One of the most read articles regarding the art of memory is, “What is the best strategy to study?” It is summarized in the following: Use what works best for you. The same principle can be applied when it comes to the ideal posture to study. And when talking about posture, we mean the body.
Sit, stand, lean to one side or the other, and take a break after every 25 minutes of work. While resting, you could use your time to visit 10boars and get some valuable information on the newest trends in various fields. You can only benefit from it.
Surely, you know what the general rules are, but here is a little reminder: Sit comfortably, but don’t lie down. Keep your back straight, and symmetry as well. Legs should be forming a right angle between calves and thighs; shoulders at the same height; forearms resting on the table.
Why do you want to find the ideal study posture?
- To read/study more in less time
- To get less tired while studying
- To understand better
- To memorize more easily
- To increase the performance of your own body
- To improve and maintain concentration for a longer time
- To correct lousy body habits (postures) and get 100% of the task
To realize when you have to stop. For example: when, even with the correct position, the following occurs and you may not also be aware of it:
You cannot perform at a high level due to the accumulated fatigue. So take a rest!You have entered a vicious circle (you read the same paragraph over and over again to try to understand something that you are not clear about). So take a rest!
- You are sleepy. So take a rest!
- Your head hurts. So take a rest!
- Some parts of the body (back, neck, etc.) ache as a result of poor posture. So take a rest!
-In short, your study session is more productive
What to consider?
- Tension in muscles, body in general and back, neck and face in particular
- Excessive pressure on the pen, for example
- Verticality (are you inclined to it or not)
- Symmetry (one shoulder higher than the other, one leg positioned differently from the other, rtc.)
Note: The above are just tips. For example, you may feel comfortable making some modifications that work better for you.
When?
-At any time during the study session
-Whenever you notice that something is wrong
For how long?
– Until you start to see that, after some changes, you feel perfectly comfortable. It means that you are in the ideal posture.
How to do it?
1. If you were reading, use the end of a chapter or a section of the book to stop
2. Don’t move
3. Be aware of your body, not only the posture but the different parts of your body as well. For example, from top to bottom:
-Head: Leaning forward too much?
Do you feel better if you raise it a little?
-Face: muscles contracted? Teeth clenched?
-Front: Frowning?
-Neck: does it bother you? Is everything okay?
-Shoulders: at the same height?
-Back:
-Upper: Arched? Do you notice a slight ache? Try to straighten up a bit. Feel better now?
-Lower part: playing with the back of the chair; if not, do you feel comfortable?
-Legs: in the same position?
-Feet: one on top of the other? At the same height? Putting them up?
4. Change everything if you notice some kind of discomfort. Check the difference.
5. Start again at point 1. Do this 2-3 times a day until you have found your ideal posture.
What is the best strategy to study?
The circumstances in which you find yourself are not universal; they differ from person to person. Therefore, it is advisable to use what works best for you when studying. If you are a night bird and can study late, then do so. If practicing karate three days a week is all you need to be fit and maintain a high level of energy, go ahead. If with a 30-minute walk every other day you feel certain benefits, go for it.
So get to work!
Customize
Adjust the way you do things based on your tastes, needs, abilities, and time constraints. Investigate the basic concepts (how to memorize, read faster, pay more, sleep better, be more fit, lead a more balanced life, etc.). All this is at your fingertips and much closer than you think. Listen, read, ask.
Use what works for other people and start using it. Then refine and customize to get the most out of it. Throughout the process, listen to your body, evaluate the results, and act accordingly. The methods of daily review from bed and time recording can help you a lot in this regard.
Apply it
Put into practice what you have learned in everything that positively affects your way of studying, for example:
Distribution of workload: theory in the morning, exercises in the afternoon or theory for one week, and then the workout. It is totally up to you.
Study intervals, reviews
Sport: Swimming, yoga, walking, etc.
Feeding
Study hours: only in the afternoon, only at night, at night and in the morning, etc.
Sleep habits: It can be eight or seven hours a day, plus a 15-minute nap after the meal.
Methods to Memorize: You can use them separately, combine them, only use them in some instances, etc.
Read: Using a guide, first read the glossary of terms to see which words are used the most and get the idea of what the book is about, go directly to the index as a first step, read the reviews on the Internet.
Use summaries, diagrams, mind maps, concept maps, spider diagrams, etc.
Within the last three, use colors, do not use them, Din A4, Din A3 size sheets, etc.
Study table: you can have two lights on the sides, and one from above, natural light from the back, all the material on the table, and the table wholly cleared.
Place of study: The library, at home, at friends’ house, in a cafeteria, etc.
Music: Not listening at all, classical, baroque, folklore, lullabies, and so on.
Conclusion
Use what works best for you. Make sure to follow the general rules that we have listed at the beginning of the article.
Nina Smith 
Kim Marks