Still having trouble starting your school work?

Tip 1 – Starting – If you haven’t started with one block of 25 min. like I had suggested in the last post, don’t be alarmed. STARTING is ALWAYS the hardest. Once you get going it will be so much easier. Ask yourself what’s the maximum length of time you can tolerate…15 min, 5 min? It doesn’t matter, just start and promise yourself you only have to work for the length of time you set on your timer and then give yourself a little treat, like a bit of chocolate, when you pull it off. Then next time, extend it a few more minutes.

Tip 2 – Standing – Stand at least as often as you sit while you are working on school work. This helps keep your mind alert and gives you a sense of being in charge. If you have a very firm sofa pillow (or a little balance board) you can stand on at the same time, all the better, as balancing keeps the whole brain even more alert. (An ironing board makes a great adjustable desk!)

Tip 3 – Music – If you like to listen to music while you study, consider listening to the type of “60 Beats per Minute” music that appeals to you.

Tip 4 – Mind Maps – If you are memorizing facts or studying for exams consider making mind maps with pieces of paper on the floor. Then walk around the mind map saying out loud the details you are studying.

For example: Start in the centre and state the central topic. Then move to each corner… upper left hand corner, saying the information out loud, repeating it a few times before moving to another corner.

Clock face patterns can also helpful… moving around the clock at first starting at 1.  Then just randomly recall what information was listed or drawn ( or a combination of both) at any number, to test your memory.

If you add in colour on the branches of the mind map you be placing the content in a network of brain files for easier recall.  (From Linda Ness of 3D Brain in Kitchener, Ontario.)

Want to know some of the science behind this?

Tip 1 – It’s simply a law:  Newton’s First Law of Motion, “An object at rest remains at rest, or if in motion, remains in motion at a constant velocity unless acted on by a net external force.”

Tip 2 – Our brain and body needs to know at all times where it is located in space, so to achieve this proprioception neurons throughout our brain and spinocerebellar tract are constantly picking up and relaying information. The more stimulated they are, the more stimulated all of their neighbouring neurons are. So, if the proprioception neurons are busier when you are standing than when you are slumped on your bed, your brain will be more capable of being busy too. Additionally, when your body finds its balance point, the vestibular (balance) system is balanced. This better enables the brain to take in sensory input in a more organized way.

Tip 3 – Music at 60 beats per minute corresponds with the heart rate when it is relaxed, thus creating a mind that is alert, yet calm. However, it’s important that you’re listening to a type of music you like. This alters the connectivity between the auditory brain areas and the hippocampus, a region responsible for memory and social emotion consolidation.

Tip 4 – With this method, not only are you using the proprioception and the vestibular system you are using when standing on a hard pillow or balance board, but you are also adding additional sensory input by adding colour and muscle memory.

Coming up this week: How to with your Inner Groundhog. If you’d like these sent to your inbox, click the orange “Follow” blog button)