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How to Improve Your Concentration Skills

Enhancing Your Concentration Abilities: Practical Tips and Strategies


Introduction

In today's world, being able to concentrate is like a superpower. You rarely see someone who can focus on a single task for hours. And individuals who can concentrate, not surprisingly, achieve so much more than others. There are many areas where you could benefit from improved concentration. Whether it's for school, studying, work, or a hobby. If you can concentrate, you can achieve results faster. Today, I will explain what is holding you back from focusing and what you can do to improve it. And I know you're procrastinating right now by watching this video. But I will make it worth your while. So grab a pen and a piece of paper. Remember to jot down key points about everything you learn in this video. That way, you'll get the maximum value from your procrastination session. And buckle up because it's going to be a long ride. Let's dive in.

1.Types of Focus

We have two types of focus. Scattered focus and directed focus. Scattered focus is widely distributed attention. This is your typical multitasking, trying to do many things at once and cleaning the house while talking on the phone while cooking dinner. Or someone is trying to focus on one thing but keeps thinking about something else simultaneously. And that's what most people do. They divide their attention among many things. The problem with this focus type is that your brain needs to be more relaxed at switching between multiple things simultaneously. When you switch from one task to another, it's not an instant switch. Instead, your brain has to "load" the context of everything you're doing into your working memory. When you constantly shift your attention from one thing to another, you force your brain to load and reload the context repeatedly. You waste a ton of mental energy by switching from one thing to another, leaving you drained without accomplishing much. Now, on the other hand, we have directed attention. You achieve this by leading your attention to a single action while ignoring everything else. It would help if you aimed for this, and it's how high-performing individuals direct their focus. They focus on one thing at a time, like a laser beam. And they do that thing to the best of their ability while ignoring all other stimuli. So, what can you do to avoid scattered focus? It's simple. It would help if you aimed to eliminate all distractions and avoid any stimuli that could potentially harm your concentration.

2.Avoiding Distractions

Let's look at it this way. Let's say you have five units of focus at any given time. That means you can use those five units however you want. For example, you can use all of them to study, thus achieving focused concentration. Let's say your mom walks into your room while you're learning and tells you that dinner will be ready in 45 minutes. Even if you were super focused, and even if that interaction lasted only 10 seconds, your attention is now divided. Dinner will now be on your mind, and your concentration won't be as good as before. One of the attention units has been used for that dinner, taking it away from your study session. It will take some time to regain your concentration fully, and you will waste your mental energy.

The funny thing is, you're most likely to carry a distracting mom with you all the time. Your phone. This little device is the most giant anti-focus machine there is. It rings and vibrates; every time a new notification comes in, it makes a sound. That beep is all it takes to pull your mind away from what you should focus on. But even if your phone is on silent mode, you're very likely to sneak a quick look at it when you're bored. Thus dividing your attention. Of course, this doesn't mean you have to throw away your phone or anything like that. Instead, I suggest that whenever you want to focus on something, you put it somewhere where you know it won't distract you and won't be able to look at it. That being said, cell phones are not the only things that divide your attention. Anything can do that, but your phone is the most significant contributor. It's about being aware of possible distractions and avoiding them.

3.Take Care of Your Body

Another thing that could affect your ability to concentrate is your physiology. This is something that is often overlooked. But if you want your mind to function optimally, you must care for your body. If you get less than 7 hours of sleep daily, your concentration will suffer. On the contrary, it has been shown that 7-9 hours of sleep leads to better concentration ability throughout the day. Exercise is also something that should be done daily. Your ability to concentrate on challenging tasks improves by releasing dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, and other neurotransmitters. By exercise, I don't mean go out and run a marathon, but a short walk around the block is already enough. Bonus points if it's a walk in nature. Hydration is also vital. You may have noticed that you can't really think right away when you wake up in the morning. One of the reasons is that you haven't had anything to drink for over 8 hours, so you're slightly dehydrated. Your diet plays another vital role in your performance. If you indulge and stuff your body with unhealthy foods or drink soda, you're doing your brain a disservice. Sugary foods lead to brain fog and an inability to concentrate. Consider some healthier alternatives. So, if you're going to focus more efficiently, make sure to take care of your body.

4.Building Your Concentration

Now, let's talk about how to build your concentration. It's worth noting that concentration is a skill. You can train yourself to concentrate like you would qualify for a sport. The more you do it, the better you get. When you start, you can only focus for 10 minutes. But as you do it daily, your concentration will strengthen, and you'll be able to do it for more extended periods. So, it's okay if you can't concentrate for hours right now. You can train your concentration over time. The best way to practice your concentration is to have a specific time to focus intensely on a single task. Essentially, you want to make concentration a regular habit. Many of us wait for the perfect moment when everything is perfect, when we feel motivated, and when all the stars align before going and trying to concentrate. But that's the wrong approach. Instead, it's better to have a time of day where you sit down and focus on one thing for as long as possible. You want to protect that time block, then. The best time to focus is in the morning, about 1 hour after waking up. Usually, that's when you're fully awake, and your mind isn't yet occupied by other things that require your attention. Plus, at that time, you usually have no distractions and have all your focus units ready to be distributed. Many historical artists, writers, and philosophers have used this hour. But what about the afternoon? Well, if you've had a busy day, your attention has already been scattered in many different directions. And your brain is highly stimulated. That's why it's so much easier to focus in the morning. Your brain has been resting for 8 hours, after all. So, if you decide in the middle of a distracting afternoon to direct your attention to a cognitively demanding task, like studying, you'll need help to direct your attention. Other things will already occupy your mind. Such attempts will thus frequently fail. But it's possible to concentrate in the late afternoon. You need to decompress your brain. And you do that by taking a proper break. You see, focusing on something more extended is easier if you become mentally fatigued. And it doesn't matter if it's scattered or directed focus. Both are exhausting. That's why you need to take a break and give your mind some rest after a specific time. However, this is where most people need to improve. Taking a break doesn't mean pulling out your phone and scrolling through Instagram, YouTube, or whatever. You're still stimulating your brain and still mentally engaged, thus draining your mental energy instead of recharging it. What you should do instead is go for a walk, meditate, or take a nap. These activities allow you to unplug and restore your mental energy because they're not as stimulating. It may sound boring, but you should let yourself be bored to give your brain some breathing room. Of course, taking a mental break is not only when you want to switch from scattered focus to directed focus. It's also beneficial when you want to extend your ability to continue focusing intensely. Another way to look at it is to imagine that you've been running for an hour straight without stopping.

Then, you have a 15-minute break before running for another hour. You can choose to: A.) Sit down, relax, and do nothing for 15 minutes. Or B.) Jump rope and do burpees for 15 minutes. You choose option A because you don't want to exert even more effort. You want to have enough energy to run another hour, after all. In this case, running is an analogy for concentration. When you've been focusing for 1 hour, you don't want to add more stimulation to the mix. You'll mentally tire yourself if you watch TV or browse the internet. So find an activity that suits you, is not mentally stimulating, and helps you disconnect. My favourite thing to do is go for a short walk. It helps me mentally recharge every time.

5.The Pomodoro Technique

The perfect technique that tightly combines intense focus and mental breaks is the Pomodoro technique. I've already made a video about this method, but I'll briefly review it again. It goes like this: you choose a task you want to focus on. Then, you set a timer for 25 minutes and do nothing but focus on that task. When the timer goes off, you take a 5-minute break and restart the timer. After completing four 25-minute sessions, you take a more extended break, usually 30 minutes. Of course, there's no need to be so rigid. Twenty-five minutes of work and 5 minutes of rest are just recommendations. You can do it as long as you want, depending on the complexity of the task. For example, when creating my videos, I usually set the timer for 45 minutes and then take a 15-minute break. So, you should experiment and find the combination that suits you best if you've made it this far in the video; great job. Your concentration is already better than most people's. Because this was a long video, I'll quickly summarize everything I discussed.

·        We have two types of focus: scattered and directed. Aim for directed focus while staying away from scattered focus.

·        The best way to avoid scattered focus is to eliminate distractions. Whenever something interrupts you, it takes away from your focus units. And your brain has to reload the context repeatedly, leaving you mentally drained.

·        Take care of your body. If you want your mind to function correctly, you must take care of your physical health. This means getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, staying hydrated, and watching what you put into your mouth.

·        Concentration is a skill. If you can't concentrate right now, it's okay. You can train your concentration just like you would qualify for a sport; over time, you'll get better at it.

·        Make concentration a daily habit. Don't just wait for motivation; set a time in your day when you will intensely focus. Mornings are the most optimal because there are usually no distractions, and multiple things don't yet occupy your brain.

·        Give your brain stimulation. Meditate, go for a walk, or take a nap. Let your brain be bored, and don't do anything mentally stimulating, like browsing the internet. This is especially important if you want to focus later in the day.

·        Take regular breaks. Focusing quickly becomes exhausting. So rest your mind, and you'll be able to concentrate intensely for longer. And make sure you sleep properly and not just weakly stimulate your mind.

·        Use the Pomodoro technique. It's the perfect method that combines intense focus and regular breaks. If nothing else, make this technique your daily habit.

That's it for this video. Thank you so much for watching to the end. I hope you enjoyed it, and if you did, give it a thumbs up and subscribe if you haven't already. I hope you can concentrate better than yesterday.

Conclusion

In today's fast-paced world, concentrating effectively is a valuable skill. The article suggests focusing on directed attention rather than scattered multitasking, emphasizing the need to eliminate distractions, especially from smartphones. Taking care of your body through adequate sleep, regular exercise, hydration, and a balanced diet is highlighted for optimal concentration. The article sees concentration as a trainable skill, urging daily practice, especially during distraction-free mornings. It introduces the importance of stimulating the brain appropriately and taking breaks to avoid mental fatigue. With its structured work and break intervals, the Pomodoro technique is recommended as a practical strategy for building concentration. The article provides a straightforward guide to enhancing concentration through focused attention, distraction avoidance, physical well-being, skill development, daily habits, fatigue management, and the Pomodoro technique, encouraging consistent application for improved results in various aspects of life.