CHAPTER SIX

       Work Habits that Work for You

Earlier, we talked about the importance of creating sensible schedules. Although it’s tempting to do tons of activities that make you feel busy and successful, hopefully you’ve left enough time to do your nightly homework and long-term projects while also studying for whatever tests and quizzes you have. Lots of girls tell me that while they struggle to keep up with endless piles of assignments, their classmates magically seem to get everything done. It may look that way, but everyone has to put in the time.

What separates girls who get it done (and even watch a sitcom or read a magazine before going to bed) and those who feel like they never catch up with their workload? Efficiency. You know how sometimes you spend hours on your assignments and get little done, while at other times you feel very productive because the work just flows? You can make this happen more often by keeping track of your assignments, organizing and monitoring your time, and staying focused.

If you’re thinking, ‘Oh, no, I’m terrible at those things!’ have no fear. All these skills can be learned. You just have to figure out which approaches work for you and be willing to practice them. The payoff can be huge.

The Secret to Success

“When I’m stressed, I work harder. When the work is finished, the stress is gone.”—Kay

Do you start out each semester with good intentions to stay on top of your work or improve your grades? But then, a few weeks into the new term, you feel discouraged by slipping back into old patterns. That’s usually because you haven’t actually changed your work habits. Unless you realize why things are staying the same, you might feel discouraged and hopeless. You can even lose your motivation. What I often hear girls say is, “I can’t possibly compete with the geniuses in my school who have perfect GPAs.”

The latest research pretty much shoots that excuse right out of the water. Fabulous students don’t do well just because they were lucky to be born smart. It turns out that having a high IQ is only partly inherited. You can improve how well you think, reason, and solve problems by exercising your brain—for example, by reading, doing puzzles, and learning new things—much like building muscles when practicing sports. Scientists are basically saying we have some control over how brainy we are.

The even better news is that intelligence or IQ is only responsible for a very small part of success. Personal traits such as how motivated and self-disciplined you are, along with whether you have grit—perseverance—are four times more important than the intelligence you were born with. What does this mean? Those classmates of yours who look like geniuses are probably working harder than you think. Like Biz Stone, the co-founder of Twitter, has said, “Timing, perseverance, and ten years of trying will eventually make you look like an overnight success.”

Procrastination

“The worst experience I had was in 8th grade. I had procrastinated so much that I had to finish the entire project in one night. I panicked and had trouble breathing. If it wasn’t for my mother, I don’t think I could have calmed down.”—Alyson

A few years ago, when I did research for Stressed-out Girls, teens I interviewed gave me two main reasons for their stress: too much homework and not enough sleep. But these days, when I ask assemblies of girls about the biggest cause of their stress I hear about only one thing: Procrastination!

Instead of getting down to work when you get home from school or right after dinner, do you find a trillion “reasons” (read as: excuses) to put off opening your books? What I hear: “I’ve got to clean my room before I can do anything else,” or “I’ll just watch one show to relax first.” Most often, it’s “I’ve got to check my Facebook updates for a minute….” That’s a joke because you know what happens then: “I got sidetracked by looking at everyone’s pictures. Before I knew it, an hour had passed...”

It’s human nature to procrastinate. You probably do it when you’re tired, when you don’t feel like doing something, or when you’re distracted. You put off tasks that are boring or hard or make you anxious. Or maybe you work yourself up when you think you can’t do assignments perfectly. So instead you get involved in something more manageable—like rearranging paper clips or sharpening pencils. At least temporarily, you keep yourself from feeling scared, annoyed, or frustrated. Procrastination is just another word for avoidance!

The problem is that procrastination is a bad coping strategy. Even while you’re engrossed in chatting with a friend or playing a computer game or shopping online, you’re still aware of the task that’s hanging over your head. Which only worsens your stress. And as soon as you face what you’ve still got to do, those same uncomfortable feelings return—with a vengeance. Only now you have even less time to do it, which adds to the pressure. Plus, procrastination can leave you feeling bad about yourself.

The good news is that you can work on procrastinating less. First, figure out the cause(s). Then find solutions that help. Use this mental checklist to decide what’s making you put off what you’d be better off finishing now:

Sleepy? After a long day at school, you’re probably tired (especially if you didn’t get enough sleep this week). If possible, go ahead and take a quick power nap, like we discussed. But if that will turn into a 3-hour semi-coma, making you groggy for the rest of the day and keeping you awake all night, try these strategies instead:

• Listen to upbeat music. That’ll perk you right up.
• Switch your routine. New and different experiences cause a rush of brain chemicals that make you more alert. If you usually sprawl across your bed when you work, sit cross-legged on the floor. Start off your homework in the dining room rather than your room.
• Get active. Physical movement will awaken you more than sitting still. Dance to upbeat music or take a 10-minute brisk walk, which will boost your energy for up to two hours. (BONUS: Taking your dog along might earn you brownie points with your parents.)

Hungry? Brains need fuel, especially when stressed. Avoid junk food, which may only make you sleepier. Instead, boost your brainpower with high protein snacks such as a handful of nuts, some cheese, hummus, or yogurt.

Mentally exhausted? Is your brain on overload?

• Make a list. Write down tasks and due dates in order of priority. Enjoy the feeling of accomplishment when you cross them off.
• Pace yourself. Alternate easy and hard tasks—or ones that require the most and the least amount of time.
• Take breaks. Play a quick game on your cell phone to have fun and activate brain cells. WARNING: Make that ONE game—or set your phone alarm to go off in 5 to 10 minutes.

Too stressed?

• Breathe deeply and exhale fully. This will get rid of excess carbon dioxide so you get more oxygen to your brain and feel more mentally alert.
• Work out. Exercising in the early afternoon or up to two hours before bed lowers the stress hormone and increases feel-good endorphins.
• Do whatever helps. Spend 10 minutes doing whatever you know definitely relaxes you.

Cultivating Self-Discipline

While these strategies are all helpful, the bottom line is: To avoid procrastination, use self-discipline. That means making yourself do whatever you don’t want to, whether that’s getting out bed in the morning to go to school, doing your chores, flossing, or tackling your French conjugations. As you’ve just heard, the research is clear: the most successful, confident people aren’t necessarily the smartest, but they’re persistent and self-disciplined. They do whatever it takes to get the job done. The bonus? When you make yourself do something you’d rather avoid, you feel far more satisfied and better about yourself than when you procrastinate. Kudos!

Resisting Distractions

Speaking of self-discipline, the other challenge to getting work done is difficulty resisting distractions. I know, it’s really, really hard to make yourself turn off your screens, stop chatting online with friends, and not check—much less respond to—incoming texts. But here’s what you should know:

• Media use affects academic performance. There’s a clear connection between how much time you spend using media and your grades. In one large study, teens who were considered “heavy” users of technology were more likely to get fair or poor grades (mostly Cs or lower) than their classmates.
• Multi-tasking is actually a myth. Think you’re good at doing your homework while watching YouTube, checking your news feed, and iChatting? Sorry, but you’re not. No one is. You may be able to focus a little on each activity, but brain research proves you can’t fully focus on anything. It’s impossible to multi-think.
• Distractions make you less productive and efficient. Scientists have shown that when you switch your attention back and forth, it takes you 25% longer to finish tasks. Partly it’s because the brain needs time to warm up every time you refocus, especially when tasks are challenging or brand-new. But also, if you’re always busy, always doing something, you keep using up your storage of available energy until there’s nothing left. Adults in the workplace who limit their access to email and texts are finding a huge jump in productivity. So would you!

What to DO

• Make a vow to yourself to avoid all screens while you’re doing homework
• Before crunch times, consider what some girls do: They ask friends to change their passwords so they can’t log onto Facebook and other tempting sites
• If you need the internet for studying, don’t open Facebook, Tumblr, MySpace, Instagram, or any other social networking program on your computer
• Turn your cell phone on silent and put it across the room so you’re not tempted to peek
• As Caitlin suggests, “Let yourself check it as a reward for finishing a task.”
• Minimize intrusions; Maddie suggests, “Tell parents that constant interruption for questions and stuff is the absolute worst. Save everything for a conversation when I’m done rather than busting through my door at their leisure!”

Want to Boost Your Creativity?

A brand-new study by psychologists found that taking a break from technology and getting into nature may improve creativity. People performed better on a creativity test after backpacking for four to six days on a wilderness trip (without their devices) than they did before starting the hike. Can’t think of a topic for your fiction assignment? Try going for a walk in the woods—and leaving your cell phone at home.

Finding Your Study Style

“Everyone works differently. You may work better alone, listening to music, taking a “Skype break” every 2 hours to laugh with friends.”—Dani

Your parents may give you advice about how to study—for example, “Start your homework as soon as you get home from school,” “Go up to your room, where it’s quiet,” or “Study your hardest subject first, when you’re freshest.” Or, they may say the opposite: “Warm up with your easiest subjects.” These suggestions work for them. But studying isn’t “one size fits all.” Since everyone’s needs are different, figure out what works best for you to make the most of your study time. Ask yourself these questions:

CHECKLIST: What’s Your Study Style?

• Do you work better with last-minute, pressing deadlines, or when you give yourself plenty of time by starting way in advance?
• Do you get more work done alone, or with a partner or study group?
• With music on, or off?
• What kind of music helps you versus distracts you?
• Is it better to tackle your hardest subject first, when you’re most energetic, or last, when you’ve gotten the easy stuff out of the way?
• Do you work best in a quiet area, or in a noisy place like the kitchen, library, or Starbuck’s?
• Do you concentrate better in a messy workplace or in neat surroundings?
• Is it better for you to review material a bunch of times, or take careful notes the first time you read?
• Do note cards help you memorize?
• Before you write, do you make outlines, Venn diagrams, or flow charts?
• Does it help you to talk about your ideas before starting in on a paper?

Getting Organized

“When stressed, I like to make color-coded, categorized lists of what I need to get done because otherwise I’m stressed by not being able to remember what I need to accomplish.”—Valerie

If you’re constantly looking for where you put signed permission slips, the term paper that’s due, or your coat, you’re wasting valuable time. Trying to find something or calling a friend to ask about homework means another 5 or 10 minutes down the drain—and maybe points taken off your grade for lateness. Do people tell you to “pay attention to what you’re doing” or to “stop being so scatterbrained?” If so, try these strategies to become better organized:

• Take a field trip to an office supply store to find a great planner. Explore all the different options until you find one you love.
• Then get in the habit of writing down all your assignments in every class every day. No exceptions!
• Before you leave school, mentally go through all your classes to make sure you bring home whatever you need. Or type up a checklist to post in your locker.
• Break down long-term assignments into manageable parts. Record in your planner exactly when you’ll do each of the steps.
• Check your afterschool activity schedule to plan out when you’ll do your homework. If you know you’ll be busy, use free time during the day to get started.
• If time management is challenging, estimate how long each task will take you. Use a timer to check how much time it actually took. You’ll soon get better at predicting and planning your assignments.
• At home, your motto should be, “A place for everything, and everything in its place.”
• Use organizers to keep your school supplies neat and visible.
• At night, put all your homework and books in your backpack so it’s ready to go.

Study Strategies

Just like organizational skills, study strategies have to be learned and practiced. Here are the practices that research suggests—and girls find consistently helpful:

• Take good notes in class. If it’s hard for you to listen and write at the same time, or if you can’t write fast enough to keep up, ask to compare notes with a friend so you’ll get down everything important. If this is a constant struggle, talk to your guidance counselor. The school may be able to offer support for note taking.
• Study in advance for tests. Pretty much everyone agrees that the more you look at material, the better you’ll learn it. You might be able to cram for simple memorization tests, but deeper learning requires time. So before big tests, plan to do a little review every day.
• Don’t cheat yourself of sleep. Remind yourself that research suggests you’re better off choosing an extra hour of sleep over an additional hour of study. Scientists say sleep is especially needed for higher-level learning, such as putting together and applying complex information—essentially, what you do in school. (Believe it or not, studies have shown that people who pull all-nighters have the same—impaired—mental capacity as legally drunk individuals.)
• Tackle difficult material right before bed. In the past, common wisdom was do your hardest work right after school. But it turns out your brain can best process and remember information presented just before sleep. So do a quick review and it’s light’s out!
• Study in different locations. If you’re used to doing all your studying in your room, consider new research that suggests you learn more effectively by studying in different places rather than in just one location—even when you study for the same amount of time. The more connections the brain creates, the easier it is to remember information.
• Use active strategies. Instead of just looking over your notes and rereading textbooks, actively explain concepts—to yourself, your parents, a classmate, even a sibling. The best way to learn is to teach.
• Calming music can enhance learning. Although teens are often told to turn off their music, some kinds don’t distract—and actually improve focus and learning. It depends on tempo, content, and emotional tone. See the websites at the end of this chapter for some free downloads.
• Stay well-nourished. Remember that your brain needs fuel for peak performance. Aim for foods rich in protein, fiber, and complex carbs like oatmeal, which provide a steady energy supply.
• Keep a positive attitude. It’s worth saying again: Being confident keeps you calm and focused, which leads to better performance. Remember The Little Engine That Could? Thinking that you’ll succeed helps you succeed.

Tools to Use:
ONLINE RESOURCES FOR
STUDYING MORE EFFICIENTLY

These websites have all been suggested by teens who find them helpful. Do you have others you like? Please let me know!

• SelfControl.com—free from Firefox add-ons website, this site warns you when you open time-wasting online pages
• Stereomood.com—the emotional internet radio that provides music especially for your moods & activities—for example, ”happy,” “working,” “relaxing, “studying,” “chillout,” and “summer”
• Rainymood.com—offers nature sound, rain forest, sleeping noise, and sound therapy options
• Quizlet.com—free website for study games and making flashcards. Advertised as “The best way to study languages, vocabulary, or almost anything…”