10 tips to improve your concentration October 22, 2015
There are many tasks every day that require our focus and undivided attention. And to really concentrate on a task at hand is something that can be hard to manage. When we feel stressed out, overwhelmed or struggle with a never ending to-do list it can be even more difficult. So today I want to share with you 10 tips to improve your concentration:
1. Avoid multitasking and focus all of your energy on the one thing you are doing. If you stick to doing one thing at the time, you can concentrate on it better.
2. Avoid distractions and any temptation to get sidetracked to begin with. If you do five things at the same time and constantly check your email and social media feeds you can not entirely focus on what you are doing in a productive way. Set up your surroundings in a way, that you are comfortable but not distracted while working.
3. Mind your nutrition and water intake. Eat healthily and drink enough water. Avoid too much caffeine, candy and fast food. You need to provide your body with the energy needed to feel great and function well. If you are hungry or dehydrated your overall performance and concentration will suffer from it. And so will your health!
4. If you approach your work with focused productivity you will see better results. When you are really motivated and give things your undivided attention, you can accomplish tasks better, your work is more thorough and you finish your to-do lists more effectively. Only do one thing at a time whenever possible. And it usually is possible.
5. Have a plan. Know what you will do when and free your mind from all that planning surrounding your work. If you are prepared well, you make better use of your time and have more time to focus on the things that need to get done. Only think about what you are doing and avoid worrying about the next things you need to do. You will get to them one task at the time.
6. Avoid a noisy environment and try to cope with unwanted noise by using White noise, instrumental or classical music or any other way that helps you to zoom it out. A noise cancelling headset or change of scenery can be useful, too.
7. Get into a routine. The more established your routine is, the more you can ease your brain into work mode at certain times of the day or evening. Most of us are creatures of habit and it can make tasks easier when you set aside certain times of the day when you do them. You need to find out what works for you and at what times of the day you are the most productive, creative or able to focus on the more difficult problems you need to find solutions for.
8. Schedule breaks! Most of the time this is the thing that gets overlooked the most. We want to be super productive and just do not make enough time to take a break every now and then. But to concentrate is hard work and you need to stick to breaks in your schedule to be really productive and keep focused on your work.
9. Avoid working too much. You can only do so much before you are overwhelmed and get exhausted. It is good to push yourself every now and then but being constantly overworked and stressed out will not have a positive impact on your work performance, ability to concentrate, private life or health. So avoid a burnout and listen to your body. Stick to a working schedule and make time for yourself to unwind after your work is done for the day.
10. Get enough sleep! You need time to relax and only when you are well rested you are able to work well and concentrate better. Lack of sleep is a big concentration killer.
I hope you found these tips helpful! If you have any tips and recommendations yourself, please feel free to share them in the comment section below. Have a wonderful day!
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