You log in. You mute your mic. The screen flickers. Someone’s connection drops. The slides begin. Your mind drifts.
You’re not alone.
Since the shift to online learning, students everywhere have been battling a new kind of exhaustion—one that’s quiet, invisible, and constant. It’s the fatigue of sitting still, looking engaged, processing information without breaks, and trying to learn while your brain screams for escape.
If you’ve felt drained, distracted, or disconnected during an online session, you’re not doing it wrong. You’re navigating a system that was never designed with your attention span—or your wellbeing—in mind.
So how do we stay present in a format that seems built for absence?
In this student-led guide, we explore what causes digital fatigue—and share real strategies that young people are using to reclaim their energy and focus online.
First, Know What You’re Fighting
Online learning feels passive, but it demands a lot: concentration, screen time, multi-tasking, and constant self-regulation. Without the natural cues of a classroom—eye contact, movement, energy shifts—it’s easy to mentally check out.
What you’re feeling isn’t laziness. It’s cognitive overload.
Accept it. Acknowledge it. That’s the first step to working with it.
Try to Break the Myth of Constant Focus
No one is fully focused for hours—not even in person. Online, our attention needs more frequent recovery.
Try the 25–5 rule: 25 minutes of focused work, followed by a 5-minute break. Use that break to move, stretch, drink water, or look away from screens completely.
Apps like Forest, Pomofocus, or just a kitchen timer can help anchor this rhythm.
Rituals
Before a session, create a small ritual. Light a candle. Put on a playlist. Tidy your desk. Write down one goal for the session.
Rituals help your brain shift into “learning mode.” They make the space feel intentional—even if it’s the same corner of your room every day.
Minimise, Don’t Multitask
You’re watching a lecture. Your phone buzzes. You check a message. You glance at your browser. Suddenly, ten minutes are gone.
Multitasking isn’t efficient—it’s a trap.
Close unnecessary tabs. Put your phone in another room. Use full-screen mode. It won’t be perfect, but it helps.
Move Between Screens
Try taking notes by hand. Or reading from paper instead of PDF. Shifting between screen and paper reduces strain and gives your brain variety.
Even standing for part of the session—if possible—can boost alertness.
Ask for Small Interactions
If your class or session feels draining, you’re probably not the only one. Ask your teacher to build in short check-ins, polls, breakout groups, or energizers.
One student told us: “Even just being asked to type something in the chat every 10 minutes helps me stay engaged.”
You have a voice. Use it.
Block “the blur”
After multiple back-to-back sessions, everything starts to blur.
Schedule clear endings: a quick journal note, a summary sentence, or a short walk outside. Don’t just drift from Zoom to Zoom. Mark the transition between sessions—and between learning and rest.
Care for Your Offline Self
Your focus doesn’t start when you open your laptop. It starts when you sleep well, eat properly, drink water, move your body, and disconnect regularly.
One participant said, “I started leaving my phone in another room while sleeping. I wake up less stressed—and I’m more present for morning sessions.”
It’s not a life hack. It’s a life habit.
Redefine Success
Online learning isn’t about getting everything perfect. It’s about showing up as best you can, with what you have.
Some days will be harder. That’s okay.
Give yourself grace. Take breaks when you need them. Talk to someone. Keep going.
Remember that You’re Not a Machine
You are not meant to be productive every minute. You’re a person—with a mind, a body, emotions, distractions, and needs.
What matters is not being perfect. It’s being aware.
Being kind to yourself is a survival strategy.
In the SWITCH project, we’ve seen students reinvent online learning from the inside—by learning how to listen to themselves, protect their energy, and support one another.
This guide isn’t about fixing you. You’re not broken.
It’s about remembering that your focus is not a resource to be exploited. It’s something to be nurtured—with intention, breaks, boundaries, and community.
So log in. Take a breath. And know that it’s okay to be human—even online.