In an ideal world, a study session would involve us sitting down with our books, and writing notes for hours. Then, after a well-utilised break (with water! A brisk walk! A snack involving some sort of nut!), we’ll be back at it to memorise aforementioned notes.

But there’s one thing — one device — standing in the way of that ideal scenario. And that’s our phones. A study found that office workers who were distracted by something on their phone took an average of 25 minutes to refocus and get back into the zone. It’s not a stretch to say that we’re probably experiencing those same impacts on our study concentration.

Like, damn, they must have studied SO GOOD in the olden days. Here are our tips for less screen time and more HD time.

#1 Ease Off It

It’s common knowledge that we’re basically addicted to our phones, so cutting ourselves off cold turkey isn’t exactly going to work. You’re gonna get phantom twitches, headaches, and random panic attacks — OK, not really, but maybe. It’s not completely out of the realm of imagination; we do rely on them a lot.

Try and keep your phone outside your room while you sleep. Then try not to use it for a whole train trip. Then see if you can leave it in another room for an entire hour. If you think you can do this, you’re in a good position to completely cut it out while you concentrate.

#2 Give It To A Family Member

Take the temptation completely out of the equation by just handing your phone over to a family member. Then give them strict instructions not to give it back until you can recite one of Hamlet’s soliloquies.

Because they’re you’re family, and they want the best for you, they’ll be annoyingly strict about not handing it back to you.

#3 Download Productivity Apps

If the thought of being completely phone-free makes you even more stressed, then there’s always the option of making your phone work for you. Download apps like Forest, Hours and Momentum to help keep you on track. They’ll help, not hinder, your productivity.

#4 Delete The Good Apps From Your Phone

Do you open your phone, go straight to Facebook, then Instagram, then Snapchat, then Twitter, then maybe your email if you’re feeling desperate? Then rinse and repeat, until you’ve seen the same content over and over?

Well if you delete all those apps (dw, it’s temporary), you won’t have anything to look at. All that will be left is the stocks app, your calculator and photo gallery — nothing you need to look at ASAP.

#5 Get Someone To Change Your Password

If you have to your phone next to you but absolutely can’t stop opening it, you can always get someone to change your password. This way: you still get important calls and texts, but it’s impossible for you to open it up and mindlessly scroll instead of studying.

Also: we might suggest some sort of rehab program. Sounds like you have a real problem, fam.