Opinion: Have you ever heard of someone being productive? Yeah, I’d like a taste of their life, too. Here’s how I tried.
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Finals week demands hyperactive amounts of productivity. And yet, I find myself far away from any amount of motivation. Sure, it accompanies me occasionally. I suddenly have the inspiration to complete tasks as I am walking out the door, for example. But what good is motivation when it is fleeting and intangible? I am jealous of those who have spat on procrastination and ignored the wandering paths of thinking.

But then I had an idea.

I suddenly remembered that people have hacks for focus and productivity. I remember as a child, I was encouraged to chew gum while studying because they said it would help my memory. Different social media outlets, such as TikTok and Instagram have now adapted this advice column. I see videos describing study hacks for people to try, many of them including food. If the missing piece of my studying habits is chewing on a cinnamon stick, sign me up. 

I’m not the biggest fan of cinnamon sticks. But let’s just say that I am Superman. My kryptonite is procrastination. Superman would be a fool not to utilize a kryptonite neutralizer. So play the Superman theme and grab your cinnamon sticks because I am about to test out the best ways to improve studying habits, no matter how strange they might be.
 

1. Listen to video game music.

Apparently, listening to video gma music boosts productivity because it is meant to keep you focused, similar to your experience playing levels in video games. The first video game track I tried to work during was from my all-time favorite game, “Dig Dug.”
This was a huge mistake on my part. Instead of feeling productive, I ended up feeling stressed. Maybe it’s due to the nature of the game. Running away from monsters and dodging falling boulders isn’t necessarily relaxing work. Suddenly, I felt like I would succumb to the monsters if I stopped typing. So I decided to switch courses. I consulted the search engine to find something more academically friendly, which led me to the “Abzu” soundtrack.

I was still wounded from my 36 seconds of Dig Dug, but I think my productivity went up a bit. My advice for this option? Don’t choose a soundtrack from a game that already stresses you out. I didn’t think I would cry while testing techniques, but this soundtrack made me second-guess that.
Rating: 4.5/10. This would be higher if I didn’t start with stressful music.

2. Play with a puppy, or look at cute animal pictures.

I do not have a puppy. And I am more of a cat person myself. But, with one of the options being “watch cute cat videos,” I figured I could give this technique a shot.

Here’s my issue. I am the owner of three angelic cats. Instead of wings and halos, they have long tails and big eyes. And while I am away from them at school, I am easily affected by animal media.

Therefore, when I looked at cute pictures of animals, I was not any more productive. I was simply more emotional. Once again, my inclination toward shedding tears during these experiments was shocking.

Rating: 3/10. My cats provided a little bit of inspiration for me, but for the most part, I was too easily affected by the cute animals.

3. Do something creative.

Playing an instrument is said to have many academic benefits. So, as part of my study break, I decided to play my guitar for about 20 minutes. After that, I returned to my work and felt a bit more refreshed than most other breaks left me.

My only issue with this was that playing my guitar was much more enjoyable. Using this as a break was like if someone offered me the option of solving an algebraic expression or eating fried pickles. Obviously, I would choose the pickles. They are a delicacy compared to mathematics.

Rating: 7/10. I was happy to feel refreshed but disappointed to return to the things I didn’t want to do.

4. Phrase tasks as questions.

This one might have been the worst for me. In this exercise, you’re supposed to ask yourself if you can complete something instead of listing it as a normal task. For example, “Can I write this article?” Instead of, “Write your article.”

My largest issue is that when I asked myself these questions, it was incredibly difficult to answer in a non-mocking manner. So much of me wanted to respond with, “Nope. Nice try though!” Maybe this works for some people, but my comedic attempts at self-deprecation kicked in, and I left feeling slightly disheartened.

Rating: 0/10. I also felt condescending.

5. Spin in a circle.

Of course, the most effective method was suggested by my mother. When I consulted her about studying techniques, she mentioned that I used to not be able to spell unless I was spinning in a circle.

I thought it was worth a try to revisit my past focusing technique.

I spun in a circle for about a minute, and then suddenly, I had a newfound inspiration to get my work done. This may seem like an ineffective article if my main point is: spin in a circle. But I think the more important lesson is to return to the techniques that work for you, even if they are strange.

Rating: 9.5/10. I get a little dizzier than I used to, but I’ll work back to my prime.

What’s interesting is that I was quite motivated to write about my lack of motivation. So as we approach the end of Fall Term, I will be keeping myself busy focusing on my own procrastination habits and spinning furiously in circles. And I hope that even if none of these techniques help you, you’ll still be able to find your own circles to spin in.