Picture this: You’re sitting in class while your professor is giving an important lecture a week before the midterm, and suddenly, you lose your concentration to a bunch of random thoughts. Does that sound familiar? If so, you’re not the only one that struggles with a wandering mind. With all the different things that we must juggle in our daily lives, it’s no surprise that our minds should be preoccupied with various thoughts and worries. However, it is still important to find ways to be able to focus on the current task at hand to be a successful student and worker. Here are a few effective ways to bring back your concentration:
1. Get Rid of Distractions
While this sounds simple to do, not many of us are successful at eliminating distractions. It takes a lot of willpower to completely focus on something that you may not want to do, especially when you’d rather be occupied with another activity. However, it is important to try to find what diverts your attention and put it aside for the time that you need to channel your full concentration. If your phone keeps distracting you from an important class lecture, don’t use it! Silence your notifications and put your phone away while you’re in class so you have no reason to lose focus. The more you practice blocking out distractions, the easier it gets!
2. Meditation
Every time you find yourself feeling overwhelmed with a lot of troublesome thoughts which leads you to lose concentration, stop for a moment and recollect yourself. Take time to breathe and relax. Meditation helps to clear your mind of negative thoughts and get rid of anxiety. It is important to be calm to have good concentration. When you are free from worry, you are more productive in your work. With practice, you will soon learn to use meditation to help steady your wandering mind.
3. One Task at a Time
While some of us may believe that multitasking is an efficient way to get multiple things done at the same time, it leads to poor concentration. It is impossible to fully focus on one task while also working on another. When there is a lack of concentration, there is poor work quality. You cannot succeed at a job without putting in the right amount of focus, time, and effort to complete it. That’s why instead of trying to juggle multiple activities at once, give your full attention to one task at hand.
4. Peace and Quiet
A quiet environment helps with channeling your focus on any given assignment. Once again, this ties into eliminating all noise and distractions while keeping a calm mental state. Many people find silence to be soothing compared to a noisy space which can easily induce stress. When no one is around you, you are more likely to give your full attention to your work and get it done. What better place to be reminded of all the assignments that you need to get done and get started on them than in a secluded space.
Learning to concentrate may not be the easiest of tasks, but it’s made possible with these four tips!