How to lock-in when your brain is checked out

Hey everyone!

I hope you are having a good week. If you’re a student like me, I am sure the semester slump has hit you. There is something about the spring semester that makes it feel like such a drag. On top of that, knowing that I’m finished university in just over a month has made my motivation plummet. To be fair, the same thing happened to me in grade twelve after I got accepted into university. The motivation drops, the end is so close, and yet I do still care. I might not be as “in it” as I was during my first year, but I still want to succeed. If you feel like your brain has checked out, hopefully this article can give you some ways to lock-in.

Don’t go home

For me personally, the moment I go home is the moment my brain decides we are done with work for the day. Obviously, I do work at home, but overall, I find it easier to get stuff done while I am on campus. For me, staying on campus tricks my brain because this is like my place of work, so when I’m here it makes sense to my brain to do school. When I have a lot to do I make sure I go to a space that suits my needs depending on what needs to get done. 99% of the time if I need to lock in, I need to go somewhere with soft background noise, a table and comfortable chair, and minimal distractions. As strange as it may sound, I work better if I am looking at a wall or a window if I’m on a floor high up. This minimizes distractions as I am not constantly noticing movement around me.

Boost your energy

When I am struggling to lock-in, I am typically feeling kind of slugglish and down honestly, which is why I do my best to boost my energy before and during my study session. Making sure I am not hungry and have water nearby helps ensure my energy is higher and I won’t get distracted five minutes in by needing these things.

I can’t always listen to music depending on the work I need to do, but if I am writing or doing light research I have my headphones in playing the most upbeat music possible. Some days it’s country, some days it’s pop, and some days it’s musicals. Listening to something that boosts your mood helps get your energy level up. As your energy increases, so too does the belief you have in yourself. When my music energizes me, I feel like I can do anything.

Create a clear to do list

When you are struggling to focus a long list of ambiguous items can be overwhelming and leave you struggling to start. I find breaking down items on your to do list into smaller manageable tasks helps make it easier to get things done and remain motivated. For example, instead of saying “research paper” break it down into parts such as “finish planning” and “write introduction”. Not only does this break it down into smaller pieces, it also helps you understand how much you actually have to do. Plus having more to check off can leave you feeling more satisfied since smaller, quicker tasks get checked off faster helping you feel accomplished.

Once you’re locked in, don’t pick up your phone

The worst thing you can do for yourself is think, “I’ve got a lot done, I’m on a roll. Let me go on my phone for a few minutes as a reward.” Picking up your phone is a surefire way to lose all the momentum you have worked to gain. Social media is designed to suck you in and capture your full attention, and a majority of the time a few minutes turns into a lot more. When you feel yourself gaining momentum, keep going.

This isn’t to say don’t take breaks. If you’ve been reading my blog for any period of time you know I am a huge fan of breaks, and I strongly recommend them. Breaks are key to keeping yourself energized without burning out, but breaks should come after a solid amount of work is done and they should consist of things that don’t immediately overstimulate your brain and dopamine receptors. I recommend going for a walk, doing a puzzle, colouring, stretching/ working out, or even reading.

Today I had a tough time locking in because I feel like I have a lot of time which leads to procrastination. Once I sat down in the library, put on the Heathers album (my current lock-in obsession), set a timer, and got to work I was able to accomplish more than I had all day. It takes time to figure out what works best for you, but I hope these tips are at least a helpful start.

Thank you for reading! Good luck with the rest of your week, and I’ll be back Sunday with a bookish post. Feel free to check out my Instagram for more!

Hailey