to reward myself (as others have noted), or try my best to find SOME aspect of the material that links to my special interests. I luck out that there are lots of ways to link non-science subjects to abnormal psychology.

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Ettina
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25 Mar 2012, 8:12 pm

Try to take classes on your special interests, so that your assignment & special interest are one and the same. (This is what got me 80-something on a recent psych paper.)

falonsayswoah
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27 Mar 2012, 3:57 pm

The-Raven wrote:

I use the reward method as well. I sit down with the required work and tell myself that when I finish, or if I do at least part of it, I'll be able to get back to my special interest(s). I think about how great it will feel to have the work done and be able to do what I want to do and not have the work anymore. It usually helps me get things done. (:

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ooo
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18 May 2012, 7:27 am

Good ideas.

Interesting thread...

smudge
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18 May 2012, 10:33 am

In order to concentrate, I'll play music for about half an hour to get rid of most initial stress about doing the work.

Or, I'll concentrate on an interest for half an hour, then open the study book/work to the point I'm at, meanwhile thinking that I don't have to read/write. Then keep doing it until you think, "Ah, I might as well do it".

A great way of avoiding procrastination though, is to say to yourself to purposely make it as rubbish as possible, and get rid of that perfectionistic touch. You can be a perfectionist and edit it after you've written it down. Just write any old rubbish, then you can build on it.

Mootoo
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01 Jun 2012, 7:27 am

You know one thing... if you can concentrate on your interests exclusively, without your mind worrying about this or that... anything at all, then don't try to artificially distract yourself. That's always what I did and now I'm constantly distracted even when trying to deal with the subjects I'm supposedly most interested in.

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