OK! I’m currently working on my assignments too, so here are some of my favorite helpers (you may need to try a couple before you find what works best for you):
~~~**Set a reward** for each chapter you finish reading or paragraph you finish writing. DON'T LET YOURSELF GET THEM BEFORE HAND. I like to set aside something to snack on, but sticker charts and/or taking a funny selfie to post can be rewards too. If you can help it, set your goals up nearby, but far enough away that you wont grab them without realizing it. If possible, I don't want to leave my chair if I'm on a roll, but I still want to reward myself. If you have to give them to your roommate, mom, or really nice next door neighbor.
~~~**Set realistic goals** for what you can finish each day. If your book has 10 chapters, trying to finish one in the morning and one in the evening for the next five days might be doable, but if it has 25, trying to finish 5 chapters a day may be a little crazy...and you might have to come clean to your professor or disability services office at school and ask for some more time.
now that that's out of the way, here are some things that help me stay on track:
~~~Walk on the treadmill and don't let yourself get off until you finish the chapter of that book. It's annoying, and I'm often exhausted by the end of it, but it DEFINITELY keeps me reading and not getting distracted. If they're short chapters, maybe try to finish two!
~~~Forest! There is an app called Forest and, for like, $2 or something you can buy the app and grow a tree on it. It must be the open app on your phone (in other words, you can't open any of the other ones for more than like 5 seconds) or your tree dies. I also got the extension for my chrome browser so I can grow two trees at once and I can block my productivity-killers unless I kill my tree. I know there are ways to still get distracted, but the app helps remind me so I don't get off track without realizing it as easily. TOTALLY worth it. I'm currently blocking pinterest, facebook, reddit, tumblr, amazon, youtube, etc. I can do music on spotify without opening youtube, and it is less likely to distract me for long.
~~Soundtracks for Studying or other study playlists are already made for you on spotify. find one that works for you, push play, and ignore it. you might need to try a couple, but once you find one you can keep going back to it in the future and it will remind you of a productive mindset.
~~~Light a productive/encouraging candle or start your diffuser with citrus in it. Pick a smell that you can associate with REALLY working. Smell is one of the most powerful memory triggers, so if you're studying for a test with a certain specific smell, you can also bring something that smells the same way to class with you to help you remember what you were studying.
Most of all, Don't make excuses, text or tell somebody that you're going to do homework and have them check on you. ONLY HONEST UPDATES. Not allowed to lie to them, tell them how much you have to get done and if they'll ask you how it's going or to tell them what you're working on, sometimes it helps me get into a mindset to accomplish if I start telling someone else what I need to get done and how I'm going to go about doing it.
Lastly, get off here and go do it. ;)
Good luck Brain!
).