Whether you are a student, worker, artist etc., you may frequently wonder how to focus better. Many factors might affect your power to focus, including poor sleep, stress, mental disorders, memory loss, and many more. But if you want to put your concentration and focus to the test and keep them engaged, you surely can achieve this.
The lack of concentration comes with many negative effects. You delay your work, you have a difficult time finding your focus, you are not productive or efficient. These are just some of the effects of a lack of concentration. But often people are not aware that finding their focus is in their power. There is no special formula you need to follow, but a few tips and tricks that can help you nurture this concentration and focus. We live in a fast-paced world where everyone competes for your attention. You see flashy advertisements everywhere. The screen of your phone lights up when you get a new message so that it catches your attention and you will open it. The world is hectic and in every moment of the day something is happening and it grabs your attention.
Even though this might seem natural, how the world is built right now prevents you from achieving complete focus and concentration. This is why we came to your help with some tips and tricks to help you learn how to focus better. These tips will help you keep distractions away and achieve productivity through complete focus and concentration.
How to Focus Better:
1. Keep Distractions Away
Distractions are those that have the power of catching your attention even if you are working on a task. This is because humans have a curious spirit, but also because the brain is sometimes easily fooled. At the same time, your traits play an important role too. While some people can find their focus in a noisy environment, others have a more difficult time doing this. So, to find your focus and concentration, make sure you keep distractions away.
Distractions can appear in many forms. While you work and do your research for a task, you might keep an open tab with your social media feeds. You might keep the Messenger tab open. You might keep your smartphone near you, with all the calls and notifications on. Even though all these seem to keep you connected with the world and your friends, it is exactly this that prevents you to focus and concentrate better. So, take a moment to step back and notice the distractions that do not allow you to focus better. You might not be able to keep all of them away, but the ones you could, you should keep away.
For example, if you work in an open space, finding a silent space to work from might be difficult. But you can turn off calls and notifications on your phone. You can close the tabs and apps that you do not need while you work. You can ask colleagues to give you a few minutes of silence to find your focus or you can move to a quiet area. You should change the things you can and are in your control to keep distractions away.
2. A Dedicated Working Space
There are many factors you might not be aware of that prevent you from finding your focus. One of these could be the thing that you do not have a dedicated working space. Even though the brain can sometimes be fooled easily, it is really powerful machinery. The lack of a dedicated working space does not allow your brain to make connections. If you work from the same place every day, your brain will learn that that is the place for focus and concentration.
You need to train your brain to do this, so having a desk and a chair, a dedicated working space, will make it easier. If you, for example, attempt to work from your bed, you will certainly feel sleepy. This happens because you usually use your bed for sleeping, not for working, and your brain knows that. And the connection between bed and sleep is deeply rooted, so it will happen in an instant.
3. Good Sleep
Many people underestimate the power sleep has on your entire day. Even though it seems that during sleep there is nothing important happening, this is a misconception. During sleep, you allow your body and brain to replenish themselves with the energy they need. At the same time, it comes with many benefits you may not be aware of. After a good session of sleep, you have the energy you need to kick off the start of the day. Sleep is known to enhance your cognitive abilities and reduce feelings of anxiety, depression, anger, or frustration. Sleep nurtures creativity and concentration because you wake up to a new day. Simultaneously, sleep boosts your memory and helps you retain and remember information easier and better.
It is therefore important to make sure you get a good night’s sleep. Avoid watching the TV or scrolling your social media feeds at least one hour before you go to bed. Keep the room in your bedroom cool and quiet and avoid drinking coffee or energizing drinks before sleep.
4. Set SMART Goals
Setting goals is one of the things you need to do. Why? Because it will help you measure your progress, but also help you focus your attention on your tasks. When you know what you have to do and the deadline for submission, it will be easier to gather all your forces and direct them to what you have to do. It is essential to set SMART goals. S stands for specific, M for measurable, A for achievable, R for realistic, and T for time-bounded. Your goals need to be this way to make it easier for you to focus and concentrate to achieve them, but also to measure your progress. Which can be a source of motivation.
5. Exercising
Many people would think that exercising is not something that comes with benefits for your mind. But in fact, it does. Any type of exercise is known to trigger the release of endorphins, the feel-good hormones. They come with those feelings of euphoria and joy. You may wonder what is the connection between this and your focus. Well, after a good session of sports, you return to your tasks with a fresh perspective. While you exercise, you supply your brain with the oxygen and nutrients it needs, and your creativity is boosted in an instant. Exercising helps you improve your focus and concentration and it prevents memory loss too.
6. Spending Time in Nature
Taking breaks and spending time in nature is fundamental. You cannot expect to stay focused and concentrated for eight hours straight. Many people underestimate the importance of taking breaks and spending time in nature, but they come with proven benefits. Breaks help you take your mind off your tasks and return to them with a fresher and more creative perspective.
Spending time in nature is associated with more relaxation, calm, and tranquility. This is because the green color has a soothing effect and it helps your mind unwind. Many studies have proved that this is true; this is why many offices have so many green plants. They are associated with increased focus and productivity, but also well-being and job satisfaction. I have myself noticed their effect. I have started working in a plain office, with no green plants at all. I often found myself unmotivated and not having the spark I needed to concentrate on my tasks. As soon as I brought some of the plants I had at home, my mood has changed considerably.
Final Words
Wanting to focus and concentrate better in a fast-paced and hectic world is difficult. It is therefore important to become aware of what prevents you from doing this and changing the things that are in your power and control. Keep distractions away, arrange a dedicated working space, and set SMART goals. Ensure that you get a good night’s sleep, that you take breaks, exercise, and spend time in nature. It might not seem much, but these trips and tricks can help you nurture concentration and focus.
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