Section 3-1: Meeting Basic Needs
Reflection
Your basic needs are the things that keep you comfortable and allow you to work. Think how difficult it can be to concentrate when you are hungry or thirsty! It's also hard to think when you are way too cold or far too hot. You can't focus as well if you are sick or have a headache, either. Your basic needs must be met before you can work effectively.
Self-Examination
How are you feeling right now? Come up with at least ten adjectives that describe your state of being. Are any of these words helpful? Read through them then come up with at least five more that aren't on the list.
bored
tired
hungry
thirsty
cold
hot
distracted
focused
satisfied
happy
sad
angry
worried
frustrated
excited
overwhelmed
When it's time to study or work on academic tasks, do a quick self-examination. You will be more focused if you don't have a lot of internal distractions.
This is also a good time to remind everyone about the importance of a good, balanced breakfast. Study after study has shown that students work more efficiently if they have a bit of fuel in their system after the long night of not eating. Having breakfast may well make the difference between staying focused in your early morning classes or dozing off.
It's also a common fact that many teens and young adults skip breakfast because of not feeling hungry or feeling downright nauseous in the morning. That makes it really hard to eat breakfast, doesn't it? One solution is to take something healthy with you and eat it a bit later. Fruit is a good choice, as are yogurts, healthy granola bars, and even peanut butter sandwiches. Another strategy is to set your wake up time a bit earlier. I know that's unpopular with folks, but it does work. Your body needs some time to wake up and get the engines going. If you have your morning routine cut so tightly that there's barely time to get dressed and no time for breakfast, you are doing yourself a grave disservice.
Try This!
Let's try a few experiments.
First, make yourself a checklist of internal states that commonly distract you from studying. Before you sit down with book or assignment, go through your checklist. If something is wrong, like you are thirsty or too warm, take the action needed to be more comfortable. If you are feeling stressed, try a relaxing exercise like deep breathing or a short exercise period before you begin work. Analyze your study focus and effectiveness after thirty to sixty minutes. How'd you do?
Secondly, try the morning experiment. Set your alarm ten to thirty minutes earlier than usual. Get up instead of hitting the snooze alarm. Work your way through your morning routine in a more leisurely fashion, and see if you don't feel like eating earlier than usual. When you do eat, check yourself at midmorning. Are you feeling more energetic and focused? Keep it up for at least a week, and see if it helps.
(c) 2010 Sandy Fleming