Why You Should Shorten Your Next Study Session
There are different schools of thought when it comes to defining what constitutes a good study session. For some, this may mean focusing on deep work for an extended period of time. Others may need regular breaks. And while study breaks are usually meant to give you a chance to reset and refresh, in some cases they can be used to motivate you to work even harder. This is due to a phenomenon called the Zeigarnik effect, and if you find it difficult to concentrate or feel unwell without finishing a study session, you can make it work for you.
What is the Zeigarnik effect?
This effect is named after the psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik who noticed it. This refers to the ease of recall you may experience when considering an action that has been interrupted in some way. The way it works is that once you start a task, your brain creates some tension around it to improve the cognitive functions associated with completing it so that you can work on it to the best of your ability. This tension is released when the task is completed, but if you don’t finish, the tension remains.
You may notice this in negative ways in your daily life. When you have a big task, like studying for a test or cleaning the house, and you don’t complete it, it can bother you in the back of your mind until it’s done. By tapping into the Zeigarnik effect, you take control of that painful feeling and use it to your advantage. What makes this approach special is that you can reframe procrastination and reap the benefits of it, rather than getting bogged down by it – and if you have a lot of subjects to study, this is especially useful.
How to use the Zeigarnik effect in your studies
When you’re learning something, you can use the Zeigarnik effect by simply switching tasks for a while. The best way to do this is to do something completely unrelated, such as studying another subject or working on another responsibility you have. Maybe you’ve been putting off calling your mom or washing the dishes? Cross this off your list about halfway through the study session.
By adding this pause for unrelated work, you maintain a sense of cognitive tension associated with the main task of studying. This will really help you remember the details of the material and you won’t forget them as quickly as you normally would. Zeigarnik came up with her original theory after observing restaurant waiters who remembered orders as they were being filled, but seemed to completely forget the orders once they were filled. The longer something remains unfinished, the better you can remember it.
Since this effect was first studied, further research has shown that other factors also influence the memory associated with unfinished tasks. For example, your memory will be better if you are motivated to complete a task. Here’s what makes this method reliable for studying, especially: You are motivated by the threat of a bad grade or the promise of a good one, which increases the tension in your mind. To take advantage of this, try spreading out your study sessions over the days leading up to the test, never completing your study all the way until the night before when you do your big review. During this review, use a technique like blurting out to summarize everything you remember about the material in your head, then go back and reread anything you’re still stuck on.