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7 Ways You Can Improve Your Concentration

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improve your concentration

Unlike the traditional belief, humans are not born with an innate ability to focus and concentrate. It is a skill that most of the successful people learn and hone over time. Some people still hold the dogma that if their brain is slow or they can’t get things done quickly then they are doomed and will remain the same for their remaining life.

Research has proven that it is possible to improve your concentration no matter how worse the situation may seem like. You can begin today with a few tried and tested ways to improve your concentration. These methods or concepts may seem very cliched, but if implemented correctly, they can significantly change your life.

Check out these 7 ways to improve your concentration that can help you become a focused person.

1. Eliminate all distractions

Sometimes our attention gets diverted from the task at hand to something else and, as a result, we don’t perform optimally. By eliminating things that can distract you, you can finish your desired task well within the deadline and without any unexpected stoppages. External distractions like text messages, phone calls, social media notifications, etc. can casually shift your attention from your work to things that don’t matter that much.  

People who work in distraction-free environments are more productive and less likely to commit errors. For instance, it’s easy to read a book when you are sitting by a relaxing beach where the only sound you hear is of crashing waves and chirping birds; most people will find this scenario quite relaxing and will get more reading done than if they were in a crowded coffee shop.

You’ll be surprised to learn that using Facebook can make you 55 percent more likely to be stressed. The Happiness Researcher Institute, Denmark took 1,095 people who used Facebook regularly in their daily lives and split them into two groups. One group was allowed to use Facebook as they normally would and the other group was banned from using it for a week.

They later concluded that the people in the second group who abstained from Facebook were more satisfied and happy in their social life. In conclusion, instead of completely avoiding social media you can regulate its usage so that it doesn’t create unnecessary distractions in your life.

2. Strive for an emotionally balanced life

improve your concentration

Lack of concentration is a symptom of an emotionally turbulent mind. If the mind is not calm and composed, it is going to let itself wander in places it should not. A lot of people think they can achieve the highest level of focus and concentration just by practicing a certain type of meditation or relaxation technique. But that is farthest from the truth. Meditation only helps to improve your concentration when you attain a decent level of emotional maturity.

One quick way to gain emotional stability is to follow a morning routine which consists of positive affirmations, exercise, reading, and journaling. These practices will help you be more in touch with your life situation so you can deal with them in a better way and also, in the process, improve your concentration. However, it should be noted that no one stays emotionally stable all the time, even an emotionally healthy person needs solace in times of distress.

In a study done by Columbia University, researchers found out that surgeons who are under stress in their personal lives are more likely to commit mistakes on a patient in the operating room. This shows how important it is to be emotionally stable and have good concentration.

3. Get enough sleep and exercise

Good sleep and physical exercise are very essential factors you need to consider when you are trying to improve your concentration. Generally, people who don’t sleep for a minimum of seven-eight hours each night feel tired quickly and are likely to crash out by the afternoon. Consequently, regular physical activity is also needed to operate at optimal mental capacity.    

Reports suggest that 50-70 million US adults have a sleep disorder. This data published by the American Sleep Association also identified insomnia to be the most common sleep disorder; nearly 30 percent of people in the United States suffer from insomnia. With these many people having difficulties with their sleep, getting a good night’s sleep becomes very important to improve your concentration levels.   

4. Create a to-do list

A to-do list or checklist is a time management technique used by many successful people all over the world. The idea is to go through every task that needs to be done in the following day and write them down in a list. This could be done using a mobile application or a post-it sticky note. I use Things 3 as my preferred to-do app.

Creating a list takes our attention from what needs to be done in the future to the task at hand; as we already know how the day is going to go. Hence, it can improve your concentration too. One needs to keep in mind that lists only work when we keep them specific and precise. Likewise, it helps to write down supplementary side-notes along with the bullet points on the to-do list.   

5. Reward yourself for the hard work

Working on long-term projects with no immediate gratification can be boring and dull. Over time it can make you lose your concentration and get distracted. Furthermore, it’s very easy not to see this happening when you are just starting a project; the idea of a new project or a venture can be fun and exciting in the beginning phases. But most people experience a dip in their performance as things move further and going gets harder.

By rewarding yourself for your hard work, you get a quick jolt of energy which can help improve your concentration naturally. Some of the ways to reward yourself are by resting, having your favorite food, sweets, taking a day off, etc.  

Recent research by Cornell University suggests that rewarding an employee at the beginning of a project yields better focus, concentration, and engagement from them. The study also concluded that instead of waiting till the end it’s in our best interest to pay ourselves first.

6. Environment matters

improve your concentration

Changing the environment is probably the easiest way you can improve your concentration. Sometimes the coziest places can become detrimental to your productivity; the more comfortable the workplace the faster you are likely to lose focus. So, it’s essential to choose a workplace where there are positive people around who have the same ambitions and long term goals as you have.  

Your residential area also becomes a factor when you want to improve your concentration and raise your standard of living altogether. Living in a noisy and busy area can put you in a funk and lower your level of concentration when you try to accomplish anything.

One of the best places to work is a less crowded coffee shop or cafe. It helps to spend time in a place that has comfortable seating and people around. Coffee shops are becoming very popular among freelancers and digital nomads since most of them have wifi connectivity.

7. Use the Pomodoro Technique

improve your concentration

Often times it is difficult to get started on a project or an assignment as we tend to think about the amount of time we have to spend working on it. In addition, the mere thought of working tirelessly for hours can be exhausting for some people as it is difficult to concentrate for so long.

There are numerous time management techniques available to deal with this problem but the one called “Pomodoro Technique” is very popular among people with mental focus issues.   

This technique has can help improve your concentration because you only have to commit to work for 25 minutes initially. For instance, work on one task for 25 minutes then rest for the next 5 minutes and repeat this cycle for 3 cycles ending the entire work session with a longer break. This way of working gets people in the flow and they end up working for two to three sessions in one go.  

To conclude, these 7 ways to improve your concentration are hand-picked and tried and tested by several successful people. Be it entrepreneurs, politicians, or leading artists, everyone has their own ways to get in the zone and unleash their creative genius. It is also recommended to keep track of your progress when you are trying to implement a change in your life; journaling is a great way to measure your progress.

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