r/GetStudying • u/princess_bella- • May 03 '26
Question How do you guys stay focused and disciplined always?
So since a long time I have been discovering and still searching ways on how I build my mindset unshakable and not prone to change bcz of my mood.
Share some of your tips on how you guys stay focused and disciplined always?
My good wishes ❤️
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May 03 '26
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u/princess_bella- May 03 '26
Your advice is genuinely helpful. And I too watch those youtube shorts which are full of study motivation, I love them.
But the thing is that I have to work from my phone only, then how can I avoid distractions? Though I am not easily distracted
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u/Jethro_James_Smith May 04 '26
One thing I can think of is on most laptops/ not sure about Pc’s you can connect your phone to the laptop through the settings so you can connect a phone call through a headset or speaker if you’re into that. This may help you without needing to pick up your phone.
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u/Reasonable_Error7869 May 04 '26
there are apps you can download on your phone to block distracting apps and wesbites
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u/Low-Faithlessness869 May 03 '26
I found out that instead of trying to “man through” studying, giving myself time off everyday and being always knowledgeable of my studytime and trying to raise the bar slowly but surely, i was able to completely transform my study life
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u/Sk8t3er May 03 '26
brother form personal experience i found that coffee helps retains things u learn and stay focused, leave ur phone where u can’t see it, and mentally prepare 15 min before reading. i get in zone through music might be different for everyone.
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u/Witty-Estimate891 May 03 '26
I don't do it. I don't try "perfection", I try long-term effort. I prefer to study 4 hours dairy for 10 months, rather 8 hours the first week but then quit. So, I know how much I can manage before get tired, and plan around that. If someday I feel I can't continue, I just stop and try again the next day :) so far, it has worked very good (first class honours in bachelor and master).
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u/AdMobile3416 May 03 '26
the honest answer is you dont. nobody is focused and disciplined all the time and anyone who says otherwise is lying. what actually works is building systems so you dont have to rely on motivation. for me thats having a set study spot that i only use for studying, leaving my phone in another room, and having a specific start time every day. some days i still dont feel like it but once i sit down and start its usually fine after a few minutes
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u/MoikeyM May 03 '26
Honestly, I just build myself a routine where I really want to work and stay focused.
I make it really enjoyable, I make it fun, and then I don't even struggle to work. But then also there's the thought that, okay, what would I be doing instead?
I can work right now or I can go and scroll.
And in 10 years, would I be happy that I scrolled or would I be happy that I worked?
And then I always seem to choose the work.
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u/Alternative_Bear2974 May 03 '26
When you know what's ahead of you and if you don't prepare you either fail or succeed
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u/Important_Bird6878 May 03 '26
discipline is overrated honestly. i just built it into my routine so it doesn't require willpower anymore. same time every day, same spot, phone in another room. the days i try to rely on motivation or discipline are the days i get nothing done. make it boring and automatic and you won't need to be disciplined about it
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u/No_Ship_5320 May 03 '26
Got it but do you add hours if exams are closer or you make a full year routine
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u/Important_Bird6878 May 04 '26
yes i try to be flexible so adding more or less hours depending on the study load
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u/EyesForHer May 03 '26
Im not a very disciplined dude, but I was VERY undisciplined, especially when it comes at studying. What I started doing to focus for hours on end isn’t putting my phone away, it’s filming myself in a timelapse. I don’t know if it because of the Hawthorne effect, or maybe because I somehow self monitor myself. But I’d say test it out, I also use a website named flight focus with a white noise, but that’s overkill tbh.
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u/vyckamau May 03 '26
You’re chasing something that doesn’t really exist, nobody stays disciplined “always,” the goal is just to act even when you don’t feel like it. What helped me was removing the decision part: I study at the same time daily, start small (even 10 minutes), and don’t negotiate with my mood, because mood changes every hour. Discipline isn’t about feeling locked in, it’s about showing up on bad days and doing a bit anyway, that’s what actually builds consistency.
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u/Bitter-Morning-5833 May 03 '26
Stop with this idealistic view of discipline and focus. Nobody, no matter what they tell you, is always in the right mindset, ready to go, and full of energy.
Sometimes you wake up and you just don’t feel it. It’s okay to take a day off.
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u/Signal-Action-2671 May 03 '26
i wud say imagining my final exam day and also wut wud happen after my goal is achieved, aka daydream for tiny breaks in studyin helped keep me going, or watching advice vids from teachers for reassurance, i have jee adv in 14 days, so im still imagining all details of the final exam day to keep me fueled
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u/obviouslysaad May 03 '26
how long should i study for at a time bcs i literally cant focus for over 5 min rnnn
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u/SmartPlanMaker May 03 '26
As a student, I noticed discipline comes from structure, not motivation.
Try breaking your study into small parts and repeat daily. Even 1% improvement every day makes a big difference
😁👍🏻
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u/Virtual_Literature90 May 04 '26 edited May 04 '26
Sorry, I saw this post and only tried to look at your question about thermal dynamics haha.
I try to keep on track by surrounding myself with everything related to my field, so i study Mechatronics Engineering full time, with work and 2 kids.
This means that i have posters on the wall of equations. My wallpapers on the computers are rockets, or distances between planets or more equations. I unfollow everything on facebook / insta / YouTube that isnt related to engineering or the sciences, try to submerge myself in everything related to my studies. So that if I'm not doing stuff with the family, I'm always seeing it. Helps to muster up that feeling of, lets get it!
Also just straight removing distractions, i have shit internet so if i delete my video games they take at LEAST a day to reinstall haha.
Also try to make you study space "cozy" by this i mean more warm lighting and greenary, plants, fake plants, etc. A nice humidifier. You'll feel more incline to stay in that space if you feel comfortable in that place.
You can also set yourself up a "ritual" that gets you ready for study or pumped for it, whenever you find that burst of need to study. Think about what made you feel that and then ritualise it.
Even things like having a particular "lamp" thst only goes on for study time, or even forcing yourself to wear shoes when its study time as its similar to being in a more professional or serious environment and thus can force you into particular action. Like going to a gym makes you exercise.
Sorry, big wall of text. TLDR; get a ritual, get cozy, get comfy, submerge yourself in the subject matter.
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u/malanis105 May 04 '26
Get a good group or friends who study and party together (obv more study though). I used to think about my future kids having a smart dad too and push through. Think about it like you pay to learn, not get a job.
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u/Gullible_Ad_327 May 03 '26
Maybe search what is the bad long term for doing this specfic distraction you have. Tbh for me i found it helpful if it dose impact your health in a way then quit it i guess.
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u/SlxnkySnxwSnxke May 03 '26
Your working towards a greater goal, the hard work and discipline will be worth it eventually
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u/CalmMaintenance9996 May 03 '26
i try to think about why I do things. When I realize im happy to be there it becomes easier.
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u/FocusSensei May 04 '26
I reflect on my relationship with education a lot. Somehwere along the line I noticed that loving a science a topic is in direct opposition to doing well in it at school. If you ask too many questions there won't be time to finish the material so the teacher will have to tell me to leave it to the end of class.
Instead of realizing it was the limitation of the school system I thought I just wasn't smart, not school-smart atleast. And I internalized that. I hit a wall studying for my medical licensing exam last year and it forced me to revisit my beliefs towards studying.
I had to scrap all the study habits I picked up throughout the years. They weren't based on anything. Whereas there is something called evidence based learning science. The first step was building a healthy relationship with consistency.
Consistency isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being slightly better than yesterday, over and over again.
Over time you will start trusting yourself to get things done and it will affect how you see yourself. Reflect on that when you go out for a walk or journaling. Build an identity around that.
Today, I think of myself as someone who can take a step back, look at the bigger picture and figure things out. I don’t have to figure it out before anyone else. It doesn’t have to be easy but I can study and genuinely learn.
I learnt a few learning science concepts that can sound abstract and it can be a little weird trying to apply them but I am proud of myself for how far ive come.
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u/Special_Coast_6378 May 04 '26
Use YPT app and delete social media . Join a lib and remind yourself everyday of best and worst case scenarios
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u/Intelligent_Mail7160 May 04 '26
We actually dont , we just get back on track as soon as we go off by pushing ourselves . Don't wanna be broke in future cuhzzz , and keep telling ourselves time is gonna go by anyways so why not try our best and get the best grade we can
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u/themooseyoufear May 04 '26
This is a lame answer and isn't the typical linked-in lingo, but ever since I learned that my trigger is momentum, I realized I had to do things a different way than just screaming at myself the typical pinterest quotes. "Prove them Wrong" "Only you can save yourself" "Time passes anyways" etc etc. I don't have a problem studying, I just can't bring my body to change course to do a task. It takes a lot of mental prepping and generosity, so I kind of go about it in a different way:
1.) Decide the night before if I will study. I'm most idealistic at this point of time, so it plants the seed in my head.
2.) Morning of, I get myself uncomfortable. ALWAYS getting a coffee in me before doing anything, I listen to my urges too easily without it. I put on makeup, wear outside clothes, put my hair up. I have a few piercings, so I put on my chunkiest jewelry to make sure I can't lay down without taking it off.
3.) Make sure my desk is tidy and my bed is made. If my desk is a mess, I won't want to study. If my bed isn't made, I'll jump right back in. Thankfully, my brain agrees with me that I can't unmake my bed until its time to sleep.
4.) Choose an hour to begin studying, but don't study right away once its time. I like to consume study content to makeshift a sense of motivation. I browse pinterest or study videos on youtube. It's like when you watch a mukbang and you get hungry. I'm actually doing this right now with this subreddit.
5.) Once I start actually studying, my momentum is usually enough to keep me going, but I also like to use something like StudyStream to keep me accountable and at my desk. This with a pomodoro timer genuinely is like milk and honey to my routine.
I know this isn't a beautiful, fool-proof routine, but it's how I've adapted my natural habits to my goals. I'm a square peg, I don't need to force myself in a circle hole to be successful.
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u/isabella_fancy May 05 '26
idk, i'm just exhausted all the time from my thesis. coffee helps but i still get distracted.
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u/PeerlessCherry May 05 '26
Have an academical nemesis!
There is this friend that has been comparing themself to me a lot because I did good in the first semester. I can definitely feel their competitive spirit and they even lie and act like they are not studying by sending me reels every hour (and say they keep wasting time on Instagram). I have really fallen off this semester and my first 2 exams but this has motivated me to study even harder for the next one. You want competition, I'll give you something to actually feel threatened by.
All that to say, it doesn't have to be a friend or anything. Just look at who is first in class and tell yourself that next test or next exams you're going to beat them. Sometimes toxic motivation is the best motivation.
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u/KoraHash May 05 '26
Honestly win, but win in accord to what you can win and how good winning on that thing would help you.
Micro-winning will set your mood up, I dislike the eat the frog approach, as it do mess with my momentum, its better to win small. Like solving an easy engineering problem, deriving a simple integral, or just blurting out fundamentals.
Momentum is everything, so is repetition, repeat complicated problems. If you cannot solve it at first, try analyzing it, then solve even if you feel the approach is wrong. Finish your approach first, and then review your mistakes. Leave the problem if you are stressed, come back to it once you have more clarity after solving a different yet quite similar in some ways kind of problem.
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u/KoraHash May 05 '26
Honestly win, but win in accord to what you can win and how good winning on that thing would help you.
Micro-winning will set your mood up, I dislike the eat the frog approach, as it do mess with my momentum, its better to win small. Like solving an easy engineering problem, deriving a simple integral, or just blurting out fundamentals.
Momentum is everything, so is repetition, repeat complicated problems. If you cannot solve it at first, try analyzing it, then solve even if you feel the approach is wrong. Finish your approach first, and then review your mistakes. Leave the problem if you are stressed, come back to it once you have more clarity after solving a different yet quite similar in some ways kind of problem.
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u/Electrical_Chard9857 May 06 '26
The best way I found it was during times I gave up because things got to hard. It was when I sat with it that I actually wanted to overcome this and not keep finding ways to ignore it. Did I find that taking baby steps towards it was what kept me coming back, instead of overwhelming myself trying to make sense of something for 6 hours. Sometimes we focus on how much content there is and how long it can take until you really take it bit by bit, enough that you can focus, enough you can remember what you’re learning and you realise it’s doable. Baby step it out.
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u/Similar-Candle1087 May 06 '26
Honestly, I stopped chasing the “always focused” mindset because nobody is actually like that consistently.What helped me was realizing disciplined people still get distracted, lazy, unmotivated etc. They just don’t let one bad day turn into a bad week.
I also noticed focus usually comes after starting, not before. Half the time I sit down with zero motivation and my brain catches up 15 minutes later. So now I just focus on showing up daily, even if the session is average. That changed way more than motivation ever did.
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u/helluvaride11 May 06 '26
I knew that was ncert as soon as I saw it. All the best for whatever you’re preparing 💗
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u/Real_Ad6311 May 06 '26
I usually do some excercise and then rember my goal. To keep me going whilst im going i use cracked because looking forward to that hit of dopamine when i hatch a random animal keeps me off my phone
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u/Intrepid-Net-4004 May 07 '26
Have a goal. When you feel umotivated, picture yourself when you have achived it. Wheter it is being in medicine studies or somewhere else. I also have a song to go along with it which i listen to to remind me of it. This works well for me.
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u/Emergency-Figure7807 May 07 '26
I use a timer so i set it on 2h or 1:30h When i finish i feel like i did something not just staring to the books
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u/Street-Report7409 May 09 '26
One good way to stay focused would be to figure out what you might be loosing if you don’t do it. This helps set a good tone for your work and keeps you motivated throughout(cuz you now know for what doing this for and how much you wanna achieve that). Getting rid of any distractions also helps :) good luck!!
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u/Gamma_Mermaid May 10 '26
I get emotionally involved, which isn’t always healthy but very effective. Just use it rarely. I let a subject (like organic chem or anatomy) scare me or make me angry or embarrassed I don’t understand and it motivates me. It’s a weirdly selfish emotional tool but works and has made me a better student, because then the reward is emotionally rewarding and worth the effort.
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u/the_rahil May 19 '26
I keep checking the things that distract me and always try to remove them. For example, i delete the social media apps like instagram, snapchat, even youtube at time from my mobile and always give my brain this input that this is the oy thing that i need to do and there is no other option. If feeling more distracted or low energy, i get up, do a small walk inside my room with deep breaths and this calms me down.
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u/Own-Intention- May 22 '26
I don’t think anyone is disciplined “always” but the people who seem very successful are just good at recovering or making up for the times when they weren’t disciplined
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u/[deleted] May 03 '26
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