Keep a Distraction Pad Next to You While Studying

Random thoughts will invade your focus no matter how disciplined you are. An email you need to send, something to buy, a friend to text, a random question to Google. Acting on them breaks your concentration. Suppressing them takes energy and usually fails — the thought keeps circling back. The solution is neither action nor suppression. It's capture.

Keep a notepad or scrap paper next to you while studying. When a stray thought pops up, write it down in a few words and immediately return to your work. The act of writing it down tells your brain it's handled, which frees you to refocus. After your study session, go through the list and deal with whatever still matters. Most of it won't.