Do you read one paragraph three times before you get it? Does your cell phone ping and you waste a quarter hour on social media? You’re not alone.
In this modern day and time, there is no lack of distractions. We are always being tugged in various ways in our brains and it is increasingly difficult to do what is really important. Poor concentration can make a one hour job a day long when you are about to write an exam, doing a project, or have to finish homework.
The good news? Your brain can be trained to concentrate. Similar to working out in the gym and gaining muscle, gaining concentration is a practice that requires the right skills. This handbook will teach you effective tricks to help you focus better, work harder, and accomplish more within a shorter period of time.
Why Your Brain Has a Hard Time Finding Focus
Ahead of leaping into solutions, how about knowing the activity that is going on in your brain.
You have no natural way of thinking over time with focus. When man existed in caves, being conscious of everything near you kept you alive. It was a dangerous animal that might have been rustling in the bushes. This is the same survival instinct that is present in us today.
The contemporary life does not help the situation. Notifications, new tabs, and every thought are what scientists call attention residue. When you change activities, a certain section of your brain remains attached to the last activity. It is as though you are attempting to run with your legs chained up.
A number of causes do harm your concentration power:
Digital overload overwhelms your head with information all the time. Those dozens of alerts every hour will be sent by your phone alone.
Sleep deprivation causes your brain to be foggy and slow. Your intellectual powers become exhausted without sufficient repose.
Stress and anxiety – These are thoughts that are worrying you to an extent that you do not have much time to focus on the task at hand.
Bad nutrition – Your brain cannot get properly fed because of bad nutrition.
Lack of exercise will deprive you of blood to your brain and thinking will be more difficult.
The human attention span has become smaller than that of a goldfish. But you can change that.
How to Form the Ideal Focus Environment
The environment affects your concentration capacity by a very large extent. The distracted noisy environment struggles with your brain to concentrate.
Clear Your Physical Space
Begin with your working place or desk. Get rid of all that you do not need at the moment. Only the necessary things should be close to hand.
Clean environment produces a clean mind. When your eyes move through the space and you realize that it is not chaotic but in order, your brain could have a sigh of relief and concentrate on the task.
Try the “one-touch rule.” Everything on your desk must have a reason behind what you are doing at the moment. Otherwise, relocate it to another place.
Control Noise Levels
Various individuals work better with varying levels of sounds. Others require total silence whereas others would perform better when there is background noise.
Test to discover what works with you. Try these options:
- Full quietness with ear plugs or noise cancelling headphones
- White noise or nature sounds
- Instrumental music without lyrics
- A quiet coffee shop buzz
Whichever one you decide on, stick to it. The sound will be learned by your brain to identify that sound with focus time.
Optimize Lighting
Dark conditions put you to sleep. Bright lights are harsh and are straining to the eyes and cause headaches.
Natural lighting is ideal for focusing. Ideally sit in a place close to the window. Assuming that is not possible, then a desk lamp with a dimness control should be used.
Screen lights also deceive your brain that it is daytime and this interferes with sleep patterns. Have blue light filters on in the evening and some few hours before sleep.
Create a Foundation of Success in Your Day to Day
Decision fatigue is removed by routines. It is because once you are on the same schedule, your brain is aware of what to expect and thus has the capacity to concentrate its energy on matters that are important.
Arrange Your Optimum Performance Periods
The way your brain functions is not the same throughout the day. Majority of the population experiences natural high and low energy levels.
A lot of individuals work best in the morning, a couple of hours or four hours after they have risen. Still others came to their peak in the afternoon or evening.
Monitor your energy status over one week. Observe when you are the happiest and most active. Do your most laborious jobs during these peak times.
You should do less demanding work and save it for when you have low energy.
The Power of Morning Rituals
The way you begin your day predetermines all that comes thereafter.
Morning routine: This will help you to prepare your mind to concentrate. This might include:
- Drinking water in the morning upon waking up
- Light exercise or stretching
- A healthy breakfast
- 5-minute meditation or deep breathing
- Reviewing your objectives of the day
Never check your phone or email in the morning. These cause mental baggage before your day is even started.
Schedule Breaks Like Appointments
Work without breaks is also devastating to concentration. Brain requires frequent rest to ensure maximum performance.
As a beginner, use the Pomodoro Technique:
- Work 25 minutes with full attention
- Take a 5-minute break
- Repeat four times
- Take a longer 15-30 minute break
Take a break during those hours. Flex your body, stare at a distance to rest your eyes or pick up something good to eat.
How to Train Your Brain to Focus Better
The span of your attention is like a muscle. The better you work it the stronger it gets.
Mindfulness Meditation Practice
Mindfulness is a form of practice that can be applied on a daily basis to alleviate anxiety and symptoms of depression.
Meditation does not seem like an easy thing though, it is just the act of intentionally focusing your attention on something.
Start small. Time it out to only two minutes. Take your seat and concentrate on breathing. When you lose the thread (which you will), gently take it back to your breath.
That time of realizing that your mind had gone and bringing it back? That’s the mental workout. Whenever you do it, you are training your brain to be more focused.
The longer you meditate, the easier it gets and you may increase the time. You can enhance your concentration even a little bit with five minutes a day.
Single-Tasking Challenges
Multitasking is a myth. You are in fact, merely alternating between tasks, something that overstrains the brain.
Test yourself by single-tasking during certain time durations. Choose one and only one activity and devote a specified portion of time to it.
This could be:
- Reading a chapter without having to check your phone
- 30 minutes of continuous writing
- Chatting without thinking about something else
The further you train in paying attention to one thing the more it becomes easy.
Training Your Endurance to Focus
Similar to longer distance running, you can gradually increase your periods of focus.
Start where you are now. You can only concentrate up to 10 minutes, then that is your point of departure. Increase your concentrated working hours by a few minutes every week.
Don’t rush this process. It is time consuming to develop actual concentration skills but it is worth it.
Fuel Your Brain Properly
The food you consume and the beverages you take have a direct impact on your ability to focus.
Eat for Mental Energy
The brain takes an average of 20 percent of the energy of your body, though it only comprises 2 percent of the body mass. Feed it well.
Food products that enhance focus are:
Complex carbohydrates – Oatmeal, brown rice, whole wheat bread are examples that give steady energy without crashing.
Protein – Egg, fish, chicken, nuts and beans assist in the development of neurotransmitters that enhance focus.
Healthy fats – Avocados, olive oil and fatty fish such as salmon contain healthy fats which are beneficial to the health of brain cells.
Antioxidants – Berries are densely loaded with antioxidants that save the brain cells from being damaged.
Eat light meals that do not keep you sleepy. Consume small meals at a higher rate to ensure constant energy.
Stay Hydrated
Mild dehydration is known to affect concentration and memory. There is 75 percent water in your brain, and it must be replenished.
Have some water at your work area and drink it during the day. Aim towards 8 glasses a day, increase with exercise or high temperatures.
In moderate consumption, coffee and tea may assist in concentration. However, excess caffeine leads to jitters and crashes. Limit your consumption to 1-2 cups per day but mostly before noon.
Reducing Sugar and Processed Foods
Sugar provides a burst of energy and then a drastic fall. It is impossible to sustain concentration in this rollercoaster.
Processed foods that contain a lot of artificial components are misleading to your body and depleting your energy. Eat as much as possible whole, natural foods.
Master Your Technology Use
Technology may become either your most important tool of focus or your biggest distraction. The distinction is in the way you make use of it.
Limit What You Can Do With Your Devices
Your phone is created to capture attention. The developers of apps employ the services of psychologists to ensure their products are addictive.
Take back control:
During concentration time, leave your phone in another room. In order to have it close at hand, switch it face-down and activate the Do Not Disturb setting.
Uninstall social media applications on your phone. They can still be accessed via browser but the additional friction curbs scrolling without thought.
Switch off all unnecessary notifications. Do you have to know at once when a person likes your post?
Use Distraction Blocking Apps
Win technology with technology. Distracting sites and apps can be blocked using many applications at the times of focus.
Popular options include:
- Freedom (blocks sites and applications on all devices)
- Cold Turkey (Windows/Mac blocker to site)
- Forest (you can use time as a game, building virtual trees)
- StayFocusd (Chrome extension that will hold you back on time-wasting sites)
Begin with the blocking of your greatest distractions at the most crucial work time.
Create Digital Boundaries
Shut down unwanted browser tabs. Every open tab is a small distractor that is tugging your attention.
Switch off email notifications. View email periodically and not on a continuous basis.
Use web blockers when doing individual work. In the event that you have to do some research online, set aside certain periods to do so.
Get Your Body Moving
It is not only your muscles that need physical exercise. It is among the strongest concentration enhancers.
How Exercise Enhances Concentration
Your body has to add more blood to your brain when you exercise. This supplies more oxygen and nutrients, which aid the brain cells to perform better.
Chemicals such as dopamine and serotonin are also released, as a result of exercise. They make you feel better and enhance concentration.
A few minutes of brisk walk are enough to clear the brain and give it its focus. Get yourself a fast movement break when you realize you are losing concentration.
The Best Exercises for Focus
You do not have to run a marathon. Any movement helps.
Walking, jogging, swimming, or cycling are aerobic exercises that are particularly useful to the brain. Set the goal of at least 30 minutes on most days of the week.
Working out in the morning can help you stay sharp throughout the day. If mornings are not working, any time is a better time than no time.
Even in-desk exercises help. Stand up and stretch every one hour. Make some jumping jacks or push-ups between work periods.
The Mind-Body Connection
Movement exercises that involve both attention and motion, such as yoga or tai chi, are able to exercise both your body and your attention at the same time.
These practices will teach you to be attentive and present, and this will be transferred to better concentration in other fields.
Sleep: The Foundation of Concentration
Sleeplessness is the worst destroyer of concentration. When one feels fatigued their brain is just not able to work at full capacity.
How Many Hours of Sleep Do You Actually Need?
The normal nighttime sleep requirement of teenagers is 8-10 hours. Adults need 7-9 hours. Those are not recommendations, they are necessities to have good functioning of the brain.
Less sleep means:
- Reduced reaction and thought speed
- Problems with the assimilation and retention of information
- Poor decision-making
- More errors and accidents
- Worse mood and emotional control
Weekends can not make up for sleep debt. Regular sleeping routines are the best.
Create Better Sleep Habits
Quality sleep begins hours prior to sleep.
Keep a consistent schedule. Wake up and go to bed at same time on a daily basis even on weekends.
Create a bedtime routine. This is the information that your brain gives you that you are about to fall asleep. Read or have a warm shower or do some mild stretches.
Darken and cool your bedroom. Use blackout curtains and maintain the temperature at 65-68°F.
Avoid screens before bed. The blue light interferes with your sleep hormones. Avoid gadgets at least one hour before going to sleep.
Skip caffeine after 2 PM. It occupies your system for hours and disrupts the quality of sleep.
Manage Stress and Mental Clutter
A worried mind can’t focus. Stress is like having a head that is full of anxious thoughts and all other thoughts are beaten away.
Quick Stress Relief Methods
In situations when stress strikes during working or studying, use the following fast methods:
Deep breathing: Inhale slowly and count four times, hold for four times and exhale for four times. Repeat five times.
Progressive muscle relaxation: Tense and relax each of the muscle groups beginning with your toes and then up towards your head.
The 5-4-3-2-1 method: Name 5 objects that you see, 4 things you touch, 3 things you hear, 2 things you smell, and 1 thing you taste. This brings you down to the now.
Quick walk: Sometimes you just have to take a five-minute break.
Brain Dumping Before Focus Sessions
Do a five-minute brain dump before beginning to work directly.
List whatever comes to your mind: worries, things that you have to remember, random things that come to your mind, anything that comes to your head.
This clears mental space. When you get the thoughts on paper, your brain does not have to keep reminding you of them.
Set Realistic Expectations
Attempting to be a superman ensures that you will pay little attention to anything.
Identify 1-3 things that really matter to you on a daily basis. This is what you do not compromise. All other things are secondary.
This relieves the stress of an overwhelming to-do list on your mind and even allows you to dedicate all of your energy to the things that are the most important.
Track Your Progress
Tracking your progress makes you continue to be motivated and indicates what you are doing well.
Keep a Focus Journal
Note at the close of every day, two minutes:
- The number of concentrated working hours you had
- What distracted you most
- What helped you focus best
- How energetic you are during the day
Patterns develop after one week or two. You will find your own killers and boosters of concentration.
Use a Simple Tracking System
Prepare a basic chart to monitor daily dedicated time. Seeing your progress builds momentum.
| Day | Time of Focus | Big Distractions | What Helped |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 3 hours | Phone notifications | Morning meditation |
| Tuesday | 4 hours | Hunger | Healthy snacks available |
| Wednesday | 3.5 hours | Noise | Headphones with music |
This visual journal makes you accountable and encouraged.
Common Focus Mistakes to Avoid
Good intentions notwithstanding, there are practices and habits that undermine your focusing efforts.
Mistake #1: Attempting to change everything simultaneously. Select one or two of the strategies of this article and master them first before increasing them.
Mistake #2: The anticipation of instant outcomes. Developing a stronger attention span will take weeks of practicing. Be patient.
Mistake #3: Being too tough on yourself. Everyone’s mind wanders. Do not lose your temper when it occurs. You just have to shift your focus and move on.
Mistake #4: Skipping breaks. Working till you feel tired does not make you a committed worker. It is something that makes you realize that you do not know how your brain works. Rest is part of the process.
Mistake #5: Not paying attention to physical health. There is no focus method that can defeat insomnia, unhealthy eating or absence of exercising. Take care of your body first.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much time does it take to improve focus and concentration?
Small improvements are observed by most people after a week of regular practice. The major changes are normally evident after 3-4 weeks. It may require 2-3 months of effort to develop good concentration skills. Keep in mind that you are training your brain, and this takes time.
Can you improve focus without medication?
Yes, absolutely. The strategies in this article are effective and remain effective on the majority of individuals who are medication free. Nevertheless, in case you have been applying these methods regularly over several months and have not seen any results, or in case your lack of focus is significantly impairing your quality of life, you may want to visit the doctor. Some individuals have disorders such as ADHD that require professional treatment.
When is the most appropriate time of the day to practice focus exercises?
Most people like mornings; this is the time you have the most strength of will since you have just had a good night’s sleep. Nevertheless, the most appropriate time is at a time when you can be most regular. If evenings are better in your schedule, then practice then. It is not the time, but rather consistency.
What can students do to make themselves more focused when studying?
Students need to use a combination of options: find a special study area, apply the Pomodoro Technique of timed study periods, eliminate all phone noise, drink water, take regular breaks and learn when they are the most energetic. Also being able to study the same subject at the same time every day can also get your brain ready to concentrate.
Does music help or work against concentration?
It is based on the individual and the job. Instrumental music usually aids in concentration, whereas any music that contains lyrics can distract you from reading or writing. With math or repetitive tasks, music can increase your focus. Test and see what works for you, and make it low enough that you are never overly conscious of it.
How come I can concentrate on video games and not homework?
Video games are designed to be rewarding in a direct result and constantly engaging. They are challenging and give immediate feedback that is just as challenging as you need. Homework does not have these aspects frequently. You can make your homework more game-like using clear mini-goals, rewarding yourself on completing tasks, giving yourself or friends challenges or competitions.
Is it bad to be focused too much?
Yes. Undue concentration on a single aspect may lead to neglecting other crucial aspects of life. Balance is key. Take breaks, sustain relationships, exercise, and find some hobbies. The idea is to have the control of focus when you require it and not to be obsessive with it.
What can I do to prevent my mind going off when doing meaningful work?
Mind wandering is common and it occurs to all. When you see it, do not be angry with yourself. Just recognize the straying thought and gently bring your mind back to the task. The actual advantage of this catch and redirect process is that it builds your focus muscle. The greater the amount of practice, the less frequent will be the wanderings of your mind.
It’s Time to Start Your Focus Journey
Getting better at focus and concentration is not a one-trick show. It has to do with the multiplication of various strategies that go together to hone your focus.
Start small. Do not attempt to put into practice all the suggestions in this article tomorrow. Select two or three of the techniques which are appealing to you and practice these regularly during a week.
Perhaps you would begin with meditation and phone boundaries. Or maybe you should optimize your working environment and sleep. It does not really matter what techniques you use, but whether you are willing to do it on a regular basis.
Keep in mind that your brain is very plastic. Whenever you make a decision to be focused at the expense of distraction you are rewiring your brain pathways. You are actually rewiring your brain in order to be better able to concentrate.
There are those days that will be more difficult than others. You will experience failure and distraction. That’s okay. Progress isn’t linear. It is not about perfection, but rather how consistently you come back to these practices.
Deep concentration skills are a scarcity in our distracted world. You are putting a huge advantage on yourself by mastering this skill. You will learn quicker, be more productive and you will accomplish more than other people who allow every notification to manage their mind.
Your attention is a superpower that needs a key to be opened. Having the right tools and practicing consistently will make your brain focus like never before. For more insights on productivity and personal development, visit Cakvia and explore resources from Mindful.org.
It is not a question as to whether you can sharpen your focus. The question is: are you prepared to begin?