Placeholder Image

字幕列表 影片播放

  • This video is kindly sponsored by The Great Courses Plus

  • There don't seem to be enough hours in a day.

  • While time management and efficiency are core components in getting more done with less

  • time, learning how to sustain intense focus for prolonged periods is equally important.

  • If you ever have difficulty staying focused to study or do work, I've got the remedy

  • for you.

  • Dr. Jubbal, MedSchoolInsiders.com.

  • While modern technologies like smartphones and computers can be used for great good,

  • they've also taken a tremendous toll on our ability to focus.

  • And as Cal Newport describes, Time x Intensity = Quality of Work Produced.

  • We all are limited by the same 24 hours in a day.

  • To get a leg up, then, one must work on the intensity piece of the equation, and to do

  • that we must cure your inability to stay focused for prolonged periods.

  • How to battle this fragmentation of attention is a common concern I help students overcome

  • during our sessions together.

  • I have distilled what is most beneficial to students into 7 steps to reclaim your focus.

  • The first step is admitting you have a problem. It's ok, we all do.

  • But the next step is applying the Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 Rule, to the factors

  • that are most distracting in your life and detrimental to your ability to focus.

  • We want to find the 20% of elements in your life that are leading to 80% of the distractions.

  • If you're anything like me, chances are your smartphone is one of the biggest culprits.

  • The constant notifications, updates from social media, and checking emails for those small

  • dopamine snacks are all too alluring.

  • As important as self-discipline is, it's important to craft the systems in place that

  • reduce temptation and the energy required to resist it.

  • We'll get back to that shortly.

  • Other common sources of distraction include Netflix, or the TV in general, rambunctious

  • roommates, or video games.

  • After watching this video, take 5 minutes to sit with a journal and jot down anything

  • that you would consider a distraction from you getting work done.

  • You should be able to come up with a list of at least 20 items.

  • Rate each factor from 1 to 10 in terms of how powerful that distraction is.

  • We'll be applying the following steps to this list.

  • From your list of 20, take the top 5.

  • We'll be focusing our energy there in systematically reducing temptation and the risk of distraction.

  • Chances are your smartphone and social media is high on the list.

  • For this reason, I've disabled notifications on my phone except for phone calls and text

  • messages.

  • I don't have badges anywhere on my phone.

  • My wallpaper is straight black and boring.

  • I've done these and several other tweaks to reduce the temptation of using my phone.

  • If you want me to create a comprehensive video on how to set up your smartphone for use as a

  • tool, rather than as a distraction, let me know with a thumbs up on this video and a

  • comment down below.

  • When I need to get prolonged focused work done, like writing the script for this video,

  • I work on my laptop or iPad.

  • If I'm on my laptop, I'll go into fullscreen mode using Bear, my writing app of choice, and enable Do

  • Not Disturb mode to block notifications.

  • The iPad is similar, as I've disabled notifications and apps run full screen by default.

  • If you need additional help in maintaining focus and not getting off track, there are

  • apps that block other websites and forcibly limit your ability to waste time.

  • My personal favorite is Focus, but other apps like SelfControl or Freedom are other solid

  • options.

  • Links down in the description below.

  • But let's say you're struggling with Netflix or those rambunctious roommates.

  • In that case, environmental interventions may be more effective.

  • The optimal work or study environment will

  • differ from person to person.

  • Some people enjoy the background noise of a busy coffee shop, others prefer the library,

  • and some would rather stay at home with their dual 4K monitor standing desk setup, like

  • me.

  • It's been noted that extroverts tend to enjoy busy areas to study, whereas introverts

  • prefer silence and solitude.

  • That isn't a hard rule, and there are plenty of exceptions, so be sure to experiment for

  • yourself.

  • Regardless of what level of noise and activity you prefer, there are three shared fundamentals

  • that a good study environment should have.

  • First, Limited Distractions. Situate yourself in a position such that in

  • your immediate periphery, there are few, if any, distractions.

  • Don't sit right in front of a TV.

  • Don't sit in front of a door that has people walking in and out constantly.

  • Don't have your phone on the table in front of you or even in your pocket.

  • Put it in your bag or in another room.

  • I was shocked how effective this simple trick was in getting me to stop checking my phone.

  • Number two, it should be Conducive to Extended Periods of Work.

  • To get meaningful work done, you'll need

  • a certain amount of time.

  • Make sure you can sit there for long enough without running into issues of the shop closing

  • or being kicked out.

  • This also means having outlets to keep your laptop charged.

  • You should have a flat and clean desk to work on.

  • Trust me, despite the name laptop, you won't want to work from your lap for extended periods.

  • And lastly, make sure you are comfortable.

  • For some people that means supportive chairs, for others stools, and some even prefer standing,

  • like yours truly.

  • Number three, People Should Respect That You're Working. It's critical that you limit distractions,

  • including those from others.

  • If you find yourself being interrupted frequently by friends at a certain location, it's likely

  • not a good environment to study.

  • You can ask them politely to let you work, but this is a point of friction and a temptation

  • you have to resist, rather than allowing the environment and system facilitate the outcome

  • you want.

  • Which brings us to the next point, working

  • alone.

  • I've spoken about the importance of small groups in discussing the Feynman Technique.

  • When you do work in groups, groups should be kept small, no more than 1 or 2 other people.

  • But equally important, you should keep group study sessions to a minimum.

  • Use group study when you need to work through difficult concepts or problems together.

  • Beyond those instances, solo work is a better fit for the majority of students, as the temptation

  • for conversing with your friends is eliminated.

  • The Pomodoro Technique is my favorite productivity

  • hack for three reasons.

  • Almost every student I have recommended this to has seen drastic improvements in their

  • effectiveness while studying.

  • First, it Acutely Forces Focus. When using the Pomodoro Technique, you choose

  • 1 task for 25 minutes and focus on that task alone.

  • Having these parameters is insanely effective at maintaining focus in the overwhelming majority

  • of students that I tutor.

  • Number two, Pacing for Extended Work. In the traditional Pomodoro Technique, you

  • work for 25 minutes, take a 5 minute break, and repeat for 4 cycles, after which you take

  • a longer 20 minute break.

  • This is a great pace to marathon study for an entire day while reducing the risk of burning

  • out.

  • Number three, it Builds Your FocusMuscle”. We tend to get better at the things we practice.

  • After regularly using the Pomodoro Technique for a weeks, you should see improvement in

  • your ability to maintain sustained focus.

  • As your focusmusclegrows, experiment with extending the cycles.

  • From 25 minutes, increase to 35 or even 40.

  • I personally either alternated between the 25 min on, 5 min break, or 50 minutes on, and 10 min off.

  • Experiment to find intervals that work best for you.

  • After extended use of the Pomodoro Technique,

  • you may also notice that getting into the groove of studying is also becoming easier.

  • While your ability to focus has certainly developed, there's also an element of classical

  • conditioning, also known as Pavlovian conditioning.

  • By having a routine you repeat, such as setting a 25 minute timer, putting on your headphones,

  • grabbing your notebook, and sitting at your desk, you're training your subconscious

  • to more quickly get intowork mode”.

  • Take this a step further and create a study playlist for yourself.

  • As we've gone over in a previous video, not all music is created equal when studying

  • or getting work done.

  • By repeatedly listening to the same songs exclusively for studying, I find myself snapping

  • into work mode as soon as I hear HR 8938 by deadmau5.

  • You can find my own personal study playlist in the description, and be sure to sign up

  • for my newsletter if you want occasional study music recommendations.

  • When we're crunched for time, our healthy

  • habits are the first that we compromise on.

  • No more exercise, our diet goes to garbage, and we stop meditating.

  • The truth is, no matter how hard you want to work and study for that upcoming final

  • that you procrastinated for, your ability to study is not limitless.

  • You can't study for 24 hours straight.

  • Breaks are necessary, and how you use those breaks is just as important as taking them

  • in the first place.

  • So rather than turning to social media or TV, focus on delayed-benefit activities.

  • These delayed benefit activities include those healthy habits that you are willing to give up when you're stressed.

  • But understand that these healthy habits have incredibly powerful compounding effect benefits.

  • While you may think you're too busy to exercise today, there's actually several reasons

  • you should.

  • First, you cannot study nonstop all day, and you need to take a break.

  • Second, Parkinson's law states that time expands to fill the time allotted to it, meaning

  • if you provide yourself healthy time constraints, you'll actually get more work done.

  • And third, regular exercise will improve your sleep, your ability to concentrate, and your

  • mood.

  • And better sleep means your memory consolidation is more effective, meaning what you studied

  • is more likely to stick.

  • And better concentration means more effective use of your study sessions.

  • And a better mood is hard to argue with.

  • Now you're the sum of your habits, and prioritizing these healthy habits, that we all know we

  • should do, but are too willing to give up, can lead to drastic beneficial effects over

  • months and years.

  • One of the key compounding habits I practice is spending my spare time wisely.

  • That means rather than jumping to social media, I use my down time to learn something interesting

  • and useful, like something from The Great Courses Plus.

  • The Great Courses Plus is a subscription on-demand video learning service with top-quality lectures

  • and courses from excellent professors at top universities and experts from places like

  • National Geographic, The Smithsonian, and the Culinary Institute of America.

  • You get unlimited access to a huge library of over 11,000 video lectures from science,

  • to math, to history, to how to cook, or even how to study more effectively.

  • I've personally been using the Masters of Mindfulness course.

  • As I've mentioned before, mindfulness and meditation practice have multiple benefits

  • that students should take advantage of, and this course provides another avenue to further

  • develop and strengthen this practice.

  • The Great Courses Plus is offering a free trial to viewers of Med School Insiders.

  • Simply visit TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/MedSchoolInsiders to sign up.

  • Click on the link in the description below to start your free trial today.

  • Alright, thank you all so much for watching. If you guys enjoyed this video

  • you're definitely going to enjoy my other studying and productivity and efficiency related videos.

  • I've created a playlist of all these videos, so click on that middle button on the screen or visit the link in the description below.

  • Much love to you all, and I will see you guys in that next one.

This video is kindly sponsored by The Great Courses Plus

字幕與單字

單字即點即查 點擊單字可以查詢單字解釋

B1 中級

如何在學習中保持專注|醫學院的祕密 (How to Stay Focused While Studying | Medical School Secrets)

  • 8 0
    Summer 發佈於 2021 年 01 月 14 日
影片單字