How to Improve Concentration

Concentrating on the task at hand can be extremely difficult. That in turn leads to frustration, which can cause you to lose focus even more. For anybody in school or at work, good concentration skills help increase productivity, and increased productivity helps increase confidence. If you are having trouble, there are important techniques and steps that can help improve concentration. Read below to find out more.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Sleep
• Scheduled breaks
• Reward system

1. Get adequate sleep. One of the fastest ways to lose concentration is by not getting enough sleep. Even though it may seem difficult to get 7 or 8 hours of sleep a night, the improved concentration and productivity that follows may make it worth it.

2. Identify what makes you lose concentration most often. It could be easy access to snacks, a chair that is too comfortable or too uncomfortable, or could be from a lack of interest in what you are doing. Before you can improve concentration, you need to first identify why you are losing focus in the first place.

3. Start small. Improving concentration should be a gradual process. It's unlikely that you will go from mind-wanderer to master-concentrator in a matter of a week. For this reason, it's important to not make many major changes in your life at one time. Trying to improve too many things at a time will actually make you lose concentration and will undermine your efforts to improve concentration.

4. Take scheduled breaks, especially if you are supposed to be concentrating on a task for an extended period of time. First of all, breaking up a task into smaller components makes it more manageable. Secondly, a scheduled break can reinvigorate your mind, helping you improve concentration.

5. Make goals and reward yourself for noticeable improvements in your concentrating ability. Your mind will respond positively to a reward system, further helping you improve concentration.

6. Consider learning to play a game or puzzle that requires focused concentration. Sudoku puzzles, chess, or checkers all require concentration of one form or another to be able to perform well. You might find that it helps to improve concentration through ways not related to work or school.

7. Sit back and think to yourself about how much more productive you've been, now that you have markedly improved concentration.

Resources

• Marilyn Brodeur

[dramacharan]

on 11/18/2009 Excellent !!!i gave 5

[williamfjordan]

on 11/3/2009 thanks for the tips on improving concentration 5* plus a recommend

[harvard]

on 10/17/2009 After reading your great article I believe my train of thought is back on track. This article smacks with good sense and down to earth know-how. Thank you.

[MyJB]

on 10/16/2009 This article is informative and good for the brain. I enjoyed reading it.