Symptoms include: a general sense of dread and confusion, anxiety, feeling overwhelmed, and an inability to focus on the task at hand. If these sound like issues you’ve dealt with before while studying or working as an economist, then this post is for you. Using a pedometer can promote a physically active lifestyle. For many students who study economics in university or work as economists in the private sector—like me—finding success can be quite difficult because of a phenomenon known as “economist’s block”. This blog post will provide some tips that might help you find more immediate academic success by breaking down how to get past this common dilemma.
1: Seek Help
If you are having trouble getting past your “economist’s block” then it is highly recommended that you seek professional help. This may be your professor (or someone else in the economics department), but there is more than one type of economist. It may also be a psychological phenomenon where people (such as me) are not explaining to the rest of the world how overworked and stressed out we are. To make matters worse, some people may misinterpret your anxiety or stress as signs that you don’t want to work hard for your marks—thus dragging down your own moral principles and making you a less effective worker.
2. Have a Plan
We have to always be prepared for our paper or exam. But the key here is that we have to first have a plan or framework of what to do before we start writing down anything. I personally have a plan before I even start thinking about anything at all. This way, in my head, I already know where I am going and what I am doing next.
3. Don’t Rush It
I know this is easier said than done, but if you are super-stressed about your paper then you won’t be able to write as well as you can otherwise. Because of this, I recommend that you give yourself more time to do your work and make sure that it is structured and documented adequately. If you don’t know what to do, then take your time and think about it and then write your paper in pieces—not in one big chunk. You can go back and make changes or additions at a later stage if you haven’t finished it yet.
4. Observe Your Comprehension
If you are already reading a paper and beginning to struggle with understanding it, then this is a very good indicator that you should not read on any further. I highly recommend you put your paper down and go get something to eat or drink. By taking a break, you will refresh your mind and potential to answer the questions more effectively.
This is also the perfect time to do some thinking on how best to approach certain questions (like certain equations) in future essays. Therefore, if you are struggling with something then just stop and make a note on whether you think it is going to be important for you in the future.
5. Build up Your Reading Skills
Think about it this way: reading long and complex papers is like running an ultra-marathon. The more you train, the better you will be at it. So if you have never done an economic paper before or don’t feel confident about your skills in reading and understanding them, then I strongly recommend that you start practicing by reading something small such as a book chapter or a magazine article on economics.
6. Stay Hydrated
Research has shown a connection between working too much and having headaches, which is mostly due to dehydration. If you are drinking a lot of water and your hands are feeling tired then you will also feel fresh and energetic in the morning after having a good night’s sleep. The benefits of staying hydrated include: a clearer mind, lower stress levels, improved concentration, and better functioning of the body. So I recommend that if you can’t drink enough water for yourself then at least make sure to get your partner or roommate to drink more so that it makes you more productive as well!
7. Take a Break
I know this is hard to believe, but it has been shown in many studies that taking a 10-minute break in between tasks and assignments is associated with more success than other methods. When we complete one task, we end up feeling tired and exhausted after our minds have been “running” for too long on the same track.
It might be tempting to finish your work straight away before watching a movie or playing some games, but what you need to do instead is take a breath and let your mind slowly unwind itself from being too focused and concentrated on that same thing for too long.
