We all fight to keep the attention in our Everyday life. Constant distraction does not allow our brain to be concentrated on one thing. But what actually happens in our head when we lose focus? And more importantly, what do we do to induce this centered state in ourselves? Let's answer the question: "How to learn to concentrate?"
It is important to understand what goes on in our head when we are focused on something and what happens when we are distracted. Then we can minimize all distractions and train our brain to better focus. After all, focus is a skill and it takes practice to develop it.
What happens in your brain when you are focused and distracted.
First, let's look at what happens in the brain when you start focusing on something, and then what makes you break that focus. It turns out that both processes are interconnected.
The Two Step Process: What Happens When You Focus
The brain goes through two main stages when it focuses on a task. This system is under your control and asks a simple question: “What do you want to focus on?” When you choose to focus on something, the brain goes through two steps to make sense of and understand the information.
- Visually, you take in all the information and start processing it to find what you need to pay more attention to. This can be compared to a blurry photograph that slowly begins to come into focus.
- The second part involves focusing on one aspect. And which photo is in focus, attention starts to increase on one aspect that you want to pay attention to.
When you are fully focused, your perception of the world around you changes, time seems to stop and you stop noticing everything that is happening around you. This state is called "flow".
This is what happens in your brain when you break Focus.
Loss of focus and focus is an evolutionary system designed to keep you and me safe. You cannot control the peripheral attention that distracts you, as it has been hardwired into our brains for a very long time.
Two external events make us lose concentration: bright colors or lights and loud sounds. Your attention is primarily focused on what could be dangerous or beneficial to you, like the growl of an animal or the sound and lights of a police siren.
It takes about 25 minutes to restore concentration. Every time you get distracted, you need a lot of time and resources to get back to “flow”. Therefore, we need to remove all possible external factors that can distract you.
Determine what disrupts your concentration and remove those triggers
All people are unique. It is likely that at some point in your life you met someone the only person who can enjoy reading with the TV in the background or who sees no problem concentrating on the task of listening to heavy metal. To help you focus, you need to identify your triggers that are constantly distracting you.
Minimize external distractions
Minimizing common distractions is a sure way to become more alert and focused.
There are many different ways to easily block outside influences. Here are some simple tips to help you minimize the risk of external influences disturbing your focus.
- Wear headphones or ear plugs: If loud noises are the main cause of distraction, then the most logical approach would be to remove them from the equation. It is important to remember that distractions are not just loud sounds directed at you (someone shouting your name), but loud sounds in general.
- Turn off various email, social network and phone call alerts.
Creating a kind small sound and noise isolation booth will be an excellent solution to remove external distractions. However, there are also internal distracting triggers.
Identify your internal distractions and stop them before they distract you.
We all get distracted by various inner things throughout the day. These thoughts could be about what you eat for dinner, why the girl in the cafe doesn't want to go on a date with you, or what a stupid thing you said to your boss.
To suppress distractions, you must know your inner mental processes and catch wrong impulses before they take over your brain.
Start thinking about and describing your own actions in words. By fixing the descriptions of your actions in your brain, you will increase the strength of your inhibition. Which will help you put the block on the simultaneous work with a large amount of information, spraying your attention and being distracted.
Learning to deal with distraction is great, but to be more resilient in the long run, you need to train your brain to be focused.
The modern rhythm of life forces many of us to multitask. But actually human brain poorly adapted to solving several problems at once. Much more productive is to focus on one task at a time. Today we will talk about what helps to focus and what hinders it.
The ability to concentrate hard work on one task is a very important character trait that will help you achieve high success in any kind of activity. If you look objectively, it is far from always that people at work can concentrate on only one task and not be distracted by extraneous irritations. It's about concentration skills. In the West, children are often given attention deficit disorder, because modern electronic gadgets do not help children, say, listen to their teacher during the entire lesson.
At the same time, almost 8 out of 10 students or office workers can be diagnosed with attention deficit disorder. As David Rock writes in The Brain: Instructions for Use, our brains can't do two things at the same time. He quickly switches between them. Therefore, our attentiveness, accuracy decreases, the number of errors increases. That is why in many places in the world it is forbidden to talk on the phone while driving.
How to focus on work
First of all, it is important that your work motivates you. When you love your job and you are interested in doing it, it is unlikely that something or someone will be able to seriously distract you from business. If you notice that you often become distracted, then perhaps the whole point is that you are tired of this particular job? that is why when you need to start not only from the mind, but also from what the soul lies to. If I was not interested in doing my dissertation, then no matter how hard I tried to focus on this large and complex task, I always found something more interesting. Remember that one of the functions of management is motivation. If the goal does not insert you, then how are you going to work on it for a long time and with concentration?
The target must also have other characteristics. It can be ambitious, but it is also realistic. I advise you to briefly familiarize yourself with the so-called SMART goals. These are the characteristics that a smart target must meet.
turn off your phone. Mobile gadgets are a strong irritant, as well as other devices: tablets, laptops, which beckon to check your mailbox or read the news as soon as possible. From time to time it is useful to set the silent mode on the smartphone, and during work you should not deliberately be distracted by extraneous matters. This is where the timing technique can help. This is when you write down when and what you did. If you spend a little time on this activity for several days, then almost immediately it will become clear what and how much time you are spending.
Take care of the first hours of work. In the morning, when you are just starting to work, the first couple of hours are very important. It is at this time that our brain works at its best and we are most productive and focused. At this time, it is better to refrain from routine and simple tasks. Of course, this is provided that you sleep well. If you do not get enough sleep, then there is no need to talk about high mental performance.
Make time for rest. No wonder there are changes in schools. And in universities there is time between couples. We all work according to certain rhythms, and at some point in continuous work, the concentration of attention will begin to fall rapidly if we do not take a break in time. Speaking of biorhythms. Consider your chronotype. Owls work better in the evening, and larks work better in the morning. By the way, from my own experience, I was convinced that it is quite possible to change your chronotype. And this is more of a habit, not a genetically determined factor.
Create good working conditions. Convenient workplace, order on the table, a comfortable chair and suitable music - this will give a prerequisite for a good concentration of attention.
Food. The brain requires a lot of energy. And he consumes it very quickly. With a weight of 2% of body weight, the brain can consume up to a quarter of all energy. That is why in order to concentrate, in order to focus on the task, it is very important to feed the brain. Fruit, dark chocolate can really boost your productivity for a while. But be very careful with sugar (and derivatives) and caffeine. At some point, they can do more harm than good.
Helps to focus clear statement of tasks (planning) and constant monitoring of progress. How much we have already done, and how much is left before the completion of the project.
Try to be focused not only at work, but also during training. Going to the gym - do your program, and do not climb on the phone. Going to a cafe or cinema - do not take a laptop with you. Do not try to shove the unpushed.
Set your priorities. To focus on one task, you may have to give up on many other goals. So you need to be sensible to prioritize and work in this direction throughout the day.
What makes it difficult to concentrate
A mess on the desktop is a dubious help in business. Perhaps you do not want to sit down to work because you have a pile of dust and a bunch of obscure papers on your desktop? Take care of ergonomics. In particular, light, a comfortable chair, warm floors or shoes (if you work in an office).
A bad mood can become a real obstacle in business. Neuroscientists have long proven that optimism allows you to work more productively. Learn it.
Ignorance of time management techniques or their incorrect application can also be the root of all troubles. For example, you can not plan the whole day with business back to back. There are always unforeseen situations.
For myself, I’ll say that before I was prevented from concentrating by the fact that I went to bed very late and put off all things for later. As a result, you wake up at lunch broken, and more or less come to your senses closer to midnight. There is no need to talk about some kind of productivity for natural reasons. The body simply did not understand what was happening, maybe. .didn't see daylight.
Extraneous noises, coworking colleagues, friends in in social networks- all this can become another hindrance to work.
How to become more focused
I advise you to read David Rock's book "The Brain: Instructions for Use". I also advise you to read the book "Time Drive" by Gleb Arkhangelsky. And if that doesn't seem enough, there's also author Dan Kennedy with the books Tough Management and Tough Time Management. Read them - there is enough information to learn how to be more concentrated. In general, if you consciously follow your attention, this will already be a good step towards the goal.
I learned a lot in the last 2 months of working with self-discipline. The only thing that is not yet available is concentration on one task.
Within 60 days, I introduce new and renew old productive habits. I can almost always with on the lips. I take a cold shower in the morning. I do breathing exercises and speech exercises. During the day I manage to complete at least 14 of the 18 planned items (only 4 at the end of July).
Distractions
There is a difficult problem. When I do one thing, I think about others. For example, I am writing an article. During the preparation in my head a swarm of extraneous thoughts. "What's for lunch today? I don't have much of a relationship with this person. What will the colleague say? Dust wiped off in the morning. I need to clean the sink. What will the article be about tomorrow? What else needs to be done on the blog?
This greatly slows down the process. Instead of work, I am engaged in grinding side cases that do not affect in any way urgent task. I can't do them right now. They will be important the moment I take them on. Why bother with this?
It turns out that I spend 2 hours on writing an article with this approach. Of course, this is significant progress. Because the summer was a difficult period in life and the heat. It took up to 5-6 hours for 1 text. Now it is 2.5-3 times less. I'm very glad about it. But there is no limit to perfection. I know that I can create a publication in just 1 hour. I strive for it.
The main goal for the next week is to learn to think exclusively on the current task in a unit of time. Do not be distracted by extraneous noise and various factors.
I have been actively adhering to some of the advice of professionals for the last 10 years. I will share working recommendations that turned out to be convincing for personal experience.
- Make a to-do list the night before.
- Think of a plan for the current task.
- Act strictly in stages.
- Remove unnecessary items from the workspace. On the table should be what is required for the case.
- The important thing to do first.
- Focus on one activity so you don't have to switch from one to another.
- Remove the phone from the room.
- Check email and social networks 2 times a day.
- Do not respond to interference that you cannot influence. I have a construction site outside my window, by the way.
- Create comfortable working conditions.
- Take breaks every hour for 5-15 minutes.
- Get enough sleep.
- Eat healthy food.
- Set goals for the right motivation.
- Measure task completion time.
All this is in my . Efficiency in achieving purity of thought has increased significantly. I guess I'm panicking early. The main thing is not to give up and continue to think exclusively about a specific case.
I hope to learn it before Sunday. Gotta keep up the pace.
P.s. When I was writing the article, relatives unexpectedly stopped by for a visit. We emotionally talked, laughed, discussed last news. Of course, it was difficult to finish it. So here's an extra hack. Avoid bright events before and after work.
Can you think of only one thing?
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Being able to focus on any activity in time is a very valuable quality, having which you can achieve good results in a particular area.
You must have noticed that it is often extremely difficult focus on work or study, however you want it. Therefore, the skill of concentrating on a specific task is necessary and useful.
Here are some tips that will tell you how to focus on work as quickly as possible.
Understanding your purpose. In order for your attention not to be distracted by all sorts of useless information constantly entering the brain, you need to keep the goal in your head in an uninterrupted mode (read - How to set goals correctly). A sense of purpose will motivate you to make every effort to achieve it. You need to scroll through your thoughts about what will happen when your goal is reached. In this case, all actions will be as effective as possible, and nothing can distract you from the process of moving towards the desired result.
The realism of the goal. The inability to concentrate is often due to a vague task. When your goal is vague and difficult to achieve, there is a high probability that you will fail due to the fact that you will not be able to focus on the process of moving towards the result. When you have a very realistic goal, you can always determine at what stage you are. And this will motivate you to make every effort to approach the victorious end.
Setting obligations. Whether you are on time or not, you must give yourself internal orders to complete the task at hand. If you quit your job halfway through, you are unlikely to achieve a good result in your chosen field.
Quick start. In order for your working day to be effective, you need to set a business pace for it in the morning. It is not difficult to do this, it is enough to start the task as soon as you are at the workplace. Don't let unnecessary little things distract you. Remember, a good start will lead to a very productive day.
Ability to take breaks. Researchers of the capabilities of the human body came to the conclusion that labor productivity is cyclical. In order to join the workflow, the average person spends about 10-15 minutes. The next half hour is the most effective. After 45 minutes have passed since you started the task, the stage of gradual exhaustion begins. Therefore, in order to maximize focus on studying or work, it is necessary to take ten-minute pauses between stages of the labor process. This will allow you to maintain your performance actually high level. You don’t need to “sew up” on any business, but at the same time you should not relax. Try to get used to a routine where you work for an hour and rest for 10 minutes.
Musical accompaniment. Here, psychologists do not have an unambiguous opinion. For some, music helps to focus, while for others, it is annoying or distracting. All this is purely individual, but certain patterns can be distinguished. For example, church music can give you confidence and help you relax. Classics awaken Creative skills in a person, open up new areas of knowledge and help to concentrate. Modern genres affect productivity in absolutely different ways. So, for example, jazz and soul can both stimulate performance and set the listener in a romantic mood. As for rock and metal, these trends can cause depression in some people, and inspire others. In addition, if external noise interferes with you, then music will be your salvation.
Sensory training. Consistent sensing exercises may be the skill what helps you focus. You can train your sense of smell, sight, touch, hearing and taste in a variety of interesting ways. Constant visits to perfume shops can hone your ability to recognize this or that smell. You yourself will not notice how after a short period you will easily be able to distinguish Boss 6 from Chanel Allure. Also, try to guess what was served for breakfast using only your nose. To concentrate and strengthen the power of vision, an excellent way is to observe the movement of the second hand. If you are walking down the street, try to notice the smallest details in your surroundings: car numbers, people's clothes, shop names (pass mindfulness test And observation). To sharpen your sense of touch, try comparing different materials by texture, temperature, density, etc. Develop your hearing in the following way: walking around the city, listen to the barely perceptible sounds that drown out the city noise. It can be a barking dog or a barely audible melody. In addition, it is a good exercise to mentally single out one instrument from the orchestra, and try to listen only to its part. Practicing taste is pretty easy too. Buy many varieties of apples and take small bites, while being aware of how one variety differs from another. Find bags of spices at home and stimulate your taste buds by guessing one or another seasoning.
What makes it difficult to concentrate
Extraneous sounds.
It often happens that inability to concentrate caused by ambient noise. It could be annoying music or TV. Still prevent to concentrate the sounds coming from the street. In order to reduce the influence of this factor to zero, it is better for you to move to another quieter room or simply close the window. In addition, people who are with you in the room can interfere with concentration. You should ask them to keep quiet and argue that they are busy with an important matter that requires maximum effort and attention from you. Remember that the ability to concentrate in a noisy place is a talent that not everyone possesses.
Extraneous thoughts. Internal dialogue during the performance of any task is a very harmful thing, because it distracts you from the process itself. Anxious experiences for any reason do not make it possible to concentrate on work, because they scatter thoughts in different directions. In order to get rid of intrusive internal conversations, you need to scroll through the goal in your head. Then you can tune in to the result and complete the task as efficiently and quickly as possible. Keep a goal in front of your eyes, and this will motivate you not to be distracted by extraneous problems.
information stimuli. Before starting or during work, there is always a temptation to get distracted and delay the moment of returning to the routine. You look at pages on social networks, correspond with acquaintances, read articles that are not related to work, and spend your time on incomprehensible things. Planning will be your lifeline. Prioritize according to your goals. If you have set a certain amount of work for yourself, write down the stages of its implementation. Set time limits for visiting entertainment and news portals. Do this in the morning before work or during your break. You should not once again be distracted from the process of achieving the result, since each time you will spend about 10-15 minutes to join the business pace. Remember that to take on all the cases at once means not to complete any. Know how to set priorities, which will become the basis for focused work.
Mood. Often, in order to justify their laziness, people begin to invent myths about a “non-work mood” and poor health. In most cases, these are excuses, created only to shirk the work process. Try to discard such thoughts, think constantly about the result and about the time frame you need to achieve it. This will help you stay positive and active in the workplace and get rid of procrastination. If you are really sick, it is better to start work after you have fully recovered.
Lighting. A workplace that is poorly lit can become a serious barrier to the effective completion of tasks. The dimmer the light, the faster your eyes get tired. And fatigue leads to the fact that your attention is scattered on poor health. Choose a lamp for yourself that will shine from the side opposite the hand of which you write so that the shadow does not fall. The light should be neither dim nor blinding. Choose the option that is ideal for you, and you will be provided with high-quality work.
Workplace.Workplace organization serious business! An easy chair or sofa absolutely does not contribute to the concentration of your attention. For work, a chair that will provide good posture and a comfortable fit is best. Remember that your place is not for relaxation and mental self-regulation. Spend enough time to ensure that you are as comfortable as possible to work.
Now you know, how to learn to focus and achieve goals quickly and efficiently. Be focused and success will not be long in coming.
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We live in an information world. This is the world where every minute, even second, there is something that insistently requires our attention. Video, audio, the Internet, mobile communications make us real information guzzlers. But our attention is becoming more and more scattered. We get used to “grab on top”, and are no longer able to concentrate on one thing, even when it is important and necessary. Try it - will you be able to finish reading, without being distracted, at least this text?
Today we will talk about how to learn to focus, definitely - without this skill it is impossible to make our life purposeful and productive.
Let's start simple, because complex problems always have simple solutions. There is a universal recipe for concentration. He is like this: make the object of attention become interesting to you.
Interest is the most effective method focus on something. The load of attention when washing floors is about 9%, and when counting money - more than 80%.
But here's the problem simple solutions usually is that they are difficult to implement. What if you need to keep your attention for a long time, for example, during the period of passing exams or writing a scientific paper?
Connect physiology
Our ability to concentrate directly depends on how we feel. There are a few rules to follow during periods that require concentration. Here are the rules:
1. Replace your usual cup of coffee with a few aerobic exercises. It is believed that coffee is the best activator of thought processes. But that's not the case, in large quantities this drink will defocus attention.
In fact, the most effective stimulant is exercise. In our brain they release chemical substances affecting learning and memory. If you do not like physical education, replace the exercises with a 15-minute walk.
2. Drink more water while reading or absorbing information. There are at least two reasons for this.
One - physiological - is based on the fact that our brain recognizes the slightest changes in the body. And it starts to work not in the most optimal way to attract our attention, it is difficult for us to concentrate. And the lack of fluid is the first thing the brain reacts to (after the lack of air).
The second reason is esoteric. Water as a carrier of information helps to better assimilate new things. Drink clean water in small sips.
3. Get enough sleep. The reason for the inability to focus is often a simple lack of sleep. In busy days mental activity 7-9 hours of sleep are needed, this time will pay off later with excellent performance.
Accept orgmeasures
In the information world, we must be in time everywhere, do several things at once and keep a lot in memory. The tension resulting from such multitasking turns into constant stress. And it is one of the reasons for our inability to concentrate. We seem to be missing something all the time. You can “fly up above the hustle and bustle” with the help of organizational measures.
1. Make a list of all the things that are "spinning" in your head. Break it into 3 lists according to the principle:
- the most urgent (first priority);
- what can be done tomorrow or the day after tomorrow;
- things that can be postponed for a certain time.
Every day, make this list in a new way, cross out what you have done as you complete it. Try to complete complex tasks in the morning.
2. Organize your workspace or the place where you will study. There should not be anything distracting in this place. Don't try to focus while the TV is on or in between commenting on social media. The maximum that you will achieve is an inexplicable feeling of fatigue in the evening.
3. Include breaks in your schedule. This time can be used for phone calls, browsing social networks, walking in the fresh air or warming up. The main thing is to switch from concentration to relaxation from time to time.
Train
And—the good news—our brains can develop the ability to ignore distractions! Therefore, in conclusion, how to learn to concentrate with the help of special exercises. They are contained in yoga complexes and in auto-training. But the most accessible and enjoyable way to develop the ability to concentrate is reading.
Read a book non-stop for 30 minutes. Every few pages, retell what you read to yourself, making sure you are focused on the text. Every day increase the time of uninterrupted reading, gradually bringing it up to an hour or even two.
Attention switching training. Read alternately two books on related topics. Page - in one, then - in another. After 30 minutes of such reading, you need to make a plan for what you read in each book.
So, the main thing is that the ability to concentrate can and should be developed. Try it and thanks for watching!
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