How can I improve my concentration?
Question:
Answers:
1Step OneCreate a space designated solely for work. If that space is your desk in a work office, for example, use it only for work ' step away from it when taking breaks or eating.
2Step TwoForm a strong association between working and your desk to make concentrating easier.
3Step ThreeRemove surrounding distractions. Turn off the ringer on your phone and, if possible, shut down your computer if you will be tempted to surf the Web.
4Step FourAssemble all the materials you will need (books, paper, charts). You want to avoid getting up to retrieve materials and distracting yourself.
5Step FiveSet a specific production goal and give yourself a manageable chunk of time (perhaps 1 to 2 hours) in which to achieve this goal.
6Step SixCreate pressure by scheduling meetings or other interruptions to force yourself to work more effectively during a shorter period of time.
7Step SevenReward yourself after each period of intense concentration with a small break.
Tips & Warnings
Work at a time of day when you know you are alert.
Work with another person nearby ' someone whose work habits you respect and who will not distract you ' to encourage yourself to concentrate more fully.
Try to stop work at a natural breaking point or after some sort of accomplishment, which will make returning to work easier. Write notes to quickly jog your memory when you resume.
Try jotting down ideas as you think or notes as you read. The act of writing can force you to devote attention to the task at hand and discourage your mind from wandering. Writing also helps you process and clarify information.
Develop an interest in your work, from which concentration naturally follows.
Avoid expecting to work with maximal effectiveness for long, unbroken stretches of time, as there are limits to anyone's powers of concentration.
To increase how long you focus on something start with small projects you like doing.
Reward yourself each time you increase how long you do stay with the project.
If you need to do a project and need to focus, look for something in the project that really interests you.
Again, reward yourself by doing something you really like doing.
For example, if you are doing homework, leave what you like to the last. Do what you need to do first, then reward yourself by doing what you like.
Stay focused on the job until everything is done.
Challenge yourself to find something good about everything you do.
If you need to do paper work at the office but would prefer to be doing design work, recognize that the paperwork is necessary to make the business run. The business depends on you to do the paper work.
So do the paper work first, then reward yourself by doing the design work.
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Healthy breakfast:
I read somewhere that the most brain damaging habit is not to have a breakfast. After the overnight fast and lack of glucose in the body, it is imperative to consume some protein and fiber rich food products. When I used to stay with my parents, there was not a single day that I missed my breakfast and all credit goes to my mother. But since I have been staying on my own, I have become more and more negligent. Running our body on low fuel till noon is not good. So, start having a healthy breakfast and get a good start for the day.
Limit TV:
Control your TV watching. If you observe your TV watching habits, you will realize that mostly it is waste of time. But that is not the only problem. All the programmes on TV show ads in every 15 minutes, so it breaks the continuity. Also, most likely you have a TV with a remote controller and your fingers are always playing with it skipping channels and surfing back-n-forth. This increases fidgetiness in your behaviour and it affects other aspects of your life too. I have reduced TV watching by restricting myself to 2 hours of TV per week. And when I want to watch more, I just rent a movie and watch it without a break.
Limit internet use:
This is easy to say but difficult to do. It depends on how much necessary it is for you to be online to get your work done. Most of the time, either I am searching for articles for my research or looking for some solution to software bugs. But now, I have made it a habit to print the article of my interest, leave my cubicle and read it somewhere where I don’t have access to net. But still many times I see myself using refresh button unnecessarily in the middle of some task. I am still looking for efficient ways to reduce the effect of this distraction.
Take time-outs:
Not just simple breaks but rewarding breaks. I reward myself with sunshine by going out for a walk after getting a task done in the lab. Breaks are generally distracting unless they are for a purpose. So, give a purpose to every break even if it is just talking to a colleague or checking your emails. You need to figure out what you need to do in your time-out to get a fulfilling break.
Read books:
Reading definitely increases your attention span. Read what interests you but try to avoid short stories. If I find some interesting novel/book to read, I find myself sitting for 5-6 hours straight without any breaks even if the TV is on.
Get close to nature:
This I accomplish by taking walks during my breaks, or taking a weekend off for some outdoor activity like camping. Attention span is mostly affected by stress, most of which comes from external sources. When you are with nature, you tend to go back into your natural state which is free from any kind of stress, worries or/and anxiety because that’s the way you were born.
Obviously, you can see how the same activities can help in other aspects of your life. We all already know these things but still don’t follow them. Why? Because we don’t assign a goal to them. Without a goal, we cannot measure our development. Here I am targeting to increase the attention span. You will notice the difference if you follow even some of the steps and it will motivate you further. Moreover, you will observe positive effects in other aspects of your personal development.
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