energy management

[Ccaesar]

Hello everyone.
I still have issues for lack of energy and a hard time concentrating for long periods of time. Mainly I conserve it for my studies, work and watching netflix(to relax and feel less hindered).
Can you suggest some not energy consuming language learning activities? I often find my thoughts drifting to wanting to learn them, but having to choose not to due to lack of time and mental energy. It really bothers me, because I want to communicate and improve my languages.

[golyplot]

My favorite language learning activity is watching Netflix, precisely because it doesn't take any mental energy.

[marie39]

I read books in English when I want to relax and I'm not at a point in Spanish where I can read in Spanish, understand more or less what is happening and enjoy a book. So, reading books in genres that I like to read is relaxing to me. This doesn't really work until you get to a certain point in your studies though, and I found I had to force myself to just start reading and trust that I'll understand at some point. But no9t that I'm there, it's fun and relaxing.

Other than that, you can try translating or making flashcards from song lyrics, watching tv, or reading blogs about hobbies you're interesting.

I started journaling in Spanish too too. Google "Kpop journals" to see what I'm talking about. It's a fun mixture of creativity and writing. My writing is very short too so it does not feel like work.

[Teango]

Here are some general guidelines that work well for me...

1. Regular exercise, a healthy diet, and (most importantly!) enough good quality sleep and rest are essential for building up mental and physical stamina for the day ahead. I find that all three factors work best together.

2. Try to get some study out of the way at the very beginning of the day when your batteries are still recharged (or as recharged as you can get them after a night's sleep in your current situation - see tip [1] above regarding sleep and rest). This sets me up for the day and puts me on a more positive footing, so that no matter what follows throughout the rest of the day, I always feel at least a step closer to accomplishing my language goals.

3. Break down tasks into smaller bite-size chunks of focussed time separated by mini-breaks, including additional longer breaks between longer sessions. For example, if you find that you generally switch off after 10 minutes, try to take a small physical and mental break (e.g., get up and walk around a bit, look out the window and breathe in some semi-fresh air, get a drink or go the bathroom, etc.) every 10 minutes instead. Failing this, try to at least change the activity in some way. We're all different in this respect, so experiment and find out what works best for you.

4. Get into the habit of studying or practising a language skill on a more regular basis. At first it can be difficult to stay focussed and consistent, after all, cell phone apps and modern media don't really help us out in terms of maintaining a longer attention span. However after several weeks of getting your brain back into shape in terms of being able to focus for longer periods at a time, you may well notice things start to become a bit easier. This is especially the case once study habits start to take root. It will still require effort on your behalf, much like brushing and flossing your teeth every day, but it should hopefully become more automatic and easier to do so (see also @PeterMollenburg's 365 Day Challenge).

5. Use your dead time (those small but free and fleeting moments between activities) more often for the benefit of learning and developing your language(s). For instance, add Pimsleur or music in a target language to your playlist while working out or walking to work, put some sticky notes around the bathroom to review from time to time when you take a toilet break, try to translate a sentence or two in your head that you hear or see while watching Netflix or when walking between classes every now and again. It doesn't take up much of your time or energy, and you'll be surprised how much it all adds up at the end of the year.

Viel Erfolg, Ccaesar!

[PeterMollenburg]

I second Teango's advice on diet/sleep/exercise.

Many years ago I started to learn some French and Spanish at home, but while watching French in Action or Destinos videos I'd fall asleep in the middle of the day. Years of attention and listening to my body taught me that it was my lunch sending me to sleep (I was getting ample sleep at night and there were no signs of fatigue prior to eating).

I've often heard it said in various workplaces that after lunch one will want to go to sleep/ (even: curl up and..) take a nap. Thus a a link is often acknowledged between tiredness and the food just consumed, yet it is accepted as normal. If one's diet is putting one to sleep, I can assure this is not normal despite how common or acceptable it might be. Good nutrition should either provide more energy post consumption or at least have one feeling no more tired than prior to eating. If your food is making you tired, your diet is sub-optimal. Improving it will buy you more energy, focus and time for studying.

Exercise, good regular sleep patterns, good diet (including water quality) and sound mental outlook can increase productivity substantially in someone struggling to find the energy to study.

However, perhaps none of this applies to your personal situation. Nevertheless, it may be worth reflection.

[coldrainwater]

I find that passive (not inattentive) listening is something that I can do for many hours each day without ever getting mentally tired of it. Importantly my eyes do not tire either (since they may be closed or looking at something far away which is very helpful for eye rest in my case). To make it happen, I always have bluetooth headphones with me connected to my smartphone which his preloaded with audiobooks, podcasts, and other learner audio depending on what my current level is. No visuals are required and there is no delay other than hitting play on my headphones. Works all day long and everywhere except maybe in a shower or swimming pool for reasons of electrical precaution that are worth abiding by. This works great for me when I am in a lazy mood and tend to doze off easily or cannot focus well, which is a problem you allude to pretty directly. I get quite a bit of listening in each night before bed and also around nap times. I need something that will work for me conistently even when I am not at my best, and that is it for me.

Separately, my most reliable energizing tool is exercise. Instead of eating (too much of that or of the wrong foods is easy to do), I work out at lunch and then feel better all day rather than eating a meal and feeling sluggish. I also jog and listen at the same time outside of work hours (importantly, it is relaxing, meditative and moderate in intensity). By trial and error, I have found that about 2 hours of moderate intensity activity every day is ideal for me but that I can benefit from as little as about a half hour or many hours should my schedule permit. For me, when I hit one hour training, I see an almost 100% reliable improvement in focus, mental energy and physical energy. I can go directly from passive listening while I jog to almost any desk study or intense form of language learning and can count on having good focus for about an hour after working out. Doing this a couple times per day is ideal for me. That is pretty specific to my own life and situation, but I think that sort of specificity helps to outline what a working plan can look like that also makes for a persistent long-term habit. It works for me in the real world with full time work, overtime, interruptions, dips in motivation, and it is effecive but very much independent of what I might see as an idealized plan.

[Ccaesar]

Thank you everyone for your kind and wise pieces of advice. They are truly appreciated. My situation is based on long term effects from a concussion last year, I still have a lower energy reserve and some times get headaches from working. Relaxing/not doing anything stresses me a lot, yet it is what I am adviced to do. I often find myself going from one activity to the next or when I have the mental energy do qi-gong, neigong and standing exercises(the latter for the moment requires mental energy on my part, the control). Or I take a long walk and my thoughts drift to all the language learning I could be doing, but can't.
Is there anyone on the forum in a similair situation? Having trouble getting bad into it after an incident? Or fighting with lack of energy?

[Serpent]

You may find this thread helpful, even if your issues are somewhat different: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... =14&t=1755

As always, remember that the forum is no substitute for medical advice.


Using native materials requires a tolerance for ambiguity. Or you can use semi-native materials like Destinos, lyricstraining etc. For Italian I liked the Radio Arlecchino podcast.
In any case, be less of a perfectionist. (see: lagom) You don't have to follow all the instructions and use things as intended.

Do you use social media? Find enjoyable accounts that post in your L2. Look at memes, read tweets etc.

Relaxing can also mean allowing yourself not to do specific things. It was so relieving when I let myself use numbers in L1 for things like prices, credit card numbers, phone numbers. I've also allowed myself to just read the subtitles when I come across a video if I'm just curious about the content.