How to study for long hours - 6 Best tips and tricks

There are times when you decide to finish a chapter in one sitting. However, your thoughts are all over the place. You think about everything but studies. This does not happen to everyone often, but some people find that they entirely cannot focus while studying. This makes them unable to study properly.

Concentration is the key here. It is important to be able to pay attention to what is in front of us. There are no bright and weak students, but those who are focused and those who are not. The focus is the key to scoring well. Before we discuss how you can to increase your focus while studying, parents and guardians should know what really causes this lack of attention. Despite trying, some students find it impossible to concentrate.

There are various reasons why it has been difficult for you in concentrating while studying. Here are a few of them:

• Improper Sleep

Sound sleep is one of the most critical factors that determine concentration. At least 7 hours of sound sleep is required every day. Anyone who cannot sleep well will experience a lack of concentration. Lack of sleep results in bad memory and low power of concentration. A sleepy mind is slow and lethargic. It cannot focus on its environment. The absorbing power of the mind is reduced. Thus, if your kid study late at night, chances are they might not remember the material in the morning. Improper sleep also results in irritation. Children might be irritated and not concentrate in class or at home. You must ensure that your child gets at least 7 hours of good sleep daily.

• Poor eating habits

Food is very important for a healthy brain. It improves concentration power. School going children need proper nutrition. Unfortunately, children now do not take a well-balanced diet. The school canteens do not sell healthy food. Rather, they sell junk food which may taste good. However, this is unhealthy for the child. This junk food acts as comfort food for them. A lot of children have a lot of sugars during studying. It causes both obesity and slows down the brain. It is important for parents to make sure that they pack a nutritious lunch for their kids.

Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day. Eggs and milk should be included in breakfast. Healthy fats and carbohydrates should be included as well. Vitamins are important to improve the circulation in the body. Roughage keeps the digestive system healthy and the body system clean. A well-balanced diet would help the kids focus better.

• Home Environment

Homelife plays a major role in a child's development. Arguments and fights between the parents or other family members can have adverse effects. Stress at home results in reduced concentration. It is important to ensure that the kids do not live in a negative home environment. It is always better to solve any arguments away from the kid. There have been various studies showing that stress at home impacts children. Ensure that there are no loud noises around the area where the child studies. Colors that are too bright can also cause a distraction for the child.

• Inappropriate teaching methods

Many students face problems because of the way they are taught a certain subject. Everyone has a different method of learning. Every child learns at a different pace. In a class of many, this is a problem. Teachers cannot cater to a child's individual needs. They do not understand why some students are not performing well. Students can also be embarrassed to ask questions. This lack of communication is the root of the problem. As a result of not understanding the concept, kids cannot concentrate on specific subjects. The lack of understanding in class could also be a reason why students cannot concentrate.

There are many ways in which can be used to increase concentration. Most importantly, parents should make sure they give significant time to their children. It is important to listen to what they say. Focus building exercise in kids is another good method to help them concentrate. Do not expect children to sit and meditate. They will get bored and not join in these activities. It is important that exercise caters to their age. These exercises should be fun and interesting for the kids. This way, the child will be enthusiastic about the exercise and perform well.

How to improve focus and concentration

Here are a few ways which would help your kid to focus more on studies:

• Focus Game

Kids learn more when they play or do fun activities. Giving them colorful toys, puzzles, blocks would help in building the concentration. A common trend among working parents is that they do not give much time to their children. They prefer to engage their children in activities like watching a cartoon or playing video games.

Various studies conclude that spending a long time on gadgets reduces concentration and memory. Dependence on these devices in the formative years can have an adverse effect on the child's health. There are various other games to indulge a child in. You select the crossword puzzle, card games, jigsaw puzzle and so on. There is another category of sequencing games where the kids can choose from different games such as putting things and setting tables, setting alphabetic and numerical sequences, etc.

• Environment

As discussed before, the home environment can make a lot of difference. The ambiance of the house helps a great deal for kids who lack concentration. There is a science behind this. If the mind is not cluttered with unnecessary stimuli, it can better concentrate on important tasks. For example, if the walls of the classroom are of a loud color, the children will get distracted.

Having a good environment at home and other places is important. Fewer noises and soothing colors can help develop concentration. Some kids are capable of focusing irrespective of the ambiance and color scheme of the room. Others require an environment with fewer stimuli. Ensure that there are no loud noises while a child is studying. When the kid is studying in his room, make sure that there is no gadget around. A kid who is fond of watching videos on smartphones would be easily distracted.

It is important that students are not distracted continuously. Everything that a kid needs while should be within their reach. If your kid will have to stand up every time to get everything, he would lose his focus easily.

• Breaks

Breaks are as important as sitting down and focussing. We usually make the mistake of allotting the time for each activity by the kids. For instance, the time of playing football would be fixed from 5 pm to 6 pm and after that homework and studies. We do not allot time for breaks between studies. Parents need to understand the fact that kids need planned breaks between the studies.

For instance, if your kids have finished homework of the day, then it would be better to give him stretching or water break in between for 10 to 15 minutes. This would refresh his mind and help him concentrate better. Further, sitting for a long time is as injurious to health. It has the same effect as smoking. Sitting for long periods slows down metabolism. This causes weight gain. The slow metabolism also slows down the thinking power. This usually results in lethargy. You would definitely not want your kid to gain weight and become a house of different diseases related to weight.

• Talk to your kid

It is important to know what your child is thinking. Usually, we just ask the kids to sit and study rather than asking what they got for homework or how was their day. As the kid realizes that parents are not taking enough interest in his study, he also eventually loses the focus. If you talk to your child about their day, you will be able to help them focus better.

When your child starts homework, it is better to sit by his side and have a look at the tasks assigned. You might be able to help your child understand the subjects in a different way. Children might have certain inhibitions in asking their doubts to their teachers in the class. However, he can ask you freely and discuss the problems that he is facing during his studies. They would feel more comfortable with you.

You might have a few tricks up your sleeves to solve a problem or unique way to learn something that you can share with the kid. Communication with the parents instills immense confidence in the kids which would reflect on his performance.

• Nutrition Level

Your kid does a lot of hard work in school, playground, etc. Most of the kids throw tantrums when it comes to eating healthy and nutritional food. Give them a packet of wafers, and it would disappear in just a few minutes. On the other hand, they would take hours to finish that one bowl of healthy soup. However, a healthy diet is very important for a healthy brain. A healthy brain is what helps in a good attention span.

Include as much nutritional value as you want to add in the food in an interesting way. Kids do not like boring food. They always try to find ways out of eating them. Make sure that they are taking their daily portion of a healthy meal which would truly help them in focus. If your kid just runs away seeing a full plate, break the meal into small portions and give him during his studies in short intervals. Not only your child would feel energized without hunger pangs, but he would also be more focused on studies.

• Exercise

Exercise is as important as a healthy diet. Exercise improves blood circulation and focus. Kids love to play and to add up little fun workouts. Stretching would help them relax their muscles and concentrate better. There have been studies concluding that stretching helps in blood circulation and therefore helps in focusing. Few exercised would help in unclogging the mind and stay fresh.

The fresh air would be good for their brain circulation. This improves brain functioning. Specific exercises can also help build concentration. You can do them with the child to set an example. Yoga is also one of the ways the kids can stretch themselves. The exercises in yoga can also help in concentration building.

We have discussed some pretty effective points which would help your kid is achieving that focus he has always wanted during the studies. However, let us not miss on the most important point – Kids look up to their elders to learn and practice what they see.

Psychology studies prove that kids emulate their elders. This is important especially when we want our kids to focus better. By setting a good example, we will show them that one can avoid distractions. Ensure that you periodically check in with the child as to how they are doing. Show them that it is possible to work without breaking concentration. Soon, you will begin noticing the difference in your kid's concentration powers.

If you spend a whole lot of time in preaching your kid on what to do and how to do it but fail to demonstrate it, probably your child is just throwing deaf ears to whatever you are saying. The simple trick to make your kid do something is to practice it yourself. While the child is sitting in his room and studying, make sure that you are doing something that is productive as well.

The constant sound of the television or you talking to someone on the phone would distract the child. This does let him focus on the studies. With the studies and courseware becoming more complicated, it is the responsibility of teachers and parents and every one of us around the kid to make sure that he is able to deliver his best.