10 Simple Tips to Develop Concentration - By Syed Hus

All of us know the importance of concentration skills. Below are some tips to help you develop better concentration whether you are working, studying or doing anything at all! 1. Do one thing at a time, and set aside a specific time period It helps concentration if you just do one thing at a time giving it your complete undivided attention. Multitasking (doing many things simultaneously) will make you distracted and it is an ineffective way of doing things, contrary to what many people believe. Do one thing at a time in order to develop concentration. If you are trying to construct a presentation to give at your office or studying for your exam, for the next 30 minutes or so, just think of that alone. Focus your mind on the details of the job and how you plan to do it. Do not let your attention wander to other things during this time. 2. Do something as if for the first or last time We take a lot of everyday things for granted and do not observe as intently as we should. In order to develop focus and observation, try to look at tasks which you do every day as if you are doing or seeing them for the first or the last time. This will encourage you to observe details which you may have missed before, thus improving your observation, concentration and also allow you to gain new insights. 3. 5 more rule From now on, if you're in the middle of a task and tempted to give up -- just do FIVE MORE. Read FIVE MORE pages. Finish FIVE MORE math problems. Work FIVE MORE minutes. By implementing this strategy, you are stretching your mind past the point of frustration and building up mental endurance just as good athletes push past the point of exhaustion by not giving up when their body initially protests of tiredness. This way they build up the stamina they need to excel. 4. Unclutter your mind by writing things down While doing something important, if other worries are invading your mind and affecting your concentration, then an effective way to overcome this problem is to write down any concern you might be having on a piece of paper. Next to it write down a date or time when you want to deal with this problem. Writing it down this way will help in uncluttering your mind so that it is free to concentrate on the task at hand without giving up on the problem that keeps plaguing you. 5. Reward yourself Decide before starting your work how you would like to reward yourself when you finish. The reward can be anything that makes you happy and relaxed - like having your favorite food, going out for a walk, meeting your best friend etc. It doesn't have to be something big; any activity that gives you pleasure and takes your mind off work for some time will do. This system of rewarding yourself will increase motivation for doing things. 6. Be project specific Before you start any work, be clear in your mind as to what you want to accomplish. Before sitting down to study for exams, be clear what chapter you want to study now, how much time do you intend to study for, etc. Be as specific as possible and move on to some other task only after you complete this. 7. Use a concentration score sheet Whenever doing important work, use a concentration score sheet. Each time you find your mind wandering, make a check mark on the sheet. If you do this on consistent basis, you will condition your mind to wander less and you may find that you have far fewer check marks and far greater concentration. 8. Break task into smaller parts Breaking a task into smaller parts will make it seem less daunting and help you approach it with more positivity. If you are trying to study a textbook for exam, then you can make a goal of finishing one chapter at a time. 9. Concentration exercises Concentration exercises help in training your mind to concentrate more and for longer periods of time. I have mentioned some concentration exercises in my blog which you can read by clicking here. Its recommended to practice exercises given in that article on a daily basis in order to improve your concentration. 10. Do a thing wholeheartedly If you approach something half-heartedly, it can show in the quality of the work. In order to do things better, do them with interest. Whatever you are doing, try to find some aspect of it that interests you. If you can find something interesting in each thing you do, you can enjoy even the most mundane and boring tasks. These tips are very simple to follow, but can have a huge impact on your ability to concentrate on the task at hand. The next time you find yourself struggling with completing a project, try these tips and see how much more productive you become!