Concord Academy is a very rigorous environment, and CA students often feel overwhelmed. Many students want to participate in sports, clubs, music, or theater, while also doing well in academics. However, this often gets in the way of relaxing and spending time with family and friends. The “easiest” way to have time to do all of this would be to get schoolwork done more efficiently. But how can this be done?
One way to increase productivity is meditation. In a study written by Basso et al. in the journal Behavioural Brain Research, beginner meditators listened to a thirteen-minute meditation session at least five times per week for eight weeks. Various tests measuring mood, cognitive capability, and other brain-related functions were conducted on the subjects three times: before the meditation program, four weeks into the program, and at the end of the program. According to the study, “Eight weeks of brief daily meditation… improved performance on a range of cognitive tasks.” These findings suggest that meditation improves attention and memory. Meditation makes the brain work better, hence improving efficiency. But meditation also has a myriad of other benefits. This study found that meditation can improve mood, reduce stress, and increase energy. However, meditation takes some time to have an effect, so this grounding exercise might seem like it is not working right away. It is important to note that doing meditation right before bedtime may hinder sleep quality. This raises another point: sleep.
In an article published in the journal Neurosciences, authors Khan and Al-Jahdali write, “[sleep deprivation results in] an impairment in attentiveness, working memory, consolidation of memories, alertness, judgment, decision-making, and many other diminished cognitive performances.” Put simply, sleep deprivation completely destroys the brain’s effectiveness and therefore productivity. Although this may seem like a banal comment, getting sufficient sleep is very, very important.
Another thing that hinders our productivity is our phones. It is clear that constantly checking phone notifications while studying will decrease efficiency. However, a study published in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research found that even the proximity of one's phone affects cognitive performance while studying, even if one does not look at their phone. Authors Ward et al. write, “We provide evidence that the mere presence of consumers’ smartphones can adversely affect two measures of cognitive capacity.” The study found that having a phone on one's desk significantly reduces memory and reasoning skills compared to having the phone in one’s bag or pocket. Ultimately, the study suggests that the best place to put a phone while working is in another room. Even powering off the phone, or facing the phone down does not restore cognitive capability.
It is easy to fall into the trap of studying and doing homework in ways that are not efficient. For example, if one knows that they do not study well when listening to music with lyrics, working without a desk, or studying in loud environments, they should try to avoid doing those things.
To improve productivity, meditation, adequate sleep, studying away from the phone, and being honest with oneself are great ways to start.