How To Avoid Distraction During UPSC preparation

By seeing the length and width of the UPSC Exam Syllabus and subjects, it can be overwhelming to maintain the pace of study during the preparation. According to research conducted by Dr. Larry Rosen, professor emeritus at California State University", an average student is distracted for at least five out of every 15 minutes during studies.

The fears regarding clearing the UPSC Examination, failed attempts, anxiety to cover the whole UPSC syllabus, time management issues, individual learning hurdles, and especially the tough times of the Corona Pandemic make it more intense. Most of us also get distracted by notifications, text messages, and phone calls. With so much going on, it becomes very difficult to stay focused, but it's not unachievable.

Some of the tips to help enhance productivity and reduced distraction during UPSC IAS Exam preparation could be as follows-

• Make a to-do list: It is very important in life to prioritize things. In the case of preparation of UPSC, you need to make a to-do list based on your strength and weaknesses. It is not easy to cover the entire UPSC Syllabus as it is vast and dynamic. So, you can set up deadlines to finish the subjects and make a planner accordingly. You can make a manual list or maintain a digital one too.
• Break Down the entire preparation into smaller pieces: You can defeat procrastination by breaking a large project into small pieces. It will keep you motivated while accomplishing the smaller tasks.
• Silence the Alerts: Notifications and text messages are a constant distraction. You can put your phone on silent or in ‘Do not disturb mode to remain focused.
• Take a break: Try giving yourself a break of 10-minutes after every 45-50 minutes of work. Studies show that it can help you retain information and increase productivity.
• Find the Right Place: Some students study best with a little background noise, while others require complete silence. So try to find a place which is most suited to you, it could be either library or a campus coffee shop.
• Clear study desk: A messy workspace can keep you from getting your task completed. Clean up your desk and keep only the essentials. A clean workspace can help reduce anxiety and make the atmosphere ambient.
• A little Reward: A bit of reward can keep the motivation go a long way. A reward system is a good way to encourage yourself to do something. A reward could be a small outing or a nap.
• Refrain from excessive usage of the internet:  Internet can be a very distracting thing, if not used right. So, either turn your computer off or turn away from it.
• Don’t go off-topic: We all find ourselves going off-topic from time to time. Sometimes it’s because the information we’re supposed to learn is boring and sometimes it’s because the information we don’t need to know is exciting. Whatever it is, wait until after you’ve studied the topic at hand to really dig deeper and explore different topics. Always ask yourself: How likely is it that this information will show up in the exam? If you’re really focused, you can rank the information from the most likely to the least likely, giving the most likely material the majority of your time and the least likely the rest of it.
• Don’t get anxious: Looking at the pile of books and the amount of information to be gathered, you might sometimes feel anxious. When you panic you make mistakes, so keep calm throughout your preparation. If you successfully planned your study & revision, you will not need to panic when the D- Day comes. Take a deep breath, tell yourself “I can do this” and calm down.

Adherence to the above points one can easily avert distractions while preparing for IAS . By taking these listed steps you can improve your concentration and productivity with lesser efforts.