Staying on a task is not an easy thing. It can be even harder if you are surrounded by constant distraction. In today’s technological world, distractions are just a click away.
Distraction is at your fingertips even during quiet moments. Checking Instagram notifications or the latest news updates will become the automatic response when you are all alone.
To concentrate on something and directing all your mental effort towards it is an ability that is of much importance when learning new things, trying to achieve goals and having good performance in a wide variety of situations.
Enhancing your ability to focus is something that can be achieved, however it is not a quick and easy task. If it was possible, then every one of us wold have razor sharp concentration. Real effort is needed on your side and you may have to make some changes to your daily habits. Let us dive into the tips and tricks that will help you improve your concentration.
- Eliminate distractions.
Focusing better is difficult when you are constantly being bombarded with information. It is therefore necessary to make a practice of setting a time in your schedule to do a particular task or activity. You can request to be left alone or go to a place where others are unlikely to disturb you during this time like a private room.
Social media is the greatest source of distraction nowadays. It is therefore necessary that you close all social media and other apps, close all notifications and keep your smartphone away from your sight. Researchers have found out that people’s cognitive capacity became better when the phone was not within sight. Keeping your focus is vital to complete your tasks. Therefore, shutting off external and internal disturbances can improve concentration.
- Reduce multitasking.
Multi-tasking seems like a great way to get more done in a short period of time. However, it turns out that people are very bad at it. Attempting to perform multiple activities is a recipe for poor concentration and lower productivity. Examples of multitasking include talking to someone while writing your report. Multitasking like this only hampers your ability to focus and also compromises the quality of your work.
You should imagine your attention as a spotlight. If you shine your spotlight on one area you can see things very clearly. If you were to try to spread that light over a dark room, you will only see blurred images.
- Get more sleep
Your sleep can be affected by many factors. one of the most common factor is using electronic devices like computer, phone, tablet or watching TV just before bedtime. Research has shown that these devices emit light that prevent the secretion of melatonin which is responsible for sleep anticipation in the brain. Other ways to improve sleep is staying hydrated throughout the day, practice breathing exercises to quiet the mind and creating a predictable bedtime routine.
- Live in the moment
It is hard to stay focused when you are always thinking about the past and stressed about the future. Many have talked about the importance of being present. It’s all about staying away from distractions, whether it is physical like your cell phone or it is psychological like your anxieties, and being fully present in the moment.
- Take a short break
We have all tried to focus on one thing for a long period of time and I’m sure it did not work out as planned. After doing something for a long period of time, our focus starts to break down and it becomes more and more difficult to devote our mental resources to the task. Our performance then suffers as a result.
It is important to shift your attention to something that is not related to the task at hand, even if it is only for a few moments. These short breaks help you to keep your mental focus sharp and your performance high when you really need it.