Make your workplace comfortable and keep it in order
When it is comfortable to work at a desk, your productivity increases. Concentrating on tasks is much more difficult if the table is cluttered, the chair is uncomfortable, the light from the lamp is annoying, and the room is stuffy or cold. Therefore, you need to fix the things in your room that make you uncomfortable studying, and learn to maintain constant order. If on your desk there are only those textbooks, notebooks and printouts that are needed at the moment, you will not have to waste extra energy looking for the right thing.
Guide to Developing Concentration
Some abilities require months of practice to achieve any noticeable improvement. There is not always time for this and often there is not enough desire. But it only takes a few days to improve your concentration. In general, this is a very ironic skill: improving it will require... concentration. Not only, of course, you also need motivation, enthusiasm and patience.
What does concentration consist of?
Bill Gates called concentration the most important quality that every person should develop. One cannot but agree with him, because concentration is closely related to attention and memory, developed intellect and thinking (including creative). Thus, we can say that if you know how to concentrate, then you are an intelligent person and are able to notice and remember a lot of things.
Concentration is in one way or another connected with all the skills that a person engaged in self-development seeks to develop. Do you want to write a novel, a painting, a song? It is difficult to create without the ability to concentrate. Do you want to become a master of communication, speak in front of the public with a speech memorized, and not forget anything? Train your memory, be attentive and don’t be distracted by anything.
What does this mean for you and me? Only one thing: concentration can be improved by developing attention, memory, creative thinking and intelligence. And vice versa. So let's find out how you can improve your concentration. We'll give you a few tips, then a dozen exercises, and then we'll talk about the most interesting training apps for your phone and computer. All together will give an excellent result.
How to develop concentration
The development of concentration occurs in two ways: the exclusion of external stimuli and special exercises that help purposefully train the skill.
1
Remove all irritants
This is the first thing to do. You can practice as much as you like, but if the environment gets in the way, it won't be of much use. Find yourself a quiet place or eliminate irritants.
Also, use earplugs or headphones. Seriously, this helps a lot, especially in the early stages. When your level of concentration increases significantly, you can do without them - you can read a book or write an article on public transport or in a cafe.
2
Notice
Keep small cards 3 by 5 cm. Every time your mind starts to wander while reading or working, mark it on them. It is important to divide them into three colors and times of day: morning, afternoon and evening (green, red and yellow). After a few days, you'll find that this simple trick helps you feel less distracted.
Recognizing the problem is the first step, so this method teaches you to pay attention to it. This allows you to increase your concentration levels without making much effort, just by reminding yourself to stay focused. Using this method, you will also be able to see what time of day is more or less productive, you will understand how the level of concentration decreases after a meal, a quarrel, and how it increases after a walk and a light snack.
3
Use the spider technique
What will a spider do if you quietly hit a tuning fork not far from its web? He will get out to see what happened, his curiosity will be piqued. But if you repeat this trick several times, the spider will no longer respond to sounds. He knows what to expect, so he ignores them.
What does all of this mean? Expect distractions and try not to react to outside sounds. A door slams, a bird whistles, a neighbor knocks from upstairs - whatever the stimulus, continue to focus on your task. Surprisingly, after a while you simply stop being aware of and responding to the sounds around you.
4
Eat foods that are good for concentration
This may not seem important, but the physiological side should not be ignored.
Blueberry . Contains many natural antioxidants that increase blood flow and brain activity.
Green tea . It contains not only caffeine, but also, more importantly, large amounts of L-Theanine.
Greenery . Chlorophyll contains many carotenoids, which increase blood flow, as well as B vitamins, which enhance memory.
Fatty fish . Fish, such as salmon and cod, are loaded with Omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for the brain.
5
Stay in a conscious state
This advice is heard very often in the literature on self-development, but what can you do - this ability solves a huge number of problems. Mindfulness is the ability to notice. Moreover, notice not only the world around you, but also internal processes. This means that you can control your attention and concentration if you are aware.
Practice meditation for about 20 minutes a day. This is the required minimum. In addition, it is advisable to find other opportunities to remain in a conscious state throughout the day. The simplest and most effective way: focus completely on what you are doing. Eat - fully enjoy the process of eating food. When you wash dishes, think only about them and your washing technique. Not only will the most routine processes allow you to enjoy yourself, but you will also be able to increase both the level of awareness and the level of concentration!
It's extremely difficult. Sometimes you will be angry with yourself for forgetting about the present. But don’t panic: now you have remembered this, you are “here and now.” Every week you will increase the amount of time you spend consciously.
Now let's move on to the practical part. Here we need great patience and desire.
Exercises to develop concentration
The unique thing about almost all concentration exercises is their simplicity. There is no need to invent anything complicated if you can focus on one thing and improve your level.
Inspirational word
Pick one inspiring word and think about it, repeating it in your head for five minutes.
Word count
Take a book or magazine and count the number of words in one paragraph. Count them again to make sure you didn't make a mistake the first time. You can start with one paragraph, and as you get used to it, move on to counting words in two paragraphs.
Then move on to counting words on the entire page. Make sure you count mentally and only with your eyes, without pointing your finger at each word. This is one of the simplest but most effective exercises for improving concentration.
Countdown
Subtract from 1000 one unit at a time in your head. If it's too easy, subtract 2, 7, 9, any higher number.
Thought suppression
Try to suppress your thoughts for 5 minutes. It's quite difficult, but with regular practice you can do it. Start with one minute and gradually increase the time.
Inspection of the item
Take a fruit, such as an apple, banana or orange, in your hand and examine it from all sides, focusing your full attention. At the same time, try to keep it stable in one position. Do this for one minute and then gradually increase to five. Change hands.
Without words
Take a small, simple object such as a spoon, fork, cup or glass. Now focus on it, observing it from all sides without verbalization, that is, without words in your mind. Just focus on watching the object closely without thinking about it.
Motionless
Sit in a comfortable chair and see how long you can stay in place. It may seem easy, but it only seems so until you try. All you have to do is focus your attention on sitting. Make sure you do not make any involuntary muscle movements. With practice, you can sit without moving your muscles for 15 minutes.
Concentration from within
This exercise will allow you to focus from within. Start by lightly relaxing your muscles. Now focus on your heartbeat without paying attention to anything else. Think about your heart and how it pumps blood to every part of your body. As you do this, try to “see” the blood leaving your heart and follow it as it flows in one stream straight to your toes.
Deep breathing
Sit on a chair in an upright position, keeping your back high. Now, pressing one finger to your right nostril, take a deep, deep breath. Breathe calmly, count to ten, then push the air out. Repeat this exercise with the other nostril. Exercise 20 times a day.
Sounds
This exercise is about focusing on sounds. In everyday life we are surrounded by a large number of them. Try to focus on a specific sound, such as a voice or rustling sound. Then deliberately switch to something else, such as a bird.
Switch to the next one, say the sound of traffic. Continue switching between sounds after focusing on one for one minute.
This exercise can also be made visual by focusing on the person or thing that is making the sound and refocusing on another.
Drawing and coloring
Drawing and coloring are great activities for relaxing the brain and stimulating creativity. It also improves concentration.
Small victories
The good thing about this exercise is that it encourages you to use everyday tasks to train your concentration. Choose an activity, such as finding clients, writing a poem, reading a chapter of a book, and set a timer. 5 to 10 minutes is best. During this time, nothing in this world should exist except you and your task. Turn off your phone and close the door. Try to increase the exercise to 90 minutes. If you practice regularly, you can reach this number in a month.
Motivation of mirrors
The most beneficial form of concentration is making eye contact with another person and perceiving a deeper connection. Stand in front of a mirror and place two stickers at eye level. Imagine these are the eyes of your interlocutor. All your thoughts should be focused on keeping your head completely still and avoiding other thoughts. Breathe deeply. Completion time is five minutes.
Concentration apps
Brain Focus Productivity Timer
This free Android app is designed to help you manage your time. It allows you to set the number of minutes you want to work for and then take a scheduled break. The idea is taken from the Pomodoro technique, that is, you set 25 working minutes and then rest for 5. The process is repeated over and over again.
This way, you will be much more productive instead of forcing yourself to work for hours without taking a break. Brain Focus is easy to use and shows how productive you are.
(OFFTIME)
It is also a free app on Android. Offtime allows you to disconnect from the outside world without missing anything urgent. You can block distractions such as apps, calls and messages, but whitelist those who will be able to contact you anyway.
The app can also automatically respond to messages on your behalf, as well as keep track of what you missed while you were away. Offtime provides information about your phone usage and the hours you spend each day, highlighting which apps are taking up the most of your time.
Forest
The application for iOS and Android, paid, costs about two dollars. It is considered one of the most popular.
Improve performance by placing virtual trees in Forest. Whenever you want to focus on a task, open the app and plant a tree. If you don't stop for 30 minutes, you will see it grow. This way you will create a whole forest. If you fail, the tree will die.
NOISLI
This is a free online platform. Use Noisli to help you create the perfect atmosphere. This is a white noise app that can be used to mix different natural sounds, such as the sound of a train or a crackling fire.
Noisly is ideal for people who can't handle music but want some noise in the background.
Books
Considering that concentration is the ability to focus on one thing for a long time, reading books itself can be an excellent workout. And if you read books on this topic, the benefits will be double. Here's where you can start.
- “The art of concentration. How to improve your memory in 10 days" Eberhard Heul
- “The Japanese System for the Development of Intelligence and Memory” by Ryuta Kawashima
- "A Guide to Memory and Intelligence" by Tony Buzan
- "Focus. On attention, distraction and success in life" Daniel Goleman
- “Maximum concentration. How to Stay Effective in the Age of Clip Thinking by Lucy Jo Palladino
- “Don't distract me. How to Stay Focused No Matter What Edward Hallowell
- “The four-second rule. Stop. Think about it. Do it" Peter Bregman
- "The Power of Concentration" William Walker Atkinson
- “Time management by pomodoro. How to concentrate on one thing for at least 25 minutes" Staffan Neteberg
In conclusion, a short video about attention and the ability to concentrate:
We also recommend reading:
- Storytelling
- The Power of Deep Thinking
- 7 ways to become more focused
- Mindful Habits to Create Power of Concentration and Focus
- How to develop attention
- Simple ways to increase concentration
- Concentration: exercises
- What are cognitive abilities
- How books make us better people
- Five-minute exercises to improve concentration
- 6 rules for brain development
Key words:1Psychoregulation
Methods for training attention in children and adolescents
Until the age of three, children’s attention is involuntary, that is, it does not depend on their desire. By the age of 5–6, concentration already begins to obey the will of the child, which means that among younger schoolchildren it is already possible to introduce some simple training to develop attention.
Memory game
The goal of the game is to remember the sequence of words as accurately as possible. The parent comes up with a chain of words that the child understands, and the child must remember and reproduce them. To make it easier for your child, it is better to choose words from one category, for example:
- beets, carrots, cabbage, potatoes, onions;
- cat, bear, fox, parrot, grasshopper;
- plane, train, ship, rocket, truck, etc.
This exercise can also be offered to a group of children of 3-4 people. An adult names a chain of words. The first child remembers and names the first word, the second child – first and second, the third – first, second, third, etc.
Find the words
The child is given a series of letters. Some of them are a random set of letters, some are words. The task is to find the words. Here's an example:
BYNSHLKOTDDOPRETORTCCHYLOBDYKVMIN
Younger children can come up with words from one category, for example, animals, fruits, furniture, etc. Older children can be given more difficult tasks: not only to find words, but also to highlight the unnecessary ones. For example, all words are verbs, but there is also one adjective. Or, among words in the singular, find something that is in the plural.
Name the color
A wonderful concentration exercise that is useful for both children and adults. To prepare, you will need a sheet of paper and multi-colored markers or pencils. You need to write the names of the colors in words so that the color in which the word is written does not coincide with the word itself. The easiest way to understand the meaning is from the picture below.
Task: name the color in which the word is written, and not get confused by the very name of the word. You can even arrange a competition to see who can complete the task faster and make fewer mistakes.
Useful tips
Here are a few more useful tips that will help improve your child’s concentration:
- It is also extremely useful for children to read aloud and retell. And so that both hemispheres of the brain are involved, you can invite the child to read poetry and at the same time squat or alternately raise his arms.
- Anything that promotes the development of fine motor skills has a beneficial effect on brain activity. Puzzles, construction sets and other similar games require high concentration and attention.
- To ensure that the student’s attention does not wander when doing homework, the desk should be in order, stationery should be placed in its place, and everything unnecessary should be removed. Lighting also matters: it should be close to daylight.
- You should not interrupt the child in the process of some activity in which he is immersed. It is better to warn him in advance about the need to change classes so that he has time to get used to this idea.
- If the child is very absent-minded and easily forgets about something important, you can prepare notes for him and post them on the desktop so that his eyes periodically catch on to them.
Recommendations from experts
In addition to exercises, the following tips will help increase concentration:
- Fatigue has a significant impact on brain activity. The first thing that increases concentration is simple rest. To stay in good shape, it is important to take breaks in a timely manner, not to overexert yourself, take your sleep schedule seriously, breathe more fresh air and monitor your health.
- Try to coordinate your activities according to your biorhythms. I think everyone has heard about owls and larks. If you feel your best performance in the first half of the day, do the most difficult mental work at this time of day. And vice versa.
- Eliminate external distractions. Declutter your desktop, turn off notifications in mobile apps, and don't play music or videos in the background when you're doing something that requires attention. Avoid multitasking whenever possible.
- Set goals. They can be either short-term, i.e. limited in time, or long-term, for the future. When you have a goal, you are usually less distracted by small things.
- The next recommendation for those who work from home: do not sit at your laptop in bed. The sleeping place is intended for sleeping, and the brain understands this very well. And working in such an environment, you try to force yourself to relax and concentrate at the same time, which leads to dissonance.
- If you feel that you are exhausted, but you need to finish the work, take a position that is unusual for you. For example, change the position of your feet, your posture, change your facial expression, cross your legs differently, etc.
By the way, we have another interesting article on how to make your brain work.
The need to train concentration of consciousness
Sometimes a person needs to focus on an object or event. This ability to concentrate is called concentration of consciousness.
Consciousness is a state of the human psyche that gives awareness of oneself, the external world and its phenomena.
All information that enters our brain through the senses is pumped through consciousness and analyzed. This brain activity resembles the operation of a computer.
In consciousness, just like in a computer, complex processes occur, programs of innate instincts operate.
Over the years, our computer program becomes more advanced and is supplemented with various innovations. Personal improvement occurs through self-development, acquisition of knowledge and skill.
Then why does our brain-computer have concentrated consciousness? It gives us the opportunity to focus on a significant subject, moving away from others that are not important at the moment.
Practitioners of Buddhism achieve such a level of direction and concentration of consciousness on a specific subject when, while in a state of trance, they can open chakras and carry out other spiritual practices. Thanks to such concentration, they receive renewal of spiritual energy and capabilities.
Attention as concentration of consciousness
Attention is the focus of consciousness on some object, incident or activity and concentration on them. Direction is the isolation of an object, and concentration is abstraction from other objects.
3 important steps
which every woman should go through
Anika Snagovskaya
Author and presenter of women's trainings on harmonizing feminine energy. Master of removing limiting beliefs and master of constellations.
I have prepared three lessons for you that will help you better understand yourself, remove the restrictions that prevent you from feeling loved and living happily.
01
Video lesson with meditation: 5 states of femininity
You will learn about 5 female states that exist in every woman, how they manifest themselves and which archetypes are most manifested in you and which are not developed.
02
Video lesson + meditation: How to let go of past relationships
I’ll tell you what you need to do to free your heart from old feelings and break the energy threads connecting you with your past partner.
03
Audio recording: Neuro-af
Thanks to this neuro-affirmation, you can regain self-love and feel sincere gratitude and happiness for every day.
✕
Take your gifts!
Each of us exists in our own world and our own perception of it. Attention, as the primary function of the psyche and the foundation of all processes of consciousness, is the foundation on which this world is built. If attention is not able to capture the entire object or phenomenon, then the brain completes what is missing. However, in this version we can no longer talk about its reliability, but rather about good imagination.
In Gestalt psychology, they emphasize two main tasks of attention: selecting a figure from the general environment, background, and maintaining focus on it.
Attention is the process of conscious or intuitive choice between two options for information perceived by the senses.
