The ability to concentrate is a critical ingredient for anyone, especially students, to succeed. Whether it is academics or solving a professional problem, those who have higher concentration ability frequently outperform others who don’t. To be able to concentrate allows one to apply all their mental and physical faculties in unison towards their key objectives. Success is the natural outcome when one can apply the full force of their mental and physical abilities towards the achievement of their goals. Today’s digital and hyper-connected world does make it difficult for us, especially kids, to concentrate. Living in a noisy world makes staying focused on tasks challenging. This blog shares effective tips to enhance concentration.
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Find what works for you
Indian cricket star Virender Sehwag found humming his favourite Hindi songs helped him concentrate better while batting. Find out your thing. It is key to find out what factors help you concentrate better and what are those factors that dilute your concentration. It requires some reflection and self-assessment. Following could be certain factors that might be unique to you. If something is working for your friend, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will work for you as well. Make your assessments to understand the circumstances in which you concentrate the best.
- Time.Identify your most productive hours. For some, mornings work best, while others thrive during late hours. Figure out your specific rhythm. Once you find your best time of the day, keep those tasks for that time of the day that require your highest levels of concentration.
- Social Media. In today’s age, social media and the internet could be the biggest concentration breaker. If you are in between a task that requires high concentration, keep social media devices far away from comfortable reach. The problem arises when we work on a computer which is also connected to the internet. Just when you are trying to concentrate, a WhatsApp or Instagram notification will pop up luring you into checking to see what it is all about. While using laptops, make sure you are disconnected from all the distracting social media platforms. Switch off the notifications. Avoid the temptation to “just have a look for a second”. The addictive patterns of social media algorithms could be the biggest enemy of your powers to concentrate.
- Music.Some of us concentrate best while listening to soothing music. Putting the headphones on cuts out all the unwanted noise in your surroundings. This is extremely helpful if you are in a surrounding which is noisy and distracting. Many students in joint-family homes prefer to listen to music while studying. This method might not be suitable for everyone. Some people find music distracting. Test it out to see if it fits your workflow.
- Movements.For some, stillness aids concentration; for others, walking back and forth is more effective. Again, check what works for you. There are ample studies that suggest the enhanced alertness our minds demonstrate while we are on a walk. However, if you find the walk too distracting, maybe sitting still on a chair might be your thing. Avoid slouching on the couch or sitting on the bed as you could easily fall prey to the luring invites of slumber.
- Surroundings.Our surroundings play a key role in determining our ability to concentrate. A noisy surrounding can make it impossible to concentrate. Imagine you are studying for your exam in your room and there is a football match going on on the television in the next room. Concentrating on your stuff might be a tedious task, isn’t it? Eliminate all objects from your surroundings that have the potential of breaking your concentration. For example, a smartphone, snacks, your favourite toy, a cartoon magazine, a video game console, or even your beloved pet.
- Company.Some students can concentrate better when alone while some work better in group study scenarios. Identify what works for you and choose those settings. The quality of a group study depends heavily on the composition of the group. Even a single disturbing member can disturb the concentration of the entire group. A harmless joke in between an intense study session can take away the entire focus.
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Keep a concentration log
You may not realise the moment you lose your concentration and get pulled into a distraction, but you will realise when you come back and realise you had gotten pulled into a distraction. Keep a diary or a piece of paper every time you sit for a focused session. Make a strike with a pen every time you realise you got distracted. Also, take note of the reasons you lost concentration on each occasion. Simply the act of noticing that you lost concentration goes a long way and within days you should see your strike marks reducing in frequency.
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Concentration Exercises
If you find it difficult to concentrate, you can practise some concentration exercises which might help improve your ability to concentrate. Engaging in sports and games sometimes can be of great help to improve concentration. All sports require players to concentrate on the game to succeed. Playing sports, whether batting in cricket, dribbling in football, or aiming for a three-pointer in basketball, demands intense concentration. Engaging in sports is an excellent method to enhance your focus and concentration skills. Mediation is another way to improve your concentration.
Various other ways can play a pivotal role in helping you enhance your ability to concentrate, such as setting challenging goals, being well-planned, eating healthy, having sound and sufficient sleep, taking periodic breaks, etc. At EuroSchool we enable our students with more such skills to help them concentrate better in whatever activities they engage in. Our educators use expert techniques to create an environment that enables our students to concentrate better and achieve their true potential.
