Distractions...........

 

I have a fairly active social media presence spanning across multiple platforms, yet it is not a distraction that ruins my academic life. Here’s how I do it.

1.      Block all notifications: The thing that induces you to open an app and use it is the notification. You get a notification saying X commented on your photo, you go and like, then thank them but thereafter instead of closing the app and getting back to your studies you’d start scrolling and boom half an hour down the drain. Now if you didn’t get the notification, you would not have gone to reply and accidentally waste half an hour. Prevention is better than cure. Eliminate the distraction. Block all your notifications.

2.      Set a time to turn on your phone: The best time to study is the morning. When you wake up your mind is fresh, you’re awake and alert. Prime for a productive study session. So first thing in the morning open your books and study till 10 a.m. or even 11 or 12. Then after that time passes turn on your phone and let the world know you are not dead.

3.      Have a specific time to liberally use your social media: I don’t believe in abstinence. Indulging in vices [moderately] is perfectly normal and escapism in the form of social media is good for you. Fulfil your needs albeit with restraint. So, setup a time period, a few hours wherein you just keep scrolling, posting, liking, commenting... etc. Personally, on most days, I find the time between 2pm and 7pm extremely unproductive, so I scroll or sleep in that time. On some days, I do it in the death of the night. Tiktoks till 2 am.

4.      And last but not least, self-reflect. In the grand scheme of things you are but a mere speck of dust. It makes no real difference whether you post on Facebook or not. Understand this. Truly grasp that this is purely an entertainment activity. When that realization crystallizes in your mind, the entire process of relegating social media to its due secondary position in your life, becomes much easier and successful.

                                                                                                                    -Shenal Wijesinghe -