Staying alert in class
LET’S agree that all teachers are amazingly wonderful people who excel at their job.
Now that’s out of the way: Are there times when you’ve pulled an all-nighter, are bored by a presentation that moves too slowly for your taste, or face some other situation where you are practically falling asleep?
Sitting in a room and being forced to listen to something when you’re not engaged is tiring, frustrating and depressing. What’s really annoying though it that you might switch off and miss the group moving on to something hugely important.
If you find yourself fighting to keep your eyes open, check out these tips.
1) Ask: Is it me? If this is a regular problem, start by examining your lifestyle.
Are you getting enough sleep? Are you eating properly? (We’re talking veggies, milk and all that good stuff, not deep-fried breakfast, lunch and dinner!)
Are you exercising every day or every second day? Do you have a reasonable life-study balance? If not, then chances are it’s not class but you – so get your lifestyle into shape. 2) Look for passion Find something about the class that you care about: not exam results but something you feel passionately about. If you can connect with the content, you’ll be interested and that will naturally hone your attention. 3) Quietly busy If it’s a long class, keeping a little bit active will help you focus. Drinking water and chew gum will keep your body busy. Alternatively, try a bit of quiet acupressure: pinch your ear lobes or rub briskly between your thumb and forefinger. 4) Work your body If you are totally certain that the next five minutes won’t cover anything you don’t already know, take a toilet break. Wake yourself up by jogging to a loo that’s far away so that your body produces adrenaline (a natural energy boost) and then run cold water over your wrists and face.
Now you should be good to go another hour.