If you can’t seem to focus, you probably suffer many frustrations. You may be forgetful, clumsy, and unable to turn in work on time. If made into a lifestyle, these quirks could do a number on your professional and even social life. The good news is that there are things you can do to increase focus and concentration.
Get Up and Go
Starting your day with a workout is a great way to kick start improved focus for the day. You don’t need to pump iron for three hours, though. Just get your heart rate up for twenty minutes. Exercise will also wake you up, and you may find that you don’t need to rely so much on that morning coffee anymore.
If you don’t like the treadmill, you are far from alone. Go for a bike ride, swim, or challenge a friend to a game of racquetball. These low impact physical activities are great cardio. You can even pair a nice sunrise bike ride with listening to a book or podcast—what a way to start the day.
Meditation and Yoga
A lack of focus is a lack of mindfulness. If you practice being mindful, you will become more focused. Learning to quiet your mind and focus on your breath or a lit candle for a few minutes at a time will relax you and make you more present. You will get better the more you do it.
Yoga is similar to meditation in that it is a practice of mindfulness, but it is also a practice of stretching the body. Yoga will increase your focus because it forces you to focus on your body and posture. Not only will you be flexing your focus muscles, but you will learn how to bend and hold your body in new and healthier ways.
Get Outside
In a study published online in the Journal of Attention Disorders, researchers at the University of Illinois led children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) through three different environments: a city park and two other less “green” urban settings. They measured an increase in attention after a 20-minute walk in the park.
It’s unknown why but spending time outside increases your focus. It also gives your brain more vitamin D, which helps it function better. So, get out there! But don’t forget to apply sunscreen 15 minutes before sun exposure.
Eat Fat!
The human brain is made up of a lot of fat. However, there is good fat and bad fat. Good fats include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Examples of foods containing these fats are nuts, avocados, eggs, and coconut oil. Bad fats are industrial made trans fats. These are found in most candies and dessert foods.
Jam Out
You may remember the fad in which mothers played Mozart to their developing child. Music can increase focus and concentration, but the fact is that it doesn’t have to be pretentious. Electronic music can also do the trick as well as ambient sounds. The music just has to be free of distracting vocals.
So next time you’re feeling distracted at the office put on some headphones and jam out to some music for increased concentration.
Don’t Multitask
You might be better at multitasking than others, sure. However, the fact remains that if you’re focused on many tasks at once, your real focus is on none of them. If you’re skeptical, think about your computer and how it runs slower, the more tasks you give it. If you do one download at a time, rather than many downloads all at once, your computer will finish the tasks quicker.
It’s the same with your work. You will be more present and efficient with it if you focus on doing one task at a time.
Comments