Proven tips to inrease focus and concentration while studying.

 

"Your destiny is to fulfil those things on which you focus most intently. So choose to keep your focus on that which is truly magnificent, beautiful, uplifting, and joyful. Your life is always moving toward something". -Ralph Marston.

You often try or give your very best but can't stop your mind from wandering off and roaming. You start daydreaming or diligently start thinking about vivid ideas. The result? You can't focus and concentrate on what you actually need to do. 

What is focus and concentration?

To give one's whole-hearted attention and be engrossed in one thing only is a state of concentration. Your ability to direct your attention in the way you want is concentration.

When you focus and concentrate on the subject you are studying at that particular moment, paying your full attention and not getting distracted or succumbing to any temptation is focus and concentration.

Instead of wasting time by jumping from one subject to another, you focus on one subject at a time. The result is you don't lose your attention and focus, energy, and most importantly time.

We all sometimes become so focused on our work and forget completely about time. Here you may find motivated and inspired and the feeling is awesome.

Neuro Leadership Institute and author of "Your Brain at Work" has discovered that we are truly focused on our work for only 6 hours per week. Isn't it a shocking revelation?

It's said that once you get diverted from your focus, it takes 25 to 30 minutes to come back to your task, work or studies.

The distraction may be in the form of a phone call from a friend, email notification, or you want to watch that incomplete TV serial.

Many of my students who are well-placed in their jobs and careers, ask me that they find it difficult to focus.

Experts define focus as an act of concentrating your interest or activity on something.

Here are some strategies, applying them can help you from getting distracted and focus and concentrate on the work at hand.

1. Exercise.

"When it comes to health and wellbeing, regular exercise is about as close to a magic potion as you can get". -Tich Nhat Hanh.

If we are healthy and have a fit body, half the battle is won. Stop being a couch potato. An agile body is tremendously energetic.

 Physical activities have a huge impact on your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. A study published in the British Medical Journal confirms that even 10 to 20 minutes of exercise in any form improves mental concentration and focus.

A simple risk walk (The cheapest way of exercising) can show increased focus, general well-being and productivity. According to John Ratey exercises increase your focus for 2 to hours after you complete your session.

A fit body boosts your self-image, self-confidence, and self-esteem. This will also increase your ability to take up any challenges and accomplish your goals easily.

Any physical training improves the quality of your sleep. Studies show that if you do some physical activities before going to bed, you fall asleep within 15 minutes and your sleep will get extended by 45 minutes. 

Celebrities like Zuckerberg and Richard BronsonKumar, Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor, and Deepika Padukone confess that exercise and a fitness regime are the keys to their success and focus on their career.

2. Meditation.

 "Meditation is like the gym in which you develop the powerful mental muscles of calm and insight". -Ajahn Brahm. 

What is Meditation?

Meditation is not becoming a different person, a new person, or an even better person than, everybody thinks. By meditating you are not eliminating your thoughts or feelings.

In fact, you become aware of them and set a healthy sense of perspective. Meditation helps you to be in the present and helps to concentrate and focus on whatever you do.

In the beginning, you may not understand anything and get confused. You need to be constantly practised to get comfortable with it.

And, this is perfectly fine. Remember that enjoy the journey more than thinking of the destination. Meditation can help you get rid of anxiety, chronic pain, and even depression, heart disease, and high blood pressure.

When you are free of most of the disease, your focus and concentration increase.

3. Stop multitasking.

Multitasking focuses your brain to switch from one work to another. The result is you may not be able to concentrate on any of the tasks.

Actually, multitasking forces you to get stressed and this in psychological terms, is called the "Switching post".We all have important and not-so-important tasks to do.

According to Warren Buffett, if the work is not important, completely avoid it at all costs and achieve success by doing the work or task that is most important.

4. Focus on the process of the task.

When you start to connect on some goal, do not pay attention to the end result but enjoy the whole process.

For example, if you want to lose weight, fall in love with the process of losing weight. Enjoy what you go through to lose weight. The process of eating healthy, exercising, and continuous efforts.

We always see the end result and the outcome of goals but in the long run, the journey of achieving goals or accomplishing the tasks will help you more as you keep on with your efforts.

5. Make to-do lists.

Writing down the list always gives you the clarity to choose the important work and complete it first. And this gives you less stress.

Write the most important task and not-so-important tasks. Focus on the most important tasks. Writing down the list has another advantage in that you have a readymade list so you don't have to stress yourself thinking about the task to be completed.

Instead, you can give undivided focus on your task which you feel needs your attention most.

6. Practise concentration exercises.

It's good to do some exercises that boost your concentration. Some exercises like fixing your gaze on your finger, fixing your eyes on outstretched glass, and focusing on opening and closing your fists.

Apart from this, reading long-form pieces of work at a slow, deliberate pace, using flashcards to practice memorizing and recalling information and completing crossword puzzles or sudoku.

7. Get enough sleep.

Adequate sleep is crucial for cognitive function and concentration. Aim for 7 to 8 hours of sound, undisturbed sleep.

Sleep is an important part of your routine. Sleep helps the brain direct new information to your memory through memory consolidation.

Sound, undisturbed sleep of 7 to 8 hours, lowers your risk of serious health problems, think more clearly and do better in school and even doing simple tasks.

8. Stay hydrated.

Dehydration can impair cognitive function and focus. Drink plenty of water throughout the day. It helps you keep your temperature normal.

Drinking water can prevent dehydration, a condition that can cause unclear thinking, result in mood change, and cause your body to overheat. 

The liquid in any form should be consumed every day. Studies show that at least 8 to 10 glasses of water should be drunk every day.

9. Set a boundary for distractions.

Setting boundaries would help you avoid wasting your time and energy on unnecessary things. Setting and implementing boundaries is one of the most empowering things you can do for yourself.

Minimize distractions in your environment by turning off notifications, finding a quiet workspace, and using tools like website blockers if needed.

10 Use time management.

Techniques like the Pomodoro Technique, where you work for a set of periods and then take a short break. "Until you value yourself, you will not value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it". -Scott Peck.                      

Time management is working in a smarter way to enhance your productivity. Good time management helps you to work smarter and not harder. Failing to manage your time properly and efficiently causes stress, tension, and unnecessary worries.

Everyone has 24 hours in a day, so why do some students accomplish more with their time than others?  This is because they follow a disciplined routine, have self-control, and plan, and schedule their work smartly.

There is a similarity between time and money. Both are valuable and limited. Both should be used wisely, protected and budgeted. Learning to manage your time perfectly is not rocket science. With some strategies, anybody can achieve this. 

Students who manage their time effectively, feel that they are more relaxed and tension-free. 

11. Get fresh air. 

Fresh air is beneficial in many ways. It improves your immune system, improves your blood pressure, it's good for the digestive system, clears your lungs, and all this makes you a happier and healthier person.

Taking short walks outside or simply opening a window can help improve focus and concentration by providing a change of scenery and fresh air.

According to a 2019 study and, that included data from 19,806 participants, spending at least 120 minutes in nature and getting fresh air, per week can significantly boost health and well-being.

12. Stay positive.

Maintaining a positive attitude can help improve focus and concentration. Learn to focus on the progress you have made. this will increase your motivational factor.

Staying positive turns your entire life into a positive. It can have a beneficial impact on physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

Being positive helps you manage and cope with setbacks and failures better.

13. Take breaks.

Research shows that we need to take a break and decompress so we can be at our best at work and at home. 

Continuously working and straining yourself mentally and physically may decrease your focus and concentration level.

Actually, there is evidence that taking breaks increases your productivity and you can accomplish more. It's necessary to decide when, how long, to take a break and how to be positively spend your time.

Research by Christian Olivers of Vrye University in Amsterdam found that people who continuously work are asked by their employers to back off and think about something else instead of focusing for long hours on tasks. 

Remember, stress and tension are the enemy of focus and concentration.

Bottomline.

Improving focus and concentration takes time and practice. Experiment with different techniques to find what works best for you, and be patient with yourself as you develop these skills.

The modern life has become a chaotic one for all of us. Students are not spared. To live a happy and flourishing life, we have to master focus and concentration to increase productivity.

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