want to improve your ability to focus?
Staying on task can be difficult, but it can be particularly challenging when surrounded by constant distractions. In today’s always-connected world, distractions are just a click away.
Even in quiet moments, distraction is literally at your fingertips when you find yourself checking Instagram notifications or the latest news.
The ability to focus on something in the environment and direct mental effort toward it is critical to learning new things, achieving goals, and performing well in a wide variety of situations.
Whether you’re trying to finish a report at work or competing in a marathon, your ability to focus can mean the difference between success and failure.
Fortunately, concentration is like a mental muscle. The more you work on developing it, the stronger it will become.
Improving your mental focus is possible, but that doesn’t mean it’s always quick and easy. If it were simple, we would all have the sharp concentration of an elite athlete.
It takes real effort on your part and you may have to make some changes to your daily habits. Here are some tips and tricks from psychology that can help you develop laser-like concentration and mental focus.
how can I improve my concentration?
1- Check your concentration
Before you start working on improving your mental concentration, you may want to begin by assessing how strong your mental concentration is at the current moment.
Your concentration is good if..
- You find it easy to stay alert
- You set goals and break down tasks into smaller parts
- You take short breaks and then get back to work
Your concentration needs to be worked on if..
- You daydream often
- You can’t let go of distractions
- You lose track of your progress
If the first set of statements seems more in line with your style, you probably already have pretty good concentration skills, but you could be even stronger with a little practice.
If you identify more with the second set of affirmations, then you probably need to work quite a bit on your mental concentration. It may take some time, but practicing some good habits and being aware of your ability to be distracted can help you.
2- Eliminate distractions
While it may seem obvious, people often underestimate how many distractions keep them from focusing on the task at hand. These intrusions can come in the form of a radio playing in the background or perhaps an obnoxious co-worker constantly stopping by your cubicle to chat.
Minimizing these sources of distraction is not always as easy as it sounds. While it may be as simple as turning off the TV or radio, it can be much more difficult to deal with an interrupting co-worker, spouse, child or roommate.
One way to cope is to set aside a specific time and place and ask to be left alone for that period of time. Another alternative is to find a quiet place where you know you can work undisturbed. The library, a private room in your home or even a quiet coffee shop can be good places to try.
Not all distractions come from outside sources. Exhaustion, worry, anxiety, lack of motivation and other internal disturbances can be especially difficult to avoid.
Some strategies you can try to minimize or eliminate these internal distractions include making sure you are well rested before the task and using positive thoughts and images to combat anxiety and worry. If you find your mind wandering to distracting thoughts, consciously refocus on the task at hand.
Although it may seem obvious, people often underestimate the number of distractions that prevent them from focusing on the task at hand. These intrusions can come in the form of a radio playing in the background or perhaps an obnoxious co-worker who constantly stops by your cubicle to chat.
Minimizing these sources of distraction is not always as easy as it sounds. While it may be as simple as turning off the TV or radio, it can be much more difficult to deal with an interrupting co-worker, spouse, child or roommate.
One way to cope is to set aside a specific time and place and ask to be left alone for that period of time. Another alternative is to find a quiet place where you know you can work undisturbed. The library, a private room in your home or even a quiet coffee shop can be good places to try.
Not all distractions come from outside sources. Exhaustion, worry, anxiety, lack of motivation and other internal disturbances can be especially difficult to avoid.
Some strategies you can try to minimize or eliminate these internal distractions include making sure you are well rested before the task and using positive thoughts and images to combat anxiety and worry. If you find your mind wandering to distracting thoughts, consciously refocus on the task at hand.
3- Focus your attention on one or a few tasks
While multitasking may seem like a great way to get a lot of things done quickly, it turns out that people are actually pretty bad at it. Juggling multiple tasks at once can drastically reduce productivity and makes it much harder to focus on the details that are truly important.
Attention resources are limited, so it’s important to budget them wisely.
Think of your attention as a spotlight. If you shine that spotlight on a particular area, you can see things very clearly. If you try to spread that same amount of light across a large, dark room, you may only see the shadowy outlines.
Part of improving mental focus is making the most of available resources. Stop multitasking and devote your full attention to one thing at a time.
4- Live in the moment
It is difficult to maintain mental focus when you are ruminating on the past, worrying about the future, or disconnecting from the present moment for some other reason.
You’ve probably heard of the importance of “being present”. It’s about pushing away distractions, whether physical (your cell phone) or psychological (your anxieties), and being fully engaged mentally in the present moment.
This notion of being present is also essential to regaining mental focus. Staying in the here and now keeps your attention sharp and your mental resources focused on the details that really matter in a particular moment.
It may take some time, but work to learn to really live in the moment. You can’t change the past and the future hasn’t happened yet, but what you do today can help you avoid repeating the mistakes of the past and pave the way to a more successful future.
5- Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a hot topic right now, and for good reason. Although people have been practicing forms of mindfulness meditation for thousands of years, its many health benefits have only recently begun to be understood.
In one study, researchers had human resource professionals engage in simulations of the type of complex multitasking they performed each day at work.1
These tasks were to be completed in 20 minutes and included answering the phone, scheduling meetings, and drafting memos with information sources coming in from multiple points, such as phone calls, e-mails, and text messages.
Some of the participants received 8 weeks of training in the use of mindfulness meditation, and the results revealed that only those who had received this training showed improved concentration and focus.
Members of the meditation group were able to stay on task longer, switched tasks less frequently, and performed the work more effectively than the other groups of participants.
Practicing mindfulness can involve learning to meditate, but it can also be as simple as trying a quick and easy deep breathing exercise.
Start by taking several deep breaths, really concentrating on each one. When you feel your mind begin to wander naturally, gently and uncritically guide your attention back to the deep breath.
While this may seem like a seemingly simple task, you may find that it is actually much more difficult than it appears. Fortunately, this breathing activity is something you can do anytime, anywhere. Over time, you’ll likely find that you find it easier to detach from intrusive thoughts and refocus on what’s right for you.
6- Take a break
have you ever tried to concentrate on the same thing for a long period of time? After a while, your concentration starts to falter and it becomes increasingly difficult to devote your mental resources to the task at hand. Not only that, but your performance suffers as a result.
Traditional explanations in psychology have suggested that this is due to attentional resources becoming depleted, but some researchers believe it has more to do with the brain’s tendency to ignore sources of constant stimulation.
Researchers have found that even taking very short breaks, shifting attention elsewhere, can markedly improve mental focus.2
So the next time you’re working on a lengthy task, such as preparing your taxes or studying for an exam, be sure to give yourself an occasional mental break.
Shift your attention to something unrelated to the task at hand, if only for a few moments. These brief moments of respite can mean you’ll be able to keep your mental focus and performance high when you really need it.
7- Practice and you will see results
Developing mental focus is not something that happens overnight. Even professional athletes need a lot of time and practice to strengthen their concentration skills.
One of the first steps is to recognize the impact that distraction has on your life. If you struggle to achieve your goals and find yourself sidetracked by unimportant details, it’s time to start placing more value on your time.
By increasing your mental focus, you will find that you are able to accomplish more and concentrate on the things in life that truly bring you success, joy and satisfaction.
