do my homework at night

Why Are You More Productive at Night (+ Tips for Night Owls)

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With the rise of remote work, there’s been a noticeable change in people feeling more productive at night . It’s an interesting phenomenon that involves genes, lifestyle, personality type, and even brain chemistry. Night owls seem to be thriving, and we’re going to delve into the core of their productivity, the biology of their inner clocks, and how one can stay focused and energized when working late.

How night owls work

Night owls are people who find their most productive hours after some people have done their bedtime routines. Working late into the night feels natural for them, so sometimes they even continue working until morning. And for such a long time, I couldn’t understand them. I’d be dead-tired by 11 p.m.

But, in researching night owls, so far removed from my own lark-y self, I ran into a captivating article by Kathryn Schulz . One particular part had me smiling, and instantly understanding these strange “night birds:”

“It starts, as I said, around 10 p.m., when something ticks over in my mind, as if someone had walked into a shuttered cabin and flipped all the switches in the fuse box to “on.” For the first time all day, I get interested in writing. As a corollary, I get a lot less interested in everything else.”

It was Schulz and this quote that set me on a path of researching night owls and becoming less misinformed about them. So, one would say this article is mainly a spotlight for them, while giving the rest of us some much-needed slap on the hand for thinking they’re lazy.

Are night people more productive?

Contrary to popular belief, one group isn’t better than the other. The working world is currently better suited for early birds, which is why you hear more about them.

In fact, numerous research on night owls and morning larks (another term for early risers) focuses more on the differences in other aspects of life. To compare them more casually, both groups are like ice cream flavors — vanilla or chocolate. One isn’t inherently better than the other, they’re both sweet, but people will always choose one or the other.

It’s the same with productivity and people’s biological clocks. Both owls and larks are equally productive, just at different times of the day.

Why are some people more productive at night?

Night owls are a mystery that has garnered quite a bit of attention lately. An article by Rachael Rettner is among many who can answer the question of nighttime productivity. She examined several different studies to draw the conclusion that when we are most productive depends on:

• Genetic predisposition;
• Our brain’s “wiring”;
• Circadian rhythm — owls’ and larks’ bodies function on a different wavelength;
• How our lifestyle and circumstances shape our habits.

Let’s take a closer look at each factor and how they come together to form a night owl’s unique work habit.

Genetic predisposition for late-night work

Fairly self-explanatory, if someone in your family is or was a night owl, especially one of your parents, odds are that you will be one as well.

Scientists Satchidananda Panda and Luciano DiTacchio have managed to locate the gene that basically functions as an alarm clock for our bodies . And since they’re part of the genetic material, they can be transferred as easily as eye color from the parents to the child.

Brains that are more functional late in the afternoon

Aside from genetics, neurological studies and imaging have shown over and over again that early birds’ and night owls’ brains just work differently.

Night owls find it natural to reach their peak in the afternoon and evening, while the larks find that productivity boost earlier in the morning .

Circadian rhythm and metabolism’s role in a night owl’s routine

Circadian rhythm as a word comes from the Latin words “circa” meaning “about”, and “dies” meaning “day”. It is used to describe the way our bodies function through the day: when we wake, go to sleep, eat, when we’re most energetic, etc.

It’s the main way of distinguishing between the night owls, early birds, and — believe it or not — the intermediate type. Science tells us that out of the three types, the vast majority of us actually belong to the last one. Early birds would be considered really early risers (say, between 4 and 6 a.m.), while the night owls would be those going to bed long after midnight. But the extremes are rare, as studies have shown.

How lifestyle and circumstances shape the night owls

Some people become night owls due to some changes in their lives. For example, some parents feel more productive at night because, for a long time, they had to be. Their kids would go to bed at 8 or 9 p.m. and only then was it possible to focus on their own work.

In contrast, my mother, who had three of us, has become a light sleeper and can’t stay in bed past 8 a.m. She even says how having to get up frequently at night, and prepping everyone for school (including herself, as she is a teacher), she got used to being an early bird.

Lastly…. Some people just love the nighttime. There are fewer distractions, everything is silent and more peaceful. Night owls with ADHD have even reported their brains are less stimulated at night, and can actually focus.

It’s worth taking a look at your own lifestyle, family, and living conditions in general, to see just which ones shaped you into the night owl you are today. Maybe therein lies the secret to improving your work habits as one, unlocking their full potential.

Is it okay to be a night owl?

Our personal conclusion? Absolutely.

You can’t go against your genetic makeup, or what may feel natural to you.

And as we’ve seen, whether you’re an early bird or a night owl depends largely on those two factors. However, we can’t deny that the world is tailored to early risers. Statistics favor them when it comes to success , even if night owls are seen as more adaptable and creative.

Unfortunately, having a different biorhythm to your peers is still, in a way, stigmatized. Night owls can be seen as lazy, inadaptable (ironically), or simply as victims of bad habits, despite them trying to fit into the conventional workday mold for years.

Till Roenneberg, author of Internal Time: Chronotypes, Social Jet Lag and Why You’re So Tired , put it best:

“Once enlightened, they [night owls] started to understand themselves (and others) much better, began to appreciate their own individual time, and were suddenly relieved of the weight of prejudice ridiculing their temporal habits: for example, being called lazy if you don’t wake up fresh as a daisy by seven o’clock in the morning; or being called a boring person only because you don’t enjoy going out with friends after ten at night.”

This is why it’s crucial for every night owl to establish boundaries with the early birds in their life and at work. The real victory is in overcoming the stigma and downsides that come with it. Namely, how working later at night affects your body and mind in the long term.

Being a night owl comes with health risks

The bad news is: night owls have increased risks of numerous illnesses precisely because they work late. This is mostly due to those who can’t and don’t structure their work, and end up sleeping too much or too little.

Our bodies are designed to follow the sun’s rotation cycle throughout the day. It’s something deeply embedded in our genes, because the daytime is meant for work, hunting, and socializing, while the night is for sleeping. And even though we don’t live in hunter-gatherer societies anymore, it is still evolutionary early for our bodies to catch up to our modern society. In short — we’re modeling life and society faster than biology can keep up.

This is why the human body hasn’t yet fully adapted to the night owl lifestyle. Researchers have found that among those risks, sleep apnea, depression and anxiety, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension are among the worst offenders.

Source: SpringerLink

Though it looks bleak, this is no cause for panic. In fact, this information can help night owls become better at structuring their time and taking care of themselves better. After all, knowing the risks can help you avoid harmful consequences. And in the next part, we’ll be sharing some tips on how to get the most out of late-night work, while staying healthy.

Productivity tips for night owls

“Owls are at best, extroverted artists and intellectuals, or at worst, people who engage in dark arts and exert evil powers” – T. Roenneberg, Internal Time

Succeeding as a night owl is possible. For freelancers and business owners, that’s not going to be a problem. They make and manage their own schedules. But for knowledge workers, those tied up in crowded offices, and shift workers, it can be a challenge.

Find your most productive time of night

You need structure even if you’re super productive at night. Otherwise, you’ll easily slip into overwork and potentially ruin your sleep schedule. Burnout is a very real thing.

Try timeboxing to introduce some linearity to your workload. Track your time and tasks , just like a morning person would (if you’re not doing so already), as accurate data is your best friend. Soon, you’ll begin to notice what times of evening or night are your best times to focus. Then you can use moments of lower concentration for rest and recharging.

Keep to a consistent sleep schedule

When I shared all the findings about night owl health risks with a couple of friends, I almost got a unanimous and loud: “ Sleep is sleep! So long as you get enough hours in, what does it matter when you go to bed? ”

Surprisingly enough, for those who agree, it does matter. In the above-mentioned research on health risks in night owls, Timo Partonen noticed that, even if the night owls they tested slept a consistent amount of hours, the risks were still there. The whole problem was the body needing sleep at night .

So, trying to go for a consistent sleep schedule could help immensely. And it doesn’t have to be a huge change. Deciding to go to sleep no later than 1 a.m. or 2 a.m. every night, despite your energy levels or amount of work, is good enough.

Automate your morning tasks

For night owls who need to be at work bright and early, and have no way of avoiding a 9-to-5, try to automate as much of your morning workload as you can. Make an easy-to-follow to-do list of some mundane tasks to do before your brain kicks into gear.

This could be archiving emails or sorting your inbox, doing some digital decluttering, preparing data or research for more demanding tasks later on, etc. Help your brain out by starting slow, and letting it wake up on its own terms.

Ask for a later start

There is no shame in asking your boss for a later start. Many companies allow their employees to get started earlier, so it would only be fair to try and vie for the same treatment.

However, My Hub Intranet statistics suggest that you should articulate it, so your boss doesn’t think you want to be lazy. If possible, you can discuss it first with HR and see if you can find a compromise. Arrangements like these are not unheard of. Organizations like BSociety with its founder, Camilla Kring, fight for the night owls’ place in the workforce , and for companies to hear their needs. Do keep in mind that a lot of companies still depend on synchronous work. So if your peak hours are at 10 p.m. when most of your coworkers are asleep, getting that late a start will be difficult.

Other options would be to work from home a few days a week, if you’re not already, negotiating things like flex time (thanks to labor laws), or a 9-80 work schedule. And if you manage to rally a few more night owl coworkers, odds of success are greater.

Journal your night-time experiences

We’ve mentioned that learning how to manage your night-time energy would greatly help in reducing health risks. This includes spending a few minutes every day (or night), journaling details that affect your routine. These can include:

• Foods that give you more energy, or make you sleepier;
• Noises that help or disturb your concentration;
• Distractions.

Consolidate the information after a week of tracking. Are there any habits that could help you start work earlier? Which ones leave you groggy after waking up? What does your bedtime routine look like?

In some of those habits lies the answer to shifting your schedule just enough to keep your productivity, while conforming to the daytime work hours.

Manage bedroom lighting

Night owls can be notoriously difficult to get up. They sleep through several alarms and wake up feeling groggy and dysfunctional.

One research included their subjects camping out in the woods without electronic devices and lighting. They noted a whopping 69% shift in circadian timing , meaning that night owls were affected by their environment. Take away indoor lights, phones, computers, and TV screens, and the body clock slowly resets. They felt refreshed and more energized after waking up, even if they weren’t completely morning larks.

To try and emulate this, you can get a sunlight alarm clock. Instead of noises waking you up, it is a lamp that illuminates gradually, based on the actual sun. As a waking method, completely darkening your room and having only a sunlight alarm clock, it achieves better results than a loud noise out of nowhere.

Take extra care of your health

Clinical psychologist Dr. Michael J. Breus wrote for HuffPost about the downsides of being a night owl . While they are more creative, can be productive longer, and generally have more energy, Breus finds they’re also more vulnerable to substance abuse (alcohol, nicotine, medication), poorer diets, and less exercise. All of this is arguably an even bigger factor in the health complications than being a night owl per se. This is why you need to take more care of what you eat and drink, even more than morning larks.

Eat brain-boosting foods , train or start a sports activity, or even just take longer walks every day. Drink enough water and steer clear of alcohol and carbonated drinks, especially in the late-night hours.

Avoid overeating

In the same vein as the previous tip, keep serious late-eating at bay with emergency snacks. I think back to my university days, and how staying up late to study meant getting really hungry around midnight, or 1 a.m. Getting a full meal back then would definitely send me sleeping, or later waking up feeling queasy. Not to mention I packed a few additional pounds.

If you decide to swap meals for snacks, don’t take anything high in carbohydrates and sugars. It may fill you up faster, and more easily, but it will also lead to a sugar crash. This includes processed foods like chips, most candy bars, and energy drinks.

Consider shifting to an intermediate routine

The aim of this article is not to preach how “early bird is the road to take”, but I would be remiss not to mention that shifting your circadian rhythm can actually bring numerous benefits. Dr. Elise Facer-Childs of Monash University in Australia conducted a research with her co-authors, and found that night owls who reset their routines over time to a more intermediate one reported better mental and physical health, as well as improved performance.

Her research, among others dealing with the chronotype phenomena, hope to pave the way towards battling depression, anxiety, and many other mental issues plaguing the modern human.

I think the most fitting end, however, lies in Kathryn Schulz’s words at the tail end of her article, which inspired my search:

“In darkness I am freer, less weighted down, my perspective wholly altered: a kind of noctonaut. I wouldn’t trade my schedule for the universe. Or rather, I have traded my schedule for the universe. You early birds can keep your worms.”

💡 If you are an early bird, don’t worry, we have something for you as well: The secrets of a productive morning routine .

Use Clockify to be far more productive during nighttime

Sure, night owls are a force to be reckoned with. But they, too, experience downsides in their daily work habits.

Luckily, there’s a way to grow that experience into a perfect productivity storm.

Introducing Clockify — a time tracking app built for people working late night shifts.

To maximize your efficiency during your dogwatch, Clockify lets you set your preferred working hours — even though they fall outside traditional business hours.

When you visit your Profile settings, go to the bottom of your Time settings and set Day start as you want it. This way, your workday will start at your preferred hour, not when most jobs do (like 9 a.m.).

When you set it up, you can expect productivity metrics, reports, and reminders to be aligned with your chosen schedule. 

Speaking of reminders, you can use them in Clockify to get a notification if you forget to track your hours. For illustration, this is what the reminder looks like if you miss to track time:

If this happens, simply click on Add time to add any missing time entries. This feature helps you never forget to track your hours again.

That’s all fine and well, but we saved the best for last.

To not burden your brain and strain your eyes too much with blue light in pitch black, you can turn on Dark theme.

It’s about time to transform your nighttime productivity. 

Take control of your peak hours and optimize your schedule.

Marijana Stojanovic is a writer and researcher who specializes in the topics of productivity and time management.

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Coursework/GPA

Everyone struggles with homework sometimes, but if getting your homework done has become a chronic issue for you, then you may need a little extra help. That’s why we’ve written this article all about how to do homework. Once you’re finished reading it, you’ll know how to do homework (and have tons of new ways to motivate yourself to do homework)!

We’ve broken this article down into a few major sections. You’ll find:

• A diagnostic test to help you figure out why you’re struggling with homework
• A discussion of the four major homework problems students face, along with expert tips for addressing them
• A bonus section with tips for how to do homework fast

By the end of this article, you’ll be prepared to tackle whatever homework assignments your teachers throw at you .

So let’s get started!

How to Do Homework: Figure Out Your Struggles 

Sometimes it feels like everything is standing between you and getting your homework done. But the truth is, most people only have one or two major roadblocks that are keeping them from getting their homework done well and on time. 

The best way to figure out how to get motivated to do homework starts with pinpointing the issues that are affecting your ability to get your assignments done. That’s why we’ve developed a short quiz to help you identify the areas where you’re struggling. 

Take the quiz below and record your answers on your phone or on a scrap piece of paper. Keep in mind there are no wrong answers! 

1. You’ve just been assigned an essay in your English class that’s due at the end of the week. What’s the first thing you do?

A. Keep it in mind, even though you won’t start it until the day before it’s due  B. Open up your planner. You’ve got to figure out when you’ll write your paper since you have band practice, a speech tournament, and your little sister’s dance recital this week, too.  C. Groan out loud. Another essay? You could barely get yourself to write the last one!  D. Start thinking about your essay topic, which makes you think about your art project that’s due the same day, which reminds you that your favorite artist might have just posted to Instagram...so you better check your feed right now. 

2. Your mom asked you to pick up your room before she gets home from work. You’ve just gotten home from school. You decide you’ll tackle your chores: 

A. Five minutes before your mom walks through the front door. As long as it gets done, who cares when you start?  B. As soon as you get home from your shift at the local grocery store.  C. After you give yourself a 15-minute pep talk about how you need to get to work.  D. You won’t get it done. Between texts from your friends, trying to watch your favorite Netflix show, and playing with your dog, you just lost track of time! 

3. You’ve signed up to wash dogs at the Humane Society to help earn money for your senior class trip. You: 

A. Show up ten minutes late. You put off leaving your house until the last minute, then got stuck in unexpected traffic on the way to the shelter.  B. Have to call and cancel at the last minute. You forgot you’d already agreed to babysit your cousin and bake cupcakes for tomorrow’s bake sale.  C. Actually arrive fifteen minutes early with extra brushes and bandanas you picked up at the store. You’re passionate about animals, so you’re excited to help out! D. Show up on time, but only get three dogs washed. You couldn’t help it: you just kept getting distracted by how cute they were!

4. You have an hour of downtime, so you decide you’re going to watch an episode of The Great British Baking Show. You: 

A. Scroll through your social media feeds for twenty minutes before hitting play, which means you’re not able to finish the whole episode. Ugh! You really wanted to see who was sent home!  B. Watch fifteen minutes until you remember you’re supposed to pick up your sister from band practice before heading to your part-time job. No GBBO for you!  C. You finish one episode, then decide to watch another even though you’ve got SAT studying to do. It’s just more fun to watch people make scones.  D. Start the episode, but only catch bits and pieces of it because you’re reading Twitter, cleaning out your backpack, and eating a snack at the same time.

5. Your teacher asks you to stay after class because you’ve missed turning in two homework assignments in a row. When she asks you what’s wrong, you say: 

A. You planned to do your assignments during lunch, but you ran out of time. You decided it would be better to turn in nothing at all than submit unfinished work.  B. You really wanted to get the assignments done, but between your extracurriculars, family commitments, and your part-time job, your homework fell through the cracks.  C. You have a hard time psyching yourself to tackle the assignments. You just can’t seem to find the motivation to work on them once you get home.  D. You tried to do them, but you had a hard time focusing. By the time you realized you hadn’t gotten anything done, it was already time to turn them in. 

Like we said earlier, there are no right or wrong answers to this quiz (though your results will be better if you answered as honestly as possible). Here’s how your answers break down: 

• If your answers were mostly As, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is procrastination. 
• If your answers were mostly Bs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is time management. 
• If your answers were mostly Cs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is motivation. 
• If your answers were mostly Ds, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is getting distracted. 

Now that you’ve identified why you’re having a hard time getting your homework done, we can help you figure out how to fix it! Scroll down to find your core problem area to learn more about how you can start to address it. 

And one more thing: you’re really struggling with homework, it’s a good idea to read through every section below. You may find some additional tips that will help make homework less intimidating. 

How to Do Homework When You’re a Procrastinator  

Merriam Webster defines “procrastinate” as “to put off intentionally and habitually.” In other words, procrastination is when you choose to do something at the last minute on a regular basis. If you’ve ever found yourself pulling an all-nighter, trying to finish an assignment between periods, or sprinting to turn in a paper minutes before a deadline, you’ve experienced the effects of procrastination. 

If you’re a chronic procrastinator, you’re in good company. In fact, one study found that 70% to 95% of undergraduate students procrastinate when it comes to doing their homework. Unfortunately, procrastination can negatively impact your grades. Researchers have found that procrastination can lower your grade on an assignment by as much as five points ...which might not sound serious until you realize that can mean the difference between a B- and a C+. 

Procrastination can also negatively affect your health by increasing your stress levels , which can lead to other health conditions like insomnia, a weakened immune system, and even heart conditions. Getting a handle on procrastination can not only improve your grades, it can make you feel better, too! 

The big thing to understand about procrastination is that it’s not the result of laziness. Laziness is defined as being “disinclined to activity or exertion.” In other words, being lazy is all about doing nothing. But a s this Psychology Today article explains , procrastinators don’t put things off because they don’t want to work. Instead, procrastinators tend to postpone tasks they don’t want to do in favor of tasks that they perceive as either more important or more fun. Put another way, procrastinators want to do things...as long as it’s not their homework! 

3 Tips f or Conquering Procrastination 

Because putting off doing homework is a common problem, there are lots of good tactics for addressing procrastination. Keep reading for our three expert tips that will get your homework habits back on track in no time. 

#1: Create a Reward System

Like we mentioned earlier, procrastination happens when you prioritize other activities over getting your homework done. Many times, this happens because homework...well, just isn’t enjoyable. But you can add some fun back into the process by rewarding yourself for getting your work done. 

Here’s what we mean: let’s say you decide that every time you get your homework done before the day it’s due, you’ll give yourself a point. For every five points you earn, you’ll treat yourself to your favorite dessert: a chocolate cupcake! Now you have an extra (delicious!) incentive to motivate you to leave procrastination in the dust. 

If you’re not into cupcakes, don’t worry. Your reward can be anything that motivates you . Maybe it’s hanging out with your best friend or an extra ten minutes of video game time. As long as you’re choosing something that makes homework worth doing, you’ll be successful. 

#2: Have a Homework Accountability Partner 

If you’re having trouble getting yourself to start your homework ahead of time, it may be a good idea to call in reinforcements . Find a friend or classmate you can trust and explain to them that you’re trying to change your homework habits. Ask them if they’d be willing to text you to make sure you’re doing your homework and check in with you once a week to see if you’re meeting your anti-procrastination goals. 

Sharing your goals can make them feel more real, and an accountability partner can help hold you responsible for your decisions. For example, let’s say you’re tempted to put off your science lab write-up until the morning before it’s due. But you know that your accountability partner is going to text you about it tomorrow...and you don’t want to fess up that you haven’t started your assignment. A homework accountability partner can give you the extra support and incentive you need to keep your homework habits on track. 

#3: Create Your Own Due Dates 

If you’re a life-long procrastinator, you might find that changing the habit is harder than you expected. In that case, you might try using procrastination to your advantage! If you just can’t seem to stop doing your work at the last minute, try setting your own due dates for assignments that range from a day to a week before the assignment is actually due. 

Here’s what we mean. Let’s say you have a math worksheet that’s been assigned on Tuesday and is due on Friday. In your planner, you can write down the due date as Thursday instead. You may still put off your homework assignment until the last minute...but in this case, the “last minute” is a day before the assignment’s real due date . This little hack can trick your procrastination-addicted brain into planning ahead! 

If you feel like Kevin Hart in this meme, then our tips for doing homework when you're busy are for you. 

How to Do Homework When You’re too Busy

If you’re aiming to go to a top-tier college , you’re going to have a full plate. Because college admissions is getting more competitive, it’s important that you’re maintaining your grades , studying hard for your standardized tests , and participating in extracurriculars so your application stands out. A packed schedule can get even more hectic once you add family obligations or a part-time job to the mix. 

If you feel like you’re being pulled in a million directions at once, you’re not alone. Recent research has found that stress—and more severe stress-related conditions like anxiety and depression— are a major problem for high school students . In fact, one study from the American Psychological Association found that during the school year, students’ stress levels are higher than those of the adults around them. 

For students, homework is a major contributor to their overall stress levels . Many high schoolers have multiple hours of homework every night , and figuring out how to fit it into an already-packed schedule can seem impossible. 

3 Tips for Fitting Homework Into Your Busy Schedule

While it might feel like you have literally no time left in your schedule, there are still ways to make sure you’re able to get your homework done and meet your other commitments. Here are our expert homework tips for even the busiest of students. 

#1: Make a Prioritized To-Do List 

You probably already have a to-do list to keep yourself on track. The next step is to prioritize the items on your to-do list so you can see what items need your attention right away. 

Here’s how it works: at the beginning of each day, sit down and make a list of all the items you need to get done before you go to bed. This includes your homework, but it should also take into account any practices, chores, events, or job shifts you may have. Once you get everything listed out, it’s time to prioritize them using the labels A, B, and C. Here’s what those labels mean:

• A Tasks : tasks that have to get done—like showing up at work or turning in an assignment—get an A. 
• B Tasks : these are tasks that you would like to get done by the end of the day but aren’t as time sensitive. For example, studying for a test you have next week could be a B-level task. It’s still important, but it doesn’t have to be done right away.
• C Tasks: these are tasks that aren’t very important and/or have no real consequences if you don’t get them done immediately. For instance, if you’re hoping to clean out your closet but it’s not an assigned chore from your parents, you could label that to-do item with a C.

Prioritizing your to-do list helps you visualize which items need your immediate attention, and which items you can leave for later. A prioritized to-do list ensures that you’re spending your time efficiently and effectively, which helps you make room in your schedule for homework. So even though you might really want to start making decorations for Homecoming (a B task), you’ll know that finishing your reading log (an A task) is more important. 

#2: Use a Planner With Time Labels

Your planner is probably packed with notes, events, and assignments already. (And if you’re not using a planner, it’s time to start!) But planners can do more for you than just remind you when an assignment is due. If you’re using a planner with time labels, it can help you visualize how you need to spend your day.

A planner with time labels breaks your day down into chunks, and you assign tasks to each chunk of time. For example, you can make a note of your class schedule with assignments, block out time to study, and make sure you know when you need to be at practice. Once you know which tasks take priority, you can add them to any empty spaces in your day. 

Planning out how you spend your time not only helps you use it wisely, it can help you feel less overwhelmed, too . We’re big fans of planners that include a task list ( like this one ) or have room for notes ( like this one ). 

#3: Set Reminders on Your Phone 

If you need a little extra nudge to make sure you’re getting your homework done on time, it’s a good idea to set some reminders on your phone. You don’t need a fancy app, either. You can use your alarm app to have it go off at specific times throughout the day to remind you to do your homework. This works especially well if you have a set homework time scheduled. So if you’ve decided you’re doing homework at 6:00 pm, you can set an alarm to remind you to bust out your books and get to work. 

If you use your phone as your planner, you may have the option to add alerts, emails, or notifications to scheduled events . Many calendar apps, including the one that comes with your phone, have built-in reminders that you can customize to meet your needs. So if you block off time to do your homework from 4:30 to 6:00 pm, you can set a reminder that will pop up on your phone when it’s time to get started. 

This dog isn't judging your lack of motivation...but your teacher might. Keep reading for tips to help you motivate yourself to do your homework.

How to Do Homework When You’re Unmotivated 

At first glance, it may seem like procrastination and being unmotivated are the same thing. After all, both of these issues usually result in you putting off your homework until the very last minute. 

But there’s one key difference: many procrastinators are working, they’re just prioritizing work differently. They know they’re going to start their homework...they’re just going to do it later. 

Conversely, people who are unmotivated to do homework just can’t find the willpower to tackle their assignments. Procrastinators know they’ll at least attempt the homework at the last minute, whereas people who are unmotivated struggle with convincing themselves to do it at a ll. For procrastinators, the stress comes from the inevitable time crunch. For unmotivated people, the stress comes from trying to convince themselves to do something they don’t want to do in the first place. 

Here are some common reasons students are unmotivated in doing homework : 

• Assignments are too easy, too hard, or seemingly pointless 
• Students aren’t interested in (or passionate about) the subject matter
• Students are intimidated by the work and/or feels like they don’t understand the assignment 
• Homework isn’t fun, and students would rather spend their time on things that they enjoy 

To sum it up: people who lack motivation to do their homework are more likely to not do it at all, or to spend more time worrying about doing their homework than...well, actually doing it.

3 Tips for How to Get Motivated to Do Homework

The key to getting homework done when you’re unmotivated is to figure out what does motivate you, then apply those things to homework. It sounds tricky...but it’s pretty simple once you get the hang of it! Here are our three expert tips for motivating yourself to do your homework. 

#1: Use Incremental Incentives

When you’re not motivated, it’s important to give yourself small rewards to stay focused on finishing the task at hand. The trick is to keep the incentives small and to reward yourself often. For example, maybe you’re reading a good book in your free time. For every ten minutes you spend on your homework, you get to read five pages of your book. Like we mentioned earlier, make sure you’re choosing a reward that works for you! 

So why does this technique work? Using small rewards more often allows you to experience small wins for getting your work done. Every time you make it to one of your tiny reward points, you get to celebrate your success, which gives your brain a boost of dopamine . Dopamine helps you stay motivated and also creates a feeling of satisfaction when you complete your homework !  

#2: Form a Homework Group 

If you’re having trouble motivating yourself, it’s okay to turn to others for support. Creating a homework group can help with this. Bring together a group of your friends or classmates, and pick one time a week where you meet and work on homework together. You don’t have to be in the same class, or even taking the same subjects— the goal is to encourage one another to start (and finish!) your assignments. 

Another added benefit of a homework group is that you can help one another if you’re struggling to understand the material covered in your classes. This is especially helpful if your lack of motivation comes from being intimidated by your assignments. Asking your friends for help may feel less scary than talking to your teacher...and once you get a handle on the material, your homework may become less frightening, too. 

#3: Change Up Your Environment 

If you find that you’re totally unmotivated, it may help if you find a new place to do your homework. For example, if you’ve been struggling to get your homework done at home, try spending an extra hour in the library after school instead. The change of scenery can limit your distractions and give you the energy you need to get your work done. 

If you’re stuck doing homework at home, you can still use this tip. For instance, maybe you’ve always done your homework sitting on your bed. Try relocating somewhere else, like your kitchen table, for a few weeks. You may find that setting up a new “homework spot” in your house gives you a motivational lift and helps you get your work done. 

Social media can be a huge problem when it comes to doing homework. We have advice for helping you unplug and regain focus.

How to Do Homework When You’re Easily Distracted

We live in an always-on world, and there are tons of things clamoring for our attention. From friends and family to pop culture and social media, it seems like there’s always something (or someone!) distracting us from the things we need to do.

The 24/7 world we live in has affected our ability to focus on tasks for prolonged periods of time. Research has shown that over the past decade, an average person’s attention span has gone from 12 seconds to eight seconds . And when we do lose focus, i t takes people a long time to get back on task . One study found that it can take as long as 23 minutes to get back to work once we’ve been distracte d. No wonder it can take hours to get your homework done! 

3 Tips to Improve Your Focus

If you have a hard time focusing when you’re doing your homework, it’s a good idea to try and eliminate as many distractions as possible. Here are three expert tips for blocking out the noise so you can focus on getting your homework done. 

#1: Create a Distraction-Free Environment

Pick a place where you’ll do your homework every day, and make it as distraction-free as possible. Try to find a location where there won’t be tons of noise, and limit your access to screens while you’re doing your homework. Put together a focus-oriented playlist (or choose one on your favorite streaming service), and put your headphones on while you work. 

You may find that other people, like your friends and family, are your biggest distraction. If that’s the case, try setting up some homework boundaries. Let them know when you’ll be working on homework every day, and ask them if they’ll help you keep a quiet environment. They’ll be happy to lend a hand! 

#2: Limit Your Access to Technology 

We know, we know...this tip isn’t fun, but it does work. For homework that doesn’t require a computer, like handouts or worksheets, it’s best to put all your technology away . Turn off your television, put your phone and laptop in your backpack, and silence notifications on any wearable tech you may be sporting. If you listen to music while you work, that’s fine...but make sure you have a playlist set up so you’re not shuffling through songs once you get started on your homework. 

If your homework requires your laptop or tablet, it can be harder to limit your access to distractions. But it’s not impossible! T here are apps you can download that will block certain websites while you’re working so that you’re not tempted to scroll through Twitter or check your Facebook feed. Silence notifications and text messages on your computer, and don’t open your email account unless you absolutely have to. And if you don’t need access to the internet to complete your assignments, turn off your WiFi. Cutting out the online chatter is a great way to make sure you’re getting your homework done. 

#3: Set a Timer (the Pomodoro Technique)

Have you ever heard of the Pomodoro technique ? It’s a productivity hack that uses a timer to help you focus!

Here’s how it works: first, set a timer for 25 minutes. This is going to be your work time. During this 25 minutes, all you can do is work on whatever homework assignment you have in front of you. No email, no text messaging, no phone calls—just homework. When that timer goes off, you get to take a 5 minute break. Every time you go through one of these cycles, it’s called a “pomodoro.” For every four pomodoros you complete, you can take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes.

The pomodoro technique works through a combination of boundary setting and rewards. First, it gives you a finite amount of time to focus, so you know that you only have to work really hard for 25 minutes. Once you’ve done that, you’re rewarded with a short break where you can do whatever you want. Additionally, tracking how many pomodoros you complete can help you see how long you’re really working on your homework. (Once you start using our focus tips, you may find it doesn’t take as long as you thought!)

Two Bonus Tips for How to Do Homework Fast

Even if you’re doing everything right, there will be times when you just need to get your homework done as fast as possible. (Why do teachers always have projects due in the same week? The world may never know.)

The problem with speeding through homework is that it’s easy to make mistakes. While turning in an assignment is always better than not submitting anything at all, you want to make sure that you’re not compromising quality for speed. Simply put, the goal is to get your homework done quickly and still make a good grade on the assignment! 

Here are our two bonus tips for getting a decent grade on your homework assignments , even when you’re in a time crunch. 

#1: Do the Easy Parts First 

This is especially true if you’re working on a handout with multiple questions. Before you start working on the assignment, read through all the questions and problems. As you do, make a mark beside the questions you think are “easy” to answer . 

Once you’ve finished going through the whole assignment, you can answer these questions first. Getting the easy questions out of the way as quickly as possible lets you spend more time on the trickier portions of your homework, which will maximize your assignment grade. 

(Quick note: this is also a good strategy to use on timed assignments and tests, like the SAT and the ACT !) 

#2: Pay Attention in Class 

Homework gets a lot easier when you’re actively learning the material. Teachers aren’t giving you homework because they’re mean or trying to ruin your weekend... it’s because they want you to really understand the course material. Homework is designed to reinforce what you’re already learning in class so you’ll be ready to tackle harder concepts later.

When you pay attention in class, ask questions, and take good notes, you’re absorbing the information you’ll need to succeed on your homework assignments. (You’re stuck in class anyway, so you might as well make the most of it!) Not only will paying attention in class make your homework less confusing, it will also help it go much faster, too.

What’s Next?

If you’re looking to improve your productivity beyond homework, a good place to begin is with time management. After all, we only have so much time in a day...so it’s important to get the most out of it! To get you started, check out this list of the 12 best time management techniques that you can start using today.

You may have read this article because homework struggles have been affecting your GPA. Now that you’re on the path to homework success, it’s time to start being proactive about raising your grades. This article teaches you everything you need to know about raising your GPA so you can

Now you know how to get motivated to do homework...but what about your study habits? Studying is just as critical to getting good grades, and ultimately getting into a good college . We can teach you how to study bette r in high school. (We’ve also got tons of resources to help you study for your ACT and SAT exams , too!)

These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.

Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

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30 Tips to Stop Procrastinating and Find Motivation to Do Homework

Updated on June 6, 2023 By Daniel Wong 44 Comments

To stop procrastinating on homework, you need to find motivation to do the homework in the first place.

But first, you have to overcome feeling too overwhelmed to even start.

You know what it feels like when everything hits you at once, right?

You have three tests to study for and a math assignment due tomorrow.

And you’ve got a history report due the day after.

You tell yourself to get down to work. But with so much to do, you feel overwhelmed.

So you procrastinate.

You check your social media feed, watch a few videos, and get yourself a drink. But you know that none of this is bringing you closer to getting the work done.

Does this sound familiar?

Don’t worry – you are not alone. Procrastination is a problem that everyone faces, but there are ways around it.

By following the tips in this article, you’ll be able to overcome procrastination and consistently find the motivation to do the homework .

So read on to discover 30 powerful tips to help you stop procrastinating on your homework.

Enter your email below to download a PDF summary of this article. The PDF contains all the tips found here, plus  3 exclusive bonus tips that you’ll only find in the PDF.

How to stop procrastinating and motivate yourself to do your homework.

Procrastination when it comes to homework isn’t just an issue of laziness or a lack of motivation .

The following tips will help you to first address the root cause of your procrastination and then implement strategies to keep your motivation levels high.

1. Take a quiz to see how much you procrastinate.

The first step to changing your behavior is to become more self-aware.

How often do you procrastinate? What kinds of tasks do you tend to put off? Is procrastination a small or big problem for you?

To answer these questions, I suggest that you take this online quiz designed by Psychology Today .

2. Figure out why you’re procrastinating.

Procrastination is a complex issue that involves multiple factors.

Stop thinking of excuses for not doing your homework , and figure out what’s keeping you from getting started.

Are you procrastinating because:

• You’re not sure you’ll be able to solve all the homework problems?
• You’re subconsciously rebelling against your teachers or parents?
• You’re not interested in the subject or topic?
• You’re physically or mentally tired?
• You’re waiting for the perfect time to start?
• You don’t know where to start?

Once you’ve identified exactly why you’re procrastinating, you can pick out the tips in this article that will get to the root of the problem.

3. Write down what you’re procrastinating on.

Students tend to procrastinate when they’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed.

But you might be surprised to discover that simply by writing down the specific tasks you’re putting off, the situation will feel more manageable.

It’s a quick solution, and it makes a real difference.

Give it a try and you’ll be less likely to procrastinate.

4. Put your homework on your desk.

Here’s an even simpler idea.

Many times, the hardest part of getting your homework done is getting started.

It doesn’t require a lot of willpower to take out your homework and put it on your desk.

But once it’s sitting there in front of you, you’ll be much closer to actually getting down to work.

5. Break down the task into smaller steps.

This one trick will make any task seem more manageable.

For example, if you have a history report to write, you could break it down into the following steps:

• Read the history textbook
• Do online research
• Organize the information
• Create an outline
• Write the introduction
• Write the body paragraphs
• Write the conclusion
• Edit and proofread the report

Focus on just one step at a time. This way, you won’t need to motivate yourself to write the whole report at one go.

This is an important technique to use if you want to study smart and get more done .

6. Create a detailed timeline with specific deadlines.

As a follow-up to Point #5, you can further combat procrastination by creating a timeline with specific deadlines.

Using the same example above, I’ve added deadlines to each of the steps:

• Jan 30 th : Read the history textbook
• Feb 2 nd : Do online research
• Feb 3 rd : Organize the information
• Feb 5 th : Create an outline
• Feb 8 th : Write the introduction
• Feb 12 th : Write the body paragraphs
• Feb 14 th : Write the conclusion
• Feb 16 th : Edit and proofread the report

Assigning specific dates creates a sense of urgency, which makes it more likely that you’ll keep to the deadlines.

7. Spend time with people who are focused and hardworking.

Jim Rohn famously said that you’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with.

If you hang out with people who are motivated and hardworking, you’ll become more like them.

Likewise, if you hang out with people who continually procrastinate, you’ll become more like them too.

Motivation to do homework naturally increases when you surround yourself with the right people.

So choose your friends wisely. Find homework buddies who will influence you positively to become a straight-A student who leads a balanced life.

That doesn’t mean you can’t have any fun! It just means that you and your friends know when it’s time to get down to work and when it’s time to enjoy yourselves.

8. Tell at least two or three people about the tasks you plan to complete.

When you tell others about the tasks you intend to finish, you’ll be more likely to follow through with your plans.

This is called “accountability,” and it kicks in because you want to be seen as someone who keeps your word.

So if you know about this principle, why not use it to your advantage?

You could even ask a friend to be your accountability buddy. At the beginning of each day, you could text each other what you plan to work on that day.

Then at the end of the day, you could check in with each other to see if things went according to plan.

9. Change your environment .

Maybe it’s your environment that’s making you feel sluggish.

When you’re doing your homework, is your super-comfortable bed just two steps away? Or is your distracting computer within easy reach?

If your environment is part of your procrastination problem, then change it.

Sometimes all you need is a simple change of scenery. Bring your work to the dining room table and get it done there. Or head to a nearby café to complete your report.

10. Talk to people who have overcome their procrastination problem.

If you have friends who consistently win the battle with procrastination, learn from their experience.

What was the turning point for them? What tips and strategies do they use? What keeps them motivated?

Find all this out, and then apply the information to your own situation.

11. Decide on a reward to give yourself after you complete your task.

“Planned” rewards are a great way to motivate yourself to do your homework.

The reward doesn’t have to be something huge.

For instance, you might decide that after you finish 10 questions of your math homework, you get to watch your favorite TV show.

Or you might decide that after reading one chapter of your history textbook, you get to spend 10 minutes on Facebook.

By giving yourself a reward, you’ll feel more motivated to get through the task at hand.

12. Decide on a consequence you’ll impose on yourself if you don’t meet the deadline.

It’s important that you decide on what the consequence will be before you start working toward your goal.

As an example, you could tell your younger brother that you’ll give him $1 for every deadline you don’t meet (see Point #6).

Or you could decide that you’ll delete one game from your phone for every late homework submission.

Those consequences would probably be painful enough to help you get down to work, right?

13. Visualize success.

Take 30 seconds and imagine how you’ll feel when you finish your work.

What positive emotions will you experience?

Will you feel a sense of satisfaction from getting all your work done?

Will you relish the extra time on your hands when you get your homework done fast and ahead of time?

This simple exercise of visualizing success may be enough to inspire you to start doing your assignment.

14. Visualize the process it will take to achieve that success.

Even more important than visualizing the outcome is visualizing the process it will take to achieve that outcome.

Research shows that focusing on the process is critical to success. If you’re procrastinating on a task, take a few moments to think about what you’ll need to do to complete it.

Visualize the following:

• What resources you’ll need
• Who you can turn to for help
• How long the task will take
• Where you’ll work on the task
• The joy you’ll experience as you make progress

This kind of visualization is like practice for your mind.

Once you understand what’s necessary to achieve your goal, you’ll find that it’s much easier to get down to work with real focus. This is key to doing well in school .

15. Write down why you want to complete the task.

You’ll be more motivated when you’re clear about why you want to accomplish something.

To motivate yourself to do your homework, think about all the ways in which it’s a meaningful task.

So take a couple of minutes to write down the reasons. Here are some possible ones:

• Learn useful information
• Master the topic
• Enjoy a sense of accomplishment when you’ve completed the task
• Become a more focused student
• Learn to embrace challenges
• Fulfill your responsibility as a student
• Get a good grade on the assignment

16. Write down the negative feelings you’ll have if you don’t complete the task.

If you don’t complete the assignment, you might feel disappointed or discouraged. You might even feel as if you’ve let your parents or your teacher – or even yourself – down.

It isn’t wise to dwell on these negative emotions for too long. But by imagining how you’ll feel if you don’t finish the task, you’ll realize how important it is that you get to work.

17. Do the hardest task first.

Most students will choose to do the easiest task first, rather than the hardest one. But this approach isn’t effective because it leaves the worst for last.

It’s more difficult to find motivation to do homework in less enjoyable subjects.

As Brian Tracy says , “Eat that frog!” By this, he means that you should always get your most difficult task out of the way at the beginning of the day.

If math is your least favorite subject, force yourself to complete your math homework first.

After doing so, you’ll feel a surge of motivation from knowing it’s finished. And you won’t procrastinate on your other homework because it will seem easier in comparison.

(On a separate note, check out these tips on how to get better at math if you’re struggling.)

18. Set a timer when doing your homework.

I recommend that you use a stopwatch for every homework session. (If you prefer, you could also use this online stopwatch or the Tomato Timer .)

Start the timer at the beginning of the session, and work in 30- to 45-minute blocks.

Using a timer creates a sense of urgency, which will help you fight off your urge to procrastinate.

When you know you only have to work for a short session, it will be easier to find motivation to complete your homework.

Tell yourself that you need to work hard until the timer goes off, and then you can take a break. (And then be sure to take that break!)

19. Eliminate distractions.

Here are some suggestions on how you can do this:

• Delete all the games and social media apps on your phone
• Turn off all notifications on your phone
• Mute your group chats
• Archive your inactive chats
• Turn off your phone, or put it on airplane mode
• Put your phone at least 10 feet away from you
• Turn off the Internet access on your computer
• Use an app like Freedom to restrict your Internet usage
• Put any other distractions (like food, magazines and books unrelated to your homework) at the other end of the room
• Unplug the TV
• Use earplugs if your surroundings are noisy

20. At the start of each day, write down the two to three Most Important Tasks (MITs) you want to accomplish.

This will enable you to prioritize your tasks. As Josh Kaufman explains , a Most Important Task (MIT) is a critical task that will help you to get significant results down the road.

Not all tasks are equally important. That’s why it’s vital that you identify your MITs, so that you can complete those as early in the day as possible.

What do you most need to get done today? That’s an MIT.

Get to work on it, then feel the satisfaction that comes from knowing it’s out of the way.

21. Focus on progress instead of perfection.

Perfectionism can destroy your motivation to do homework and keep you from starting important assignments.

Some students procrastinate because they’re waiting for the perfect time to start.

Others do so because they want to get their homework done perfectly. But they know this isn’t really possible – so they put off even getting started.

What’s the solution?

To focus on progress instead of perfection.

There’s never a perfect time for anything. Nor will you ever be able to complete your homework perfectly. But you can do your best, and that’s enough.

So concentrate on learning and improving, and turn this into a habit that you implement whenever you study .

22. Get organized.

Procrastination is common among students who are disorganized.

When you can’t remember which assignment is due when or which tests you have coming up, you’ll naturally feel confused. You’ll experience school- and test-related stress .

This, in turn, will lead to procrastination.

That’s why it’s crucial that you get organized. Here are some tips for doing this:

• Don’t rely on your memory ; write everything down
• Keep a to-do list
• Use a student planner
• Use a calendar and take note of important dates like exams, project due dates, school holidays , birthdays, and family events
• At the end of each day, plan for the following day
• Use one binder or folder for each subject or course
• Do weekly filing of your loose papers, notes, and old homework
• Throw away all the papers and notes you no longer need

23. Stop saying “I have to” and start saying “I choose to.”

When you say things like “I have to write my essay” or “I have to finish my science assignment,” you’ll probably feel annoyed. You might be tempted to complain about your teachers or your school .

What’s the alternative?

To use the phrase “I choose to.”

The truth is, you don’t “have” to do anything.

You can choose not to write your essay; you’ll just run the risk of failing the class.

You can choose not to do your science assignment; you’ll just need to deal with your angry teacher.

When you say “I choose to do my homework,” you’ll feel empowered. This means you’ll be more motivated to study and to do what you ought to.

24. Clear your desk once a week.

Clutter can be demotivating. It also causes stress , which is often at the root of procrastination.

Hard to believe? Give it a try and see for yourself.

By clearing your desk, you’ll reduce stress and make your workspace more organized.

So set a recurring appointment to organize your workspace once a week for just 10 minutes. You’ll receive huge benefits in the long run!

25. If a task takes two minutes or less to complete, do it now.

This is a principle from David Allen’s bestselling book, Getting Things Done .

You may notice that you tend to procrastinate when many tasks pile up. The way to prevent this from happening is to take care of the small but important tasks as soon as you have time.

Here are some examples of small two-minute tasks that you should do once you have a chance:

• Replying to your project group member’s email
• Picking up anything on the floor that doesn’t belong there
• Asking your parents to sign a consent form
• Filing a graded assignment
• Making a quick phone call
• Writing a checklist
• Sending a text to schedule a meeting
• Making an online purchase that doesn’t require further research

26. Finish one task before starting on the next.

You aren’t being productive when you switch between working on your literature essay, social studies report, and physics problem set – while also intermittently checking your phone.

Research shows that multitasking is less effective than doing one thing at a time. Multitasking may even damage your brain !

When it comes to overcoming procrastination, it’s better to stick with one task all the way through before starting on the next one.

You’ll get a sense of accomplishment when you finish the first assignment, which will give you a boost of inspiration as you move on to the next one.

27. Build your focus gradually.

You can’t win the battle against procrastination overnight; it takes time. This means that you need to build your focus progressively.

If you can only focus for 10 minutes at once, that’s fine. Start with three sessions of 10 minutes a day. After a week, increase it to three sessions of 15 minutes a day, and so on.

As the weeks go by, you’ll become far more focused than when you first started. And you’ll soon see how great that makes you feel.

28. Before you start work, write down three things you’re thankful for.

Gratitude improves your psychological health and increases your mental strength .

These factors are linked to motivation. The more you practice gratitude, the easier it will be to find motivation to do your homework. As such, it’s less likely that you’ll be a serial procrastinator.

Before you get down to work for the day, write down three things you’re thankful for. These could be simple things like good health, fine weather, or a loving family.

You could even do this in a “gratitude journal,” which you can then look back on whenever you need a shot of fresh appreciation for the good things in your life.

Either way, this short exercise will get you in the right mindset to be productive.

29. Get enough sleep.

For most people, this means getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night. And teenagers need 8 to 10 hours of sleep a night to function optimally.

What does sleep have to do with procrastination?

More than you might realize.

It’s almost impossible to feel motivated when you’re tired. And when you’re low on energy, your willpower is depleted too.

That’s why you give in to the temptation of Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube videos more easily when you’re sleep-deprived.

Here are ways to get more sleep , and sleep better too:

• Create a bedtime routine
• Go to sleep at around the same time every night
• Set a daily alarm as a reminder to go to bed
• Exercise regularly (but not within a few hours of bedtime)
• Make your bedroom as dark as possible
• Remove or switch off all electronic devices before bedtime
• Avoid caffeine at least six hours before bedtime
• Use an eye mask and earplugs

30. Schedule appointments with yourself to complete your homework.

These appointments are specific blocks of time reserved for working on a report, assignment, or project. Scheduling appointments is effective because it makes the task more “official,” so you’re more likely to keep the appointment.

For example, you could schedule appointments such as:

• Jan 25 th , 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm: Math assignment
• Jan 27 th , 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Online research for social studies project
• Jan 28 th , 4:30 pm – 5:00 pm: Write introduction for English essay

Transform homework procrastination into homework motivation

Procrastination is a problem we all face.

But given that you’ve read all the way to here, I know you’re committed to overcoming this problem.

And now that you’re armed with these tips, you have all the tools you need to become more disciplined and focused .

By the way, please don’t feel as if you need to implement all the tips at once, because that would be too overwhelming.

Instead, I recommend that you focus on just a couple of tips a week, and make gradual progress. No rush!

Over time, you’ll realize that your habit of procrastination has been replaced by the habit of getting things done.

Now’s the time to get started on that process of transformation. 🙂

Like this article? Please share it with your friends.

Images: Student and books , Homework , Group of students , Consequences , Why , Writing a list , Organized desk , Gratitude

January 19, 2016 at 11:53 am

Ur tips are rlly helpful. Thnkyou ! 🙂

January 19, 2016 at 1:43 pm

You’re welcome 🙂

August 29, 2018 at 11:21 am

Thanks very much

February 19, 2019 at 1:38 pm

The funny thing is while I was reading the first few steps of this article I was procrastinating on my homework….

November 12, 2019 at 12:44 pm

same here! but now I actually want to get my stuff done… huh

December 4, 2022 at 11:35 pm

May 30, 2023 at 6:26 am

October 25, 2023 at 11:35 am

fr tho i totally was but now I’m actually going to get started haha

June 6, 2020 at 6:04 am

I love your articles

January 21, 2016 at 7:07 pm

Thanks soo much. It’s almost like you could read my mind- when I felt so overwhelmed with the workload heap I had created for myself by procrastination, I know feel very motivated to tackle it out completely and replace that bad habit with the wonderful tips mentioned here! 🙂

January 21, 2016 at 8:04 pm

I’m glad to help 🙂

January 25, 2016 at 3:09 pm

You have shared great tips here. I especially like the point “Write down why you want to complete the task” because it is helpful to make us more motivated when we are clear about our goals

January 25, 2016 at 4:51 pm

Glad that you found the tips useful, John!

January 29, 2016 at 1:22 am

Thank you very much for your wonderful tips!!! ☺☺☺

January 29, 2016 at 10:41 am

It’s my joy to help, Kabir 🙂

February 3, 2016 at 12:57 pm

Always love your articles. Keep them up 🙂

February 3, 2016 at 1:21 pm

Thanks, Matthew 🙂

February 4, 2016 at 1:40 pm

There are quite a lot of things that you need to do in order to come out with flying colors while studying in a university away from your homeland. Procrastinating on homework is one of the major mistakes committed by students and these tips will help you to avoid them all and make yourself more efficient during your student life.

February 4, 2016 at 1:58 pm

Completely agreed, Leong Siew.

October 5, 2018 at 12:52 am

Wow! thank you very much, I love it .

November 2, 2018 at 10:45 am

You are helping me a lot.. thank you very much….😊

November 6, 2018 at 5:19 pm

I’m procrastinating by reading this

November 29, 2018 at 10:21 am

January 8, 2021 at 3:38 am

March 3, 2019 at 9:12 am

Daniel, your amazing information and advice, has been very useful! Please keep up your excellent work!

April 12, 2019 at 11:12 am

We should stop procrastinating.

September 28, 2019 at 5:19 pm

Thank you so much for the tips:) i’ve been procrastinating since i started high schools and my grades were really bad “F” but the tips have made me a straight A student again.

January 23, 2020 at 7:43 pm

Thanks for the tips, Daniel! They’re really useful! 😁

April 10, 2020 at 2:15 pm

I have always stood first in my class. But procrastination has always been a very bad habit of mine which is why I lost marks for late submission .As an excuse for finding motivation for studying I would spend hours on the phone and I would eventually procrastinate. So I tried your tips and tricks today and they really worked.i am so glad and thankful for your help. 🇮🇳Love from India🇮🇳

April 15, 2020 at 11:16 am

Well I’m gonna give this a shot it looks and sounds very helpful thank you guys I really needed this

April 16, 2020 at 9:48 pm

Daniel, your amazing information and advice, has been very useful! keep up your excellent work! May you give more useful content to us.

May 6, 2020 at 5:03 pm

nice article thanks for your sharing.

May 20, 2020 at 4:49 am

Thank you so much this helped me so much but I was wondering about like what if you just like being lazy and stuff and don’t feel like doing anything and you don’t want to tell anyone because you might annoy them and you just don’t want to add your problems and put another burden on theirs

July 12, 2020 at 1:55 am

I’ve read many short procrastination tip articles and always thought they were stupid or overlooking the actual problem. ‘do this and this’ or that and that, and I sit there thinking I CAN’T. This article had some nice original tips that I actually followed and really did make me feel a bit better. Cheers, diving into what will probably be a 3 hour case study.

August 22, 2020 at 10:14 pm

Nicely explain each tips and those are practical thanks for sharing. Dr.Achyut More

November 11, 2020 at 12:34 pm

Thanks a lot! It was very helpful!

November 15, 2020 at 9:11 am

I keep catching myself procrastinating today. I started reading this yesterday, but then I realized I was procrastinating, so I stopped to finish it today. Thank you for all the great tips.

November 30, 2020 at 5:15 pm

Woow this is so great. Thanks so much Daniel

December 3, 2020 at 3:13 am

These tips were very helpful!

December 18, 2020 at 11:54 am

Procrastination is a major problem of mine, and this, this is very helpful. It is very motivational, now I think I can complete my work.

December 28, 2020 at 2:44 pm

Daniel Wong: When you’re doing your homework, is your super-comfortable bed just two steps away? Me: Nope, my super-comfortable bed is one step away. (But I seriously can’t study anywhere else. If I go to the dining table, my mum would be right in front of me talking loudly on the phone with colleagues and other rooms is an absolute no. My mum doesn’t allow me to go outside. Please give me some suggestions. )

September 19, 2022 at 12:14 pm

I would try and find some noise cancelling headphones to play some classical music or get some earbuds to ignore you mum lol

March 1, 2021 at 5:46 pm

Thank you very much. I highly appreciate it.

May 12, 2023 at 3:38 am

This is great advice. My little niece is now six years old and I like to use those nice cheap child friendly workbooks with her. This is done in order to help her to learn things completely on her own. I however prefer to test her on her own knowledge however. After a rather quick demonstration in the lesson I then tend to give her two simple questions to start off with. And it works a treat. Seriously. I love it. She loves it. The exam questions are for her to answer on her own on a notepad. If she can, she will receive a gold medal and a box of sweets. If not she only gets a plastic toy. We do this all the time to help her understand. Once a week we spend up to thirty minutes in a math lesson on this technique for recalling the basic facts. I have had a lot of great success with this new age technique. So I’m going to carry on with it for now.

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How many times have you found yourself still staring at your textbook around midnight (or later!) even when you started your homework hours earlier? Those lost hours could be explained by Parkinson’s Law, which states, “Work expands to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, if you give yourself all night to memorize those geometry formulas for your quiz tomorrow, you’ll inevitably find that a 30 minute task has somehow filled your entire evening.

We know that you have more homework than ever. But even with lots and lots to do, a few tweaks to your study routine could help you spend less time getting more accomplished. Here are 8 steps to make Parkinson’s Law work to your advantage:

1. Make a list

This should be a list of everything that has to be done that evening. And we mean, everything—from re-reading notes from this morning’s history class to quizzing yourself on Spanish vocabulary.

2. Estimate the time needed for each item on your list

You can be a little ruthless here. However long you think a task will take, try shaving off 5 or 10 minutes. But, be realistic. You won’t magically become a speed reader.

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3. Gather all your gear

Collect EVERYTHING you will need for the homework you are working on (like your laptop for writing assignments and pencils for problem sets). Getting up for supplies takes you off course and makes it that much harder to get back to your homework.

The constant blings and beeps from your devices can make it impossible to focus on what you are working on. Switch off or silence your phones and tablets, or leave them in another room until it’s time to take a tech break.

Read More: How to Calculate Your GPA

5. Time yourself

Noting how much time something actually takes will help you estimate better and plan your next study session.

6. Stay on task

If you’re fact checking online, it can be so easy to surf on over to a completely unrelated site. A better strategy is to note what information you need to find online, and do it all at once at the end of the study session.

7. Take plenty of breaks

Most of us need a break between subjects or to break up long stretches of studying. Active breaks are a great way to keep your energy up. Tech breaks can be an awesome way to combat the fear of missing out that might strike while you are buried in your work, but they also tend to stretch much longer than originally intended. Stick to a break schedule of 10 minutes or so.

8. Reward yourself! 

Finish early? If you had allocated 30 minutes for reading a biology chapter and it only took 20, you can apply those extra 10 minutes to a short break—or just move on to your next task. If you stay on track, you might breeze through your work quickly enough to catch up on some Netflix.

Our best piece of advice? Keep at it. The more you use this system, the easier it will become. You’ll be surprised by how much time you can shave off homework just by focusing and committing to a distraction-free study plan.

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Tips for Successful Late Night Studying

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What is your best study time ? Do you feel most like studying in the wee hours of the night? If so, you are not alone. But that can be a problem for parents and school officials.

While some students like to get up early in the morning and study, most will say that late night studying is most productive. When it comes to brain power, students will say they perform better at night--and the fact that parents might find surprising and interesting is that science seems to agree.

That can be a problem. School starts early in the morning for most students, so the benefits of studying at night can be eliminated by the drowsiness of missing sleep! Science also shows that the amount of sleep you get will affect your academic performance .

Here Are a Few Tips for Maximizing Study Time

• Figure out if you are a morning person or a night person. You might surprise yourself. Try getting up early to study and see if it works out.
• Have a talk with parents to tell them that teen brains do perform better at night, so you won’t have to deal with miscommunication. Show them the science. You might be able to come up with a solution.
• Agree on an absolute “start time” for studying if you need to study late. Turn off the TV! Your brain should be just fine at six or seven o’clock. You don’t need to start after dark.
• Agree on a solid deadline for closing books and getting to sleep.
• Don't waste time on texts , games, and social media . You can do all of that early evening and get serious later in the evening if you're a night owl.
• Upon occasion, you may be able to go to school a little late if you have to study for an afternoon test. As long as you are communicating with your parents, and as long as the tardiness doesn't hurt your grades, you may be able to work this out.

Improved Academic Success. ScienceDaily . Retrieved November 7, 2009, from http://www.sciencedaily.com¬ /releases/2009/06/090610091232.htm

Teens. ScienceDaily . Retrieved November 7, 2009, from http://www.sciencedaily.com¬ /releases/2007/05/070520130046.htm

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How to Do Homework in the Morning

Last Updated: June 28, 2021 References

This article was co-authored by Jennifer Kaifesh and by wikiHow staff writer, Amber Crain . Jennifer Kaifesh is the Founder of Great Expectations College Prep, a tutoring and counseling service based in Southern California. Jennifer has over 15 years of experience managing and facilitating academic tutoring and standardized test prep as it relates to the college application process. She takes a personal approach to her tutoring, and focuses on working with students to find their specific mix of pursuits that they both enjoy and excel at. She is a graduate of Northwestern University. There are 11 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 144,446 times.

If you want to get some homework done in the morning, that's awesome! Just make sure you get everything ready the night before so you can get right to work in the morning. We've created a list to help you do just that! We'll start by walking you through some ways to prepare the night before and then share a few pointers to help you have a stress-free morning.

Figure out how much time you'll need in the morning.

• Don't forget to leave plenty of time for eating breakfast and getting ready!

Leave your homework out so it's ready to go.

• If you think you might need stuff like a dictionary, graph paper, or a ruler, go ahead and grab it now. [3] X Trustworthy Source Child Mind Institute Nonprofit organization providing evidence-based care for children with mental health and learning disorders and their families Go to source

Pack your lunch and set out your clothes at night.

Set your alarm to wake you up in the morning.

• If you have a family member who wakes up early, ask them to make sure you’re awake in the morning and to wake you up immediately if you’re still snoozing.

Go to bed at a sensible hour so you won't be tired.

• Put your phone on a sleep timer if your friends have a habit of calling or texting you late into the night.

Sit at a desk or table to finish your homework in the morning.

• If your bed is starting to look a little too appealing as you’re working at your desk, get up and go work at the kitchen table, just in case!

Do logic-based homework first.

Get up and move around if you start to feel sleepy.

• Be careful not to get distracted! Limit your break to 1-2 minutes.

Leave enough time to get to school before the first bell.

Give yourself more than a day for tough assignments.

• If you're procrastinating because you don't understand the assignment, don't be afraid to ask your teacher to clarify! Ask for clear instructions and examples so you can get started. [13] X Trustworthy Source Edutopia Educational nonprofit organization focused on encouraging and celebrating classroom innovation Go to source

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• ↑ https://www.startupwisconsin.org/tricky-tips-on-how-to-do-homework-early-in-the-morning.htm
• ↑ https://ofy.org/blog/homework-hacks-8-tips-get-done-faster/
• ↑ https://childmind.org/article/strategies-to-make-homework-go-more-smoothly/
• ↑ https://childmind.org/article/school-mornings-without-the-stress/
• ↑ https://www.fastcompany.com/3041455/8-tricks-to-make-yourself-wake-up-earlier
• ↑ https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/sleep/Pages/healthy-sleep-habits-how-many-hours-does-your-child-need.aspx
• ↑ https://childmind.org/article/teenagers-sleep-deprived/
• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/organize-focus.html
• ↑ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/2017/04/12/maths-classes-should-taught-morning-improve-attainment-study/
• ↑ https://www.chkd.org/patients-and-families/health-library/quick-tips/homework-procrastination/
• ↑ https://www.edutopia.org/article/3-reasons-students-procrastinate-and-how-help-them-stop

About this article

If you want to do your homework in the morning, prepare the night before by setting out your homework on your desk so you don't waste time the next day. Then, set your alarm so you wake up with enough time to complete your assignments, have breakfast, and get to school. When you wake up in the morning, do stretches to make you feel more alert and drink a glass of cold water to release adrenaline. Finally, sit at a desk or table to do your assignments to help you stay focused. To learn why you should complete logic-based homework first, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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7 reasons you keep waking up at night — and how to start sleeping through instead

Wide awake again at 3am? An expert reveals why you keep waking up at night and how to stop

Many of us can fall asleep easily but suddenly find ourselves waking up at night. If you’re one of the 35% of people who wake in the night at least three times a week, several factors could be causing it.

“Waking up briefly during the night is a normal,” explains Maryanne Taylor, sleep consultant and founder of The Sleep Works . “When we transition through sleep cycles, we have a partial awakening, although we may not remember it. If, however, we often find ourselves fully awake, this can then cause us to stay awake for some time, leaving us feeling exhausted by the morning.”

Night waking’s a problem when it starts to interfere with overall sleep quality and daytime functioning. “If you consistently wake up for more than 30 minutes during the night, it may be indicative of a larger sleep issue so it’s important to address any underlying factors contributing to the problem,” explains Maryanne.

Here the sleep expert explains the common reasons behind why you keep waking up at night, how to stop it, and how to start sleeping through instead. If you feel your bed is one of the culprits behind your frequent night wakings, then consider investing in the best mattress for your sleep style and body too – the more comfortable you are at night, the sounder you'll sleep.

7 reasons why you keep waking up at night

1. you're eating too close to bedtime.

Consuming large or heavy meals close to bedtime can increase metabolic activity making it more difficult to stay asleep all night. “The body requires energy to digest food, and if digestion is still active when we go to bed, it can interfere with the body's ability to relax and transition into restorative rest,“ explains Maryanne. 

“Certain types of foods, particularly those high in sugar or fat, can stimulate the nervous system, cause discomfort or indigestion, making it difficult to fall or stay asleep.” 

Eating late at night can also increase the likelihood of experiencing acid reflux or heartburn, especially if you lie down in bed shortly after eating. Heartburn can cause discomfort and disrupt sleep patterns, leading to frequent awakenings during the night. 

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2. Loud noises – inside and outside your home

Loud noises, whether from the street outside or an early-hours text message can startle us from deep stages of sleep, leading to fragmented sleep patterns and a decrease in overall sleep quality. 

“If you’re often woken up by noise and struggle to get back to sleep afterwards, consider using a white noise machine or earplugs to mask external sounds. Additionally, some heavy curtains can be helpful to block out noise from outside, creating a quieter sleep environment,” offers Maryanne. 

3. Frequent peeing at night

Waking to use the bathroom can interrupt our natural sleep cycles, preventing us from reaching deeper stages of sleep. “Excess fluid intake in the evening, especially caffeinated and alcoholic drinks which can act as diuretics, increase the need to urinate,” explains Maryanne. 

“So can eating water-based foods such as large salads and some fruit like watermelon – hidden water consumption can put extra pressure on the bladder and contribute to night awakenings. Also, not emptying your bladder fully before bed can increase the likelihood of waking up.” 

4. Your hormones are to blame

As we age, sleep tends to become more fragmented throughout the night. In women, night-waking becomes more common during perimenopause and is caused by fluctuating oestrogen. 

“Hormonal shifts can cause various symptoms that can contribute to sleep disturbances, such as hot flushes, night sweats, anxiety and racing thoughts, which can make it harder to go back to sleep if you do wake,” says Maryanne. 

5. Your bedroom is too light

Ideally, bedrooms should be as dark as possible to promote the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone, to help us get to sleep and stay asleep.  This is also important when dawn breaks and natural light begins to filter in during the early hours of the morning - the darker the room, the less disruption to our sleep cycles.

6. You're drinking alcohol in the evenings

Alcohol suppresses the rapid eye movement (REM) stage of sleep, which is crucial for cognitive function and memory. “Even if you drop off quickly after drinking, you're more likely to wake during the night, possibly struggle to get back to sleep, and feel groggy,” says Maryanne. 

In terms of the amount of alcohol that can affect sleep, whilst the exact threshold varies from person to person, even one drink can impact sleep quality, particularly if consumed close to bedtime.

7. You're stressed out

Anxiety and stress activate the body's ‘fight or flight’ response, triggering the release of stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline. These physiological responses can increase alertness and arousal levels, making it difficult to stay asleep. 

“Even if you manage to drift off initially, heightened anxiety levels can cause you to wake up and struggle to return to sleep,” says Maryanne. “Anxious or stressed people often experience racing thoughts and rumination. Persistent worries, concerns, or intrusive thoughts can make challenging to dial down mental chatter and relax.” 

How to stop waking up at night

Now you know what could be causing your night-waking, here’s Maryanne’s advice to help it stop:

1. Invest in blackout blinds

Consider blackout curtains or an eye mask to block external light sources. Blue light from phones or screens can impact the natural production of sleep-hormone melatonin and increase cortisol, which can impact our sleep, so limit screen time before bed. 

2. Wear earplugs or use white noise

Try earplugs or a white noise machine to help minimise disturbances from external     noise. Thick curtains or double-glazed windows can also help to prevent noise from the street outside waking you up. If you sleep better with some noise, try using white noise – this can also mask other noise pollution.

3. Manage your stress

Managing stress and staying physically active can support restful sleep during transitional life stages such as perimenopause or menopause. If you suspect hormonal activity might be causing you to regularly wake up, it could be worth seeking medical advice too.

4. Limit diuretics and avoid alcohol at night

Avoid diuretic drinks – coffee, tea and alcohol leading up to bedtime and minimise evening intake of water-based foods such as salads or fruit like watermelon to help prevent your bladder waking you up. Also try to avoid drinking alcohol close to bedtime, especially if you're prone to sleep disturbances. Switch to non-alcoholic drinks in the hours leading up to sleep instead.

5. Eat the best foods for sleep

Avoid heavy or large meals within a few hours of bedtime. Instead, opt for lighter, easily digestible snacks. Foods that contain tryptophan, such as bananas, nuts, or dairy products, may promote relaxation to help prepare the body for sleep. 

6. Write down worries before bed

Starting a worry journal can help you process anxious thoughts before sleep. Jot down any concerns, fears and to-do lists before you bedtime, allowing you to externalise worries and mentally prepare for restorative sleep. Some psychologist suggest setting aside some worry time every day and doing it outside of the bedroom so that you don't associate your bed as a place where you actively worry.

Bethan is a freelance journalist, brand consultant and copywriter, specialising in beauty, fashion, wellbeing, and health. She has over 17 years' experience working across print and digital platforms on national weekly, monthly and bi-monthly magazines, including Stylist online, Refinery29, Elle Australia, Grazia Australia, OK!, The Sunday Mirror, The Metro, Stella and Telegraph online, and more. Bethan has a keen interest in sleep and, crucially, how she somehow can get more of it. 

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• John_U Having an orgasm is probably the best way to get to sleep or go back to sleep in the middle of the night. It is completely natural, has no bad side effects like the oft prescribed sleeping "aids", and it costs nothing. It is beyond disgusting that the medical profession refuses to mention masturbation or solo sex as an important way to get to sleep. If you think that is something everyone should "just know", keep in mind that in our sex negative society, sex in general, and masturbation in particular, are considered immoral by at least half the US population. So it is incumbent on the medical profession to give people permission to have an orgasm to help them get to sleep. And, if it helps, watch a little porn to get in the mood. That's harmless, too. I should also mention that there is research indicating that it is normal for at least some people to wake up for an hour or so in the middle of the night, do something, and go back to sleep. See for example: "At Day's Close: A History of Nighttime" by A Roger Ekirch http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2005/jul/30/featuresreviews.guardianreview8 Reply
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What Should I Do My Homework At Night Or In The Morning?

So now that we know the answer to the question “what should I do my homework at night or in the morning?” let’s talk about why you should be studying at night. There are actually many good reasons for doing your homework at night. One of the biggest reasons is because it is easier on your mind. When you study in the daytime, your brain can operate on different pathways and it can become easily fatigued.

Another reason is because when you study in the afternoon and early evening, your body tends to have a much lower thirst. It is also more difficult for your brain to concentrate because it is more tired from having been awake all day long. This means that you will have a very hard time learning and studying if you have stayed up all night.

If you are studying in the morning, you will start to get up very early. Even if you have to get dressed and rush to work, you will have to get dressed and rush to get to class. If you are cramming in your last minute, you are more likely to forget things that you may have forgotten in the afternoon. You will also tend to get drowsy faster after a long day of studying. After a long and tiring day, you will want to go home and sleep. A lot of people do not have the luxury of getting enough sleep and they end up failing in their courses.

On top of that, your body will feel tired and you will have a hard time focusing because you are tired. If you have studied for many hours in the daytime, your body will need more energy and you may not be able to focus as well. If you try to do your work at night, you are more likely to forget things and may even make some mistakes. You may end up having to do extra research or reread your materials because you were so distracted by being tired. If you try to study in the morning, you will still be tired but you won’t have to deal with the distractions of the daytime and you can focus better.

Another reason that you should do your homework in the morning is that it helps you be more organized at night. When you go to college in the morning, you are often very tired and you need a few minutes to clear your head of all the information that you have read throughout the day. When you study in the evening, you are usually very tired and you cannot focus on a certain part of the material anymore. By studying in the morning, you can get all the information down very quickly and you can stay focused.

If you are doing any online homework, you should do it in the morning. There are many distractions online that can keep you from studying in the evening. If you try to do it in the evening, you may get distracted again by email, phone call, or something else. You should always study in the mornings when you have the most control. This way, you will get more done in a shorter amount of time and you will not miss any lectures.

Overall, the answer to the question “what should I do my homework at night or in the morning?” is to do it as best as you can. Find the best time for you and do the best you can. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you do not want to do homework; but, if you cannot focus or get it done in the morning, then you should do it another time.

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How to Do Homework

Last Updated: April 15, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Ronitte Libedinsky, MS . Ronitte Libedinsky is an Academic Tutor and the Founder of Brighter Minds SF, a San Francisco, California based company that provides one-on-one and small group tutoring. Specializing in tutoring mathematics (pre-algebra, algebra I/II, geometry, pre-calculus, calculus) and science (chemistry, biology), Ronitte has over 10 years of experience tutoring to middle school, high school, and college students. She also tutors in SSAT, Terra Nova, HSPT, SAT, and ACT test prep. Ronitte holds a BS in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MS in Chemistry from Tel Aviv University. There are 11 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 956,802 times.

Even though your parents probably complain about how hard it was in their day, students nowadays have more homework than ever before, even when just starting their first year at middle school. That homework doesn't need to be a struggle now. Learning to plan out an efficient schedule for completing your homework, working on it effectively, and knowing when to get help with difficult assignments can help take the stress out of studying. Don't put it off any longer. See Step 1 for more information.

Working on Homework

Once you go into your space and start working, try not to leave until you've got a break scheduled. If you want a quick snack or drink, get it now before you start. Hit the bathroom and make sure you'll be able to work for the amount of time before your next break, uninterrupted.

• It's common that students will try to multi-task, watching TV or listening to the radio or continuing to chat on Facebook or Instagram while also trying to do homework. It'll be so much more fun to do those things after you're already done with your homework, though, and your homework will take half as much time if you're focused on doing nothing but your homework.
• Check your phone or your social networking sites during your study break, but not before. Use these distractions as a carrot, not as a pacifier.

If one assignment proves challenging and time-consuming, it's okay to switch for a while to something else. Just make sure to save enough time to circle back and give it another shot.

• Try to figure out what works best for you. Some students might like to start their homework immediately after school to get it done as quickly as possible, while it may be better to give yourself an hour to relax before starting in on it and decompress from the long school day. Don't wait for the last minute.
• While it may seem like a better idea to work straight through and finish, it's possible that the quality of the work you're doing will start to suffer if you don't give your mind a rest. It's difficult to think hard for more than 45 minutes at a time on a particular subject. Give yourself a rest and come back refreshed.

• The first fifteen minutes after a break are your most effective minutes, because your mind will be cleared, and ready to work hard. Give yourself a pep talk and dive back in, refreshed and ready.

• If you have trouble staying focused, get a parent, sibling, or friend to help keep you honest. Give them your phone while you're working to avoid the temptation to check it, or give them the video game controller so you won't be able to plug in for a few minutes of alien-hunting when you're supposed to be doing your homework. Then, when you're finished, show them the finished product and earn back your fun. Make it impossible to cheat.

• You can make yourself take enough time by having your gate-keeper (the person with your phone or video game controller) check over your homework for quality when you're done. If you know you're not going to get it anyway unless it's done right, you won't have any reason to rush. Slow down and do it right.

Joseph Meyer

When doing practice problems, promptly check to see if your answers are correct. Use worksheets that provide answer keys for instant feedback. Discuss answers with a classmate or find explanations online. Immediate feedback will help you correct your mistakes, avoid bad habits, and advance your learning more quickly.

Planning Your Homework

• It's common to quickly write out the math problems you're supposed to do at the top of your notes, or scribble down the page number of the English reading on a textbook page, but try to recopy this information into a specific homework list so you will be sure to remember to do it.
• Write down as many details as you can about each assignment. It's good to include the due date, corresponding textbook pages, and additional instructions from your teacher. This will help you plan your night of homework more effectively. Also, it's a good idea to write about your homework in a planner.

• Homework doesn't have to wait until you get home. Look through an assignment as soon as it's been given, so you'll have the time to ask your teacher any questions you might have before you leave school for the day.

• At home , a desk in your bedroom might be the best place. You can shut the door and tune out any distractions. For some students, though, this is a good way to get distracted. You might have video games, computers, guitars, and all sorts of other distractions in your bedroom. It might be a better idea to sit at the kitchen table, or in the living room, where your parents can call you out for procrastinating. You'll get it done more quickly without the temptation of distraction.
• In public , the library is a great place to study and do homework. At all libraries, it's a rule that you have to be quiet, and you won't have any of the distractions of home. The school library will often stay open after school ends, making it a good option for finishing up homework before heading home, or your school may even have an after-school study spot specifically for the purpose. [11] X Research source
• Try to switch it up . Studying in the same place too often can make work more difficult. Some studies have shown that a change in environment can make your mind more active, since it's processing new information. You'll be able to vary your routine and remember what you learned more effectively.

• Try starting with the most difficult homework . Do you really hate the idea of getting into the algebra homework? Does reading for English take the longest? Start with the most challenging homework to give yourself the most time to complete it, then move on to the easier tasks you can complete more quickly.
• Try starting with the most pressing homework . If you've got 20 math problems to do for tomorrow, and 20 pages to read in a novel for Friday, it's probably better to start with the math homework to make sure you'll have enough time to complete it. Make homework due the next day the priority.
• Try starting with the most important homework . Your math homework might be difficult, but if it's only worth a few completion points, it might be less important to spend a lot of time on it than the big project for Social Studies that's due in two days. Devote the most time to the most valuable assignments.

• Set an alarm or a timer to keep yourself honest. The less time you spend procrastinating and checking your text messages, the more quickly you'll be done. If you think you can finish everything in a half hour, set a timer and work efficiently to finish in that amount of time. If you don't quite finish, give yourself a few extra minutes. Treat it like a drill.
• Keep track of how long you usually spend on particular assignments on average. If your math homework typically takes you 45 minutes to finish, save that much time each night. If you start plugging away for an hour, give yourself a break and work on something else to avoid tiring out.
• Schedule 10 minutes of break time for every 50 minutes of work time. It's important to take study breaks and give your mind a rest, or you'll work less effectively. You're not a robot!

Finding Extra Time

• Do you really need an hour of TV or computer after school to decompress? It might be easier to just dive into your homework and get it done while the skills are still fresh in your mind. Waiting a couple hours means you'll have to review your notes and try to get back to the same place you already were. Do it while it's fresh.
• If you've got three days to read an assignment, don't wait until the last evening to do it all. Space it out and give yourself more time to finish. Just because you've got a due date that's a long time away doesn't mean it wouldn't be easier to finish now. Stay ahead of the game. Try either waking up earlier or going to bed later. But don't get too tired!

• If you've got to read a bunch of stuff for homework, read on the bus. Pop in some headphones to white noise that'll drown out the shouting of other students and tune into your book.
• The bus can be distracting, or it can be a great resource. Since it's full of your classmates, try to get other students to work with you and get things done more quickly. Work together on the math problems and try to figure out things together. It's not cheating if everyone's doing the work and no one's just copying. Also, you might make some new friends while you're at it!

• Don't rely on this time to finish homework just before it's due. Rushing to finish your last few problems in the five minutes before you need to turn it in looks bad in front of the teacher, plus it doesn't give you any time to review your homework after you finish it. Rushing is a good way to make mistakes. And always check difficult problems you had trouble with.

• Work on your homework while you're waiting for a ride, while you're killing time at your brother's soccer game, or while you're waiting for your friend to come over. Take advantage of any extra time you have in the day.

Getting Homework Help

• Asking for help with your homework isn't a sign that you're bad at the subject or that you're "stupid." Every teacher on the planet will respect a student that takes their homework seriously enough to ask for help. Especially ask if you weren't there that day!
• Asking for help isn't the same thing as complaining about the difficulty of homework or making excuses. Spending ten minutes doing half your math problems and leaving most of them blank because they were hard and then telling your teacher you need help isn't going to win you any favors on the due date. If it's hard, see your teacher ahead of time and find the time to get help.

• If there's not an organized homework help group at your school, there are many private tutoring organizations that work both for-pay and non-profits. Sylvan Learning Center and other businesses have after-school hours that you can schedule appointments at to get help studying and completing your homework, while community centers like the YMCA, or even public libraries will often have homework help hours in your area.
• Getting help doesn't mean that you're bad at your homework. All variety of students visit tutoring centers for extra help, just to make sure they have enough time and motivation to get everything done. It's hard being a student! There's no shame in extra help. Imagine being afraid to ask for anything! You wouldn't be able to ask in restaurants, shops, anywhere!

• Make sure that your group study sessions don't cross the line into cheating. Dividing up an assigned so your friend does half and you copy each other's answers is considered cheating, but discussing a problem and coming up with a solution together isn't. As long as you each do the work separately, you shouldn't have any problems.

• Some parents don't necessarily know how to help with your homework and might end up doing too much. Try to keep yourself honest. Asking for help doesn't mean asking your parent to do your work for you.
• Likewise, some older relatives have outdated ways of completing specific tasks and might suggest forcefully that something you learned in class is wrong. Always use your teacher's approach as the correct approach, and discuss these alternative ways of completing an assignment with your teacher if necessary.

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Share a quick video tip and help bring articles to life with your friendly advice. Your insights could make a real difference and help millions of people!

• Make sure your little study space is well lit, quiet, and comfortable. This will make it much easier to do your homework properly. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
• If you missed school that day, then you should call a friend to get the notes and/or homework from that day. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Take a piece of paper or wipe board and create a schedule for your homework. Be generous with the amount of time that you give for each task. If you end up finishing a task earlier than the schedule says, you will feel accomplished and will have extra time to complete the next task. It makes homework get done quicker than usual. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

Tips from our Readers

• Make sure you have what you need handy when you get stuck on homework. Don't be afraid to ask questions if you're confused — asking helps you understand things better. And get enough sleep since it's easier to get your work done when you're well-rested.
• Don't put off starting homework just to have more playtime. Jumping in early leaves more free time for later but ensures you don't miss out on sleep. Plus, the class material is still fresh right after school, so you'll understand your homework better.
• Do your homework as soon as you get home every day except Fridays. On Fridays, give yourself permission to relax for the evening. Also, take short breaks as you work to help you focus. Play a quick game, eat a healthy snack, or use the bathroom.
• Ask for help when you need it, but don't rely on others to give you all the answers. The point of homework is for you to practice what you've learned, so try to work through problems yourself before asking for hints or explanations.
• Write down homework assignments in your planner right when your teacher gives them so you don't forget details later. Knowing exactly what work you need to do keeps you from being surprised.
• Break big assignments down into smaller pieces that feel more manageable. Taking things step-by-step makes big tasks feel less overwhelming, and helps you stay motivated.

• Never leave unfinished homework for the next day because you might have other homework to do and you will have to do both. Thanks Helpful 24 Not Helpful 0
• If you forget your homework, your teacher might not accept late work or may even give you more homework. Thanks Helpful 7 Not Helpful 1

Things You'll Need

• Writing equipment, such as pencils, rulers, and erasers.
• Resources that may help you work faster.
• A comfy place to sit while doing homework.

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.warnerpacific.edu/5-tips-for-dealing-with-too-much-homework/
• ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mental-wealth/201206/10-tips-make-homework-time-less-painful
• ↑ Ronitte Libedinsky, MS. Academic Tutor. Expert Interview. 26 May 2020.
• ↑ https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/plan-for-college/college-prep/stay-motivated/take-control-of-homework
• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/homework.html
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/understanding-assignments/
• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/homework.html
• ↑ http://kidshealth.org/teen/school_jobs/school/homework.html#a_Create_a_Homework_Plan
• ↑ https://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/Extras/StudyMath/Homework.aspx
• ↑ https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/studying-101-study-smarter-not-harder/
• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/homework-help.html

About This Article

If you need to do homework, find a quiet, comfortable spot where you won’t be distracted. Turn off any electronics, like your TV, phone, or radio, and gather all of the supplies you’ll need before you get started. Work on the most important or hardest assignments first to get them out of the way, and if you have a homework assignment that actually seems fun, save it for last to motivate you to finish your other work faster. Keep reading to learn how to find extra time to get your homework done, like working on it on the way home from school! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Homeschooling at Night: How Nightschooling Can Work for You

Jeanne faulconer, m.a..

Homeschooling at any other time of day is risking disaster.

That's the conventional wisdom, anyway.

However, sometimes homeschooling at night makes more sense than the conventional wisdom. That can even include "nightschooling" - focusing all or part of your homeschooling efforts during the evening hours.

When does it make sense to homeschool at night?

• When nightschooling works for your child's energy level. I actually had one son whose day-time energy level was so high that he was much more interested in and capable of doing "close work" with me during the evenings. We developed an extended bed-time routine that included drawing, writing, reading fiction and nonfiction, and inquiry-based learning of science, social studies, and math, lasting from the early pre-school years nearly through the elementary years. Defying all conventional wisdom, his retention was extremely high during our night-time sessions. He simply had to be physically tired enough to be open to stillness and contemplation.This did not mean he stopped learning during the day. He was building, making, running, pretending, and exploring. I just worked with his predisposition to be extremely active during that time, and I took advantage of his dreamy openness and interest in traditional academics at night.Will this work for other kids? I'll be honest, most kids I've been around, including my other sons, really  are  more able to do academics earlier in the day, and they sort of devolve and become less able to focus the later it gets. However, it may be worth a try at your house if you have an especially active child who has a quiet period in the later hours. We "nightschooled" for years, and I enjoyed our warm academic encounters by the light of the lamp on the bedside table much more than attempting to work against his day-time energy during the bright sunlight.
• When the primary homeschooling parent is employed.  If you're working a paid job and homeschooling your children, you may have them with a child care provider during the day and homeschool on your days off and at night.
• When one parent works the late shift.  Not all employed homeschooling parents work day-time jobs. During the early years, my husband worked second shift in a manufacturing plant, and it meant that our family "dinner" was at lunch time before he went to work. His time with the children was during his own sleepy morning hours. Academics shifted into the afternoon and evenings to whatever extent extracurricular activities allowed. What a wonderful thing to have the flexibility of homeschooling so the boys could still have time with their dad.
• When parents are tag-team homeschooling.  Employed moms and dads are often tag-teaming the homeschooling these days. One parent may cover certain subjects or provide support for certain projects when the paid part of the work-day is over, trading off with another parent during the day-time. This extends the "homeschooling" portion of the day later, but allows both parents to have a hand in the children's education.
• When you are living a learning lifestyle.  Homeschoolers who identify as interest-led learners, unschoolers , relaxed homeschoolers, or autodidacts often do not divide their days into specific times for learning. Their academics are integrated into "regular" life. Just as adults might take on learning a new skill or studying a new interest at whatever time of day works for them -- including the evening hours -- children in these families do the same. I will say that while I strongly identify with this approach, I have also used the technique of reserving specific hours of the day and days of the week to support my children's learning and actively work with them, so not all "learning lifestyle families" typify an "any time, all the time" schedule.I'd also be remiss if I didn't point out that many homeschoolers who do  not  identify as unschoolers are definitely in sync with the idea of "learning all the time." They may schedule their curriculum-related homeschooling during morning hours, while still encouraging and supporting non-curricular learning in the evenings.
• When kids are learning from a mentor or tutor.  Homeschooling parents aren't always the teachers for their kids. Children can learn from other adults, such as mentors or tutors who are available during the evening hours. Some homeschooled kids' most valuable learning experiences come from working alongside a computer geek, a biking enthusiast, or someone fluent in a foreign language.
• When kids are taking community classes.  Don't overlook community classes at your science museum, art association, local university, or recreation department. Many of these valuable classes are offered during the evenings and are a great experience for the late elementary through high school age groups.
• When you are homeschooling multiple children.  Some parents reserve evenings for extracurricular activities such as Scouts, youth groups, or 4H meetings (educational in their own right). Other parents reserve evenings for household tasks or their own downtime. However, others find that planning to homeschool some of the kids in a large family during evening hours is actually less stressful than trying to be "finished" by an arbitrary time like 3 pm or 5 pm. The caveat here is to guard against that "always on" phenomenon. While "living a learning lifestyle" might be seamless throughout the day, too many hours of curriculum-based teaching in a given day could burn out even the most ardent curriculum-user.

The flexibility to structure your time so it works well for your family is one of the top benefits of homeschooling. While it can feel non-traditional, homeschooling after dark might be a valuable part of your homeschooling approach.

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I need to find a evening homeschool for one of my kids she work in the mornings and needs eating School

Hi Kimberly,

Homeschooling is typically a parent-led education endeavor, although parents can supplement with activities or child care at any time of the day or night. Joining local and state homeschool groups may help you find parents who know about activities and classes that are offered at night.

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6 Things You Should Do At Night If You Want To Be Happier In The Morning

Senior Reporter, HuffPost Life

Setting yourself up for a good day doesn’t just mean having a solid morning routine in place (though that’s important too ). How you spend your evenings is a key part of the equation, yet one that’s sometimes overlooked.

You might be surprised at how a few small tweaks to your nighttime habits can make a considerable difference in your happiness come morning.

We asked experts to share what evening practices will have the most positive effect on your mood the following day. Here’s what we learned:

Take an evening walk.

Maybe it’s a post-dinner stroll around the block or one last potty walk with your dog before you turn in for the night. But just a few minutes gentle movement outdoors can reduce blood sugar levels after a meal and help you wind down.

“I go for a walk every evening, which allows me to process the day’s information as my blood flow increases to my brain,” U.K. psychologist and well-being specialist Lee Chambers told HuffPost. “This mental tidying up gives my busy mind a level of peace, meaning I go to bed with a quiet environment and a quiet internal dialogue.”

If you’re going to be walking outside when it’s dark, be sure to take some basic safety precautions : wear reflective gear or bright-colored clothes, choose a well-lit and familiar route, ask someone else to tag along or bring your phone just in case you need it (but avoid texting, putting in your headphones or other distractions).

Put your phone down, ideally in another room.

You’ve no doubt noticed that a good night’s sleep has a significant effect on your mental state the next morning — and there’s “tons of evidence” supporting that, said Laurie Santos , a Yale University psychology professor and host of “The Happiness Lab” podcast .

To get better-quality rest, focus on improving your “sleep hygiene,” which refers to the lifestyle habits and environmental factors that affect our sleep. And how we use our devices at night is a big part of that.

“Turn off your screens about 30 minutes before bed, and consider keeping your devices away from your bed so you’re not tempted to check them out at night,” Santos told HuffPost. “I also recommend getting one of those old-school alarm clocks that don’t talk to social media or your email.”

We live in a hyperstimulating world that can put our senses on overdrive, Chambers said. Avoiding screens is one way to remedy that, but there are other things we can do to soothe our senses.

“Consider stacking sensory wind-down rituals, including relaxing scents, calming sounds and soothing warm drinks, allowing our senses to disconnect and connect back with more strength the following morning,” he said.

Take a warm bath (or shower).

Justine Grosso, a mind-body psychologist licensed in New York and North Carolina, i s a proponent of an evening bath for its physical and mental health benefits, she told HuffPost.

“Totally immersing yourself in water, as opposed to showering, has been shown to lift mood in people with depression , improve sleep for people with insomnia and have positive effects on the cardiovascular system ,” she explained.

That being said, if you don’t have a tub or if baths just aren’t your thing, a pre-bed shower ritual has benefits, too. As sleep adviser Robert Oexman previously told HuffPost , “showering at night can enhance sleep by augmenting the decrease in core body temperature that is necessary to initiate sleep and maintain proper sleep at night.”

Do a body scan.

According to Cortland Dahl , a research scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Center for Healthy Minds, a mindful body scan is a powerful way to ease chronic stress and mental rumination. You can do this simple mindfulness exercise while lying in bed.

“Bring attention to each part of your body, starting with your head and moving slowly down until you reach your toes,” he told HuffPost. “Pay attention to the sensations you notice in your body with a sense of warmth and non-judgmental curiosity. This activates the brain network critical for self-regulation and inner balance. It’s also a great way to de-stress and let go of all the tension that builds up in our busy lives.”

Grosso also suggests practices like yoga nidra (a meditative technique in which you “cycle your awareness around your body,” she said) or gentle stretching. Either will activate your parasympathetic nervous system — the one responsible for the body’s “rest and digest” response.

This method “helps you feel more calm and drift off to a night of restorative sleep,” she said. “Over time these practices can help your body more reliably and quickly return to a sense of ease and emotional regulation after a stressful event.”

Reflect on the day.

Many of us are more likely to fret about all the things we haven’t checked off our to-do list on a given day than we are to stop and appreciate the progress we made.

“Whether written or reflected upon, note the steps taken towards a goal, the challenges overcome or tasks completed, no matter how small,” Chambers said. “And that feeling of progression will create the groundwork for some forward momentum on the following day.”

Dahl also called self-reflection “a great practice to end a busy day.” He suggests taking a moment to think about what you learned and how you grew that day.

“See if you can reframe stressful events as opportunities for self-discovery or to align with your most cherished values or guiding principles,” he said. “This simple practice strengthens our capacity for insight and can help us to approach the next day with an open mind that is ready to learn.”

End your day with gratitude.

Before you go to sleep, write down three to five things you’re thankful for. Santos pointed to the research of psychologist Robert Emmons , a professor at the University of California, Davis. He and his colleagues “found that the simple act of listing your blessings in life can lead to significant improvements in your well-being,” she said. “So make your night-time gratitude list a daily habit.”

Dahl also recommends closing out the day with a short gratitude practice.

“If you spend a few minutes reflecting on people you appreciate and things you’re grateful for as part of your bedtime routine, you’ll naturally feel less stressed and more connected as you drift off to sleep,” he said.

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