Jemma Spike

And just simply not do anything with it.

But psychology says that's not true.

Your brain is not designed to coexist peacefully with distraction.

Every notification, every open tab, every buzzing phone noise triggers what is called attentional capture.

Even if you don't consciously check it, a part of you is still aware that something's going on.

Just knowing your phone is nearby is actually enough to reduce your working memory and cognitive capacity.

There is literal research showing that performance improves simply by putting your phone in another room.

simply by giving it to somebody else, not putting it on silent, not putting it face down, gone, putting it away.

This is why externalizing self-control works so well.

Website blockers, app limits, a friend, that's not a sign that you have weak discipline, like they're signs of psychological intelligence.

You are removing the need for constant decision making and constantly needing to stop your brain from doing what it wants to most, which is to

take the quick dopamine, which is to take the distraction.

Finally, and I should have said this one earlier when I was talking about my money envelope reward scheme, but study with other people as a reward.

Now, I wouldn't do this all the time, only when I was really serious and in like a real crunch period,

But I knew that as much as money was a fantastic treat, as an extrovert, as a social butterfly, especially at university, being around other people and having a little chitchat, that was a much greater reward for me.

So I manipulated that.

I manipulated that desire to force myself to work harder.

there is a powerful dopaminergenic reward loop at play.

When you're studying alone, followed by letting yourself study with other people as a treat, your brain begins to associate effort with anticipated connection, making the initial work feel more tolerable, maybe even motivating.

If I knew I'd get to go sit with my friends at the end or like go and annoy them or hang out with them, it just made me want to work harder to get through the time.