The world is a distracting place. Be it your personal life, activity outside the window or the constant ‘dings’ coming from your laptop, sometimes it can take all of your willpower to focus.
It’s safe to say that at one time or another we have all been told to knuckle down and concentrate. It’s seems so simple to do but, in reality, being told to concentrate is sort of like being told to stop having a headache, in that you certainly want to focus and continue on with your day, in fact you would likely be better off for it, but often the elements driving your lack of attention can be outside of your control.
We are all built differently, with unique ways of navigating challenges and addressing obstacles, so it makes sense that not everyone responds to a situation that requires immediate focus in the same way.
If you find that your lack of concentration isn’t hindering you and you have actually established a pattern and routine that works for you right now, that’s great, but if you have issues with concentration that you would like to work on, then there are a number of tips and tricks for you to try.
Make yourself comfortable
If you are working at a wobbly desk, on a chair that squeaks or in a room that is too warm or too cold, it is reasonable to expect that you would be somewhat distracted.
From personal experience I know I will be completely distracted if I am sitting at a table that is sticky or cluttered. So, before you begin your workday officially, take just five minutes to make sure that your space is as you would like it, ensuring your focus and improving your mood.
That goes for yourself too. If you run cold, have a jumper nearby, or if the space is too warm, open a window. You would be surprised at how bothered we can get by seemingly inconsequential matters, but getting through a workday comfortably does matter.
Healthy choices
There are a range of studies available that compare exhaustion with the effects of alcohol intoxication and it’s a fair comparison. Exhaustion can cause short-term memory problems, blurry vision, headaches and impaired decision-making, so getting a consistent amount of high quality sleep is crucial to improving concentration.
Eating healthily may also improve the ability to focus as some studies have described certain foods, for example nuts and dark chocolate, that contain powerful antioxidants, as natural focus-enhancing stimulants.
Distract yourself from distractions
I once lived with a friend who couldn’t tolerate noise when she was trying to work. She would happily get through her workday in peaceful silence.
I on the other hand, as someone who constantly had to have music or some noise running in the background, could not focus in the silence and found that the lack of activity in the space was immensely distracting. Long story short, I wore headphones and despite having drastically different approaches, we were able to coexist in a shared workspace.
If you know yourself well enough that you can predict the workplace distractions that may cause you to lose focus, do what you have to, to ensure that you can work to the best of your ability. Find the solutions to the problems preventing you from doing your job.
Train your brain
There is no reason that your efforts to improve your concentration can’t be fun. Recent studies are beginning to suggest that puzzles and games, for example chess, sudoku, crosswords, even console games can have some cognitive benefits, in terms of memory and attentiveness.
If you would like to improve your concentration through gaming, there are a number of resources at your disposal, such as online free apps aimed at adults, local gaming groups, physical and digital crosswords and jigsaw puzzles, among others.
Know your limits
We all lose focus now and then, as no matter the scenario, no one is capable of concentrating 100pc of the time. That being said, it is important to know the difference between what is a normal level of distraction versus a symptom of a physical or mental health issue.
A number of conditions, for example, anxiety, depression, MS and epilepsy have strong links to a lack of concentration and while it is likely that most people will just have a slight problem concentrating, it is worth knowing that there is information out there if you think you might require it.
Ultimately, the trick to improving concentration is really about better understanding the factors most likely to distract you, and while it will never be possible to eliminate all distractions, you can work on your ability to cope with them and even ignore them.
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