Self Improvement Articles

 

5 Tips to Help You Concentrate, Focus and Get More Done
By Amy Phillips-Gary

Do you sometimes have a difficult time keeping your attention focused on one thing?

I do.

While exercising at the gym, if I don't have a good book to read my eyes jump between the various programs on the multiple television sets at the front of the room.

If I'm reading an article on a website and there are flashing ads or moving text of some sort, I am undoubtedly distracted.

And speaking of the internet, because my work is on the computer, if I leave particular tabs open, I almost always flip back and forth checking my e-mail and Facebook accounts before then pulling myself back to the article I was writing or website I was working on.

I am probably not that different from many other people. We live in a fast-paced, in-your-face, information overloaded culture.

Being distracted isn't necessarily a bad thing.
In fact, scientists who study the brain have found that a wandering mind can actually be beneficial. It is in this less focused space that discoveries "outside the box" are made and widely expansive dreams are set into motion.

A recent article in Discover magazine explains that there are two main forms of a wandering mind. Both have potential merit.

One form of distraction is when the person is aware that his or her thoughts have strayed from the previously focused-upon task or object. The second is when the person simply "zones out" and is unaware that his or her mind has wandered.

So now we can all let ourselves off the hook to some extent about our wandering minds.

Rather than add further stress to our lives by worrying that we've developed ADD-- or some other condition for which we might require medication-- we can actually recognize that there are potential benefits to being distracted from time to time.

[*Note: If you feel that your distractedness is severely
interfering with your work, relationships or life in general, please
get help from a professional you trust.]

Coming to peace with how you are can allow you to relax and loosen up and then make different choices. You might actually find that your mind wanders less the more accepting you are of this tendency in the first place.

A wandering mind can be a valuable signal.
When you're having trouble concentrating, don't fight through it and force yourself to get back to work. Instead, take even just a few seconds to notice that you are feeling distracted and then do some inner listening to figure out what this signal might mean.

Sometimes I have a difficult time focusing my attention when I am feeling overwhelmed or upset. It might be that I have had a busy day and this activity I am attempting is just too much for me at the moment.

I am literally at "full tilt."

I know, it is not always an option to stop and take a nap or bubble bath in the middle of the day. There are projects that need completing, family members that need tending to, home chores that need to be done, telephone calls or e-mail to reply to, and the list goes on and on.

Even given all of these things that you might feel like you have to do, it can still be helpful to acknowledge to yourself that you feel overwhelmed and to then connect your distractedness with your current state.

It is a link you can remember when you are considering whether or not to take on another responsibility in your life or when you and your partner are possibly talking about how to better support one another.

With this recognition, you can also decide that maybe today is the day to use a bit of personal time and take off work an hour early or leave the dirty laundry for tomorrow.

Zoning out can also be a signal that something has triggered you emotionally. Perhaps a painful memory was brought up by the words or
actions of another person and, almost as a defense, you stop paying
attention.

This might be less obvious to detect in yourself. Practice staying in touch with how you are feeling and upon what your mind is focused (or not focused).

When you recognize that you have zoned out as a reaction to an emotional trigger, do yourself a huge favor and set aside time to process those triggered emotions.

You might need to promise yourself some time alone that evening-- make the time and then allow yourself to feel those emotions.

5 Tips to Boost Concentration
Here are some more suggestions to promote and support your ability to focus, concentrate and get more done.

1.) Make sure your basic needs are met.
This might seem to you to be quite obvious, but think about it anyway. When you notice your mind wandering and you need to complete a task or really focus in, attend to your basic needs first.

Make sure you are getting adequate and quality sleep each night. Don't
skip meals and be sure to eat a balanced diet including plenty of plain, purified water.

2.) Set clear and manageable goals.
Take whatever power you have over your day-to-day life and use it.  Whether it's at your job, at home, with your kids or in your other relationships, set goals for yourself that are clear and manageable.

If a "to do" list is helpful for you to stay on track and record what
you've accomplished, then create one.

3.) Limit distractions.
When you are engaged in a project, make that the main event. Close out the tabs on your computer that do not relate to what you are trying to get done at the moment, for example. Don't try to multi-task if at all possible.

If another person or thing requires your attention, make a shift to handle whatever it is and then return to what you were doing. You can tell your co-workers or family members that you will be working on a particular project for an estimated period of time so that they can know when you will be more available.

4.) Re-focus, re-focus, re-focus
When the inevitable happens and your mind starts to wander, breathe, ask yourself how you are feeling and then re-focus.

If you still find yourself distracted, get up, turn away from whatever you were doing and take a few seconds to stretch or wiggle. Get a drink of water and then return to your project or task.

5.) Practice focusing
Try wellness practices that promote and support your ability to concentrate. Yoga and meditation are two examples. The breathing and body postures (called asanas in yoga) can help you become more accustomed to focusing your attention and keeping it focused.

Both meditation and yoga can also help you relax, become more flexible and even healthier as well.
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Amy Phillips-Gary is a freelance writer, homeschool mom and a personal growth adventurer.





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