For any UPSC aspirant, it is vital to stay focused on their studies without getting distracted. But this is easier said than done.
Recently, these three civil servants took to Quora and Twitter and shared tips to overcome distractions based on their experiences.
Identify your distractions: A 2017 batch IAS officer, Naveen Kumar Chandra, suggests aspirants to first identify things that distract them the most, such as social media, television, or phone calls.
Eliminate distractions: Naveen suggests aspirants to switch off their phones or put them on silent mode, and log out of their social media accounts while studying.
“One more way is to delete all apps from the phone and only access them through laptop or computer once a day,” he adds.
Create a study schedule: Naveen advises aspirants to create a study schedule that includes specific time slots for studying, revision, breaks as well as for distractions.
“This will help you stay on track and avoid distractions when it is not their time. It would also encourage you to focus on each time slot, you can also make it a reward to be had only if you meet your targets,” he says.
Have a to-do list: Divey Sethi, a 2013 batch IRS officer asks to make a proper list of things aspirants want to do in a day.
For example, dedicating three hours to newspaper reading, two hours to Economy, two hours to History, and so on. “This will help you become more task-oriented, hence, more productive,” he says.
Tips to increase focus: IAS Divya Mittal suggests short, focussed sessions of study to maintain focus. After a 90-minute or two-hour-long study session, she advises taking a 15-minute break.
She also notes, “You cannot maintain focus for longer than that at one go. Measure the session. Till the alarm goes off, don’t do anything else but study.”