If you have assigned seating and are placed in the back, talk to your instructor. They will most likely let you switch your seat to one closer to the front.
Make sure that your note taking is tailored to keeping you active during class. Find out if you feel more comfortable highlighting key points or creating dual entry notes. Different styles of note taking will help keep you active and attentive during the lecture. Review your previous notes to make sure you are up to date with the current lecture. Try to find some connections between previous lessons and today’s. This will help you feel more confident with your lesson and keep that daydreaming at bay.
Participating in class doesn’t mean that you always have to have your hand up. Answer only when you have something meaningful to contribute, but make sure you’re recognized. This way you can be held accountable when you start to doze off.
Avoid food with high sugar and fat content. These types of food will cause you to have a sugar high where your body will immediately expend the energy and then come crashing down when your body has burned all the possible energy. So don’t pick up that sugary cereal or doughnut first thing in the morning as it won’t give you the long lasting energy you need to maintain focus and concentration. Choose foods like whole grains that are full of good carbs to keep your energy up. [5] X Research source When you pick up healthier foods like a whole grain steel cut oatmeal, you won’t be daydreaming about lunchtime.
If you’re not properly hydrated you can suffer from poor concentration and headaches. Being thirsty will also draw your focus away from whatever task you have in front of you and lead to distractions like daydreaming.
Using a planner or calendar application can help you map out your day- including that free time. It’ll help you get into routine before you are used to it. You can try yoga, taking a nap, watching something on Netflix, or listening to some music. Having a leisurely activity planned in your day will give you a stress free outlet as a reward for maintaining focus throughout the day.
Sleeping eight hours a night is the most beneficial for prime focus power the following day. However, for some people the right amount of sleep can vary between 6 hours to 9 hours. Find what amount of hours is best for you so that you can work it into your routine. [7] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source How sleepy and awake a person feels is controlled by the body’s circadian rhythm, which is really just a way of saying that human body will feel dips of tiredness and fatigue throughout the day naturally. [8] X Research source If you’ve had enough sleep you won’t feel as tired during these dips.
Blue light is emitted by most technology that we use in everyday life. Such as laptops televisions and cellphones. If you need to check your cellphone android and apple offer amber light applications that allow you to use your technology at night without keeping your brain awake all night.
When you first start creating your routine you’ll need to take some extra steps to get yourself feeling sleepy. Drink some herbal tea such as chamomile, or read a book. Even with routine you might not get your full nights rest to keep those daydreams at bay. Embrace that you might have a tough day ahead of you and put your best foot forward.