How to improve your concentration

Concentration means putting full attention on work being done. Anyone doing work does it best when they concentrate. It becomes much more vital for students or in jobs where decision making is crucial as for doctors and judges... Concentration is needed in any work whether skilled or semi-skilled. Whether it is a professor teaching or an electrician correcting a power failure, the work can be accomplished only when done with concentration. An average person starts forgetting things due to fatigue when there is much work. This induces mental tension which makes the work seem more stressful. Finally the work is finished anyhow, but one feels exhausted. Thus one develops stress-related problems like peptic ulcers, hypertension, e.t.c. Hence it is vital that an individual puts in more efforts to improve his concentration at work. The work at hand should not seem stressful. With a healthy mind, one can focus more on work done, retain and recall more information. But since a healthy mind lives in a healthy body, a good nutritious diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables is necessary. Regular physical exercise also helps in this process. After adopting this for some time, one can definitely see an improvement in concentration. Avoiding intoxicating addicting substances like alcohol and smoking is a good measure to keep the body as well as the mind healthy in the long run. Deep breathing helps to invigorate the mind and relax it. This helps in better concentration. A very busy person can do deep breathing in between his work, whenever he is free for even 10 minutes. This can be done up to count of 50 to 100, the only condition being, the stomach should be empty. Whenever free, one should try to count numbers forward and backward mentally. It is a very good exercise for activating and stimulating the mind. This simple exercise can be done when travelling or while waiting for a taxi or person at the stage. While driving or doing some other daily activity, it is useful to mentally review the work done recently and plan the work lying ahead. Thus the mind shall remain focused on the work to be done. Before sleeping, spend some minutes sitting on the bed and recollect all events of the day. This reinforces the ability of the mind to retain and recall information which is much needed for good quality of work to be done. Try to keep cool all the time. Getting angry or excited on petty matters disturbs the mind and interferes with one’s concentration at work. Similarly it is important to avoid negative thoughts entering the mind. Negative thoughts also block the mind. Keep your mind full of positive and cheerful thoughts which will keep the mind cheerful and enthusiastic for doing more work in a focused manner. One should use his or her leisure time partly to read or write something, instead of watching television or movies all time. When an individual reads or writes something, it activates the mind, keeping it stimulated, which is needed for better working. It also helps in enhancing knowledge and expression skills. Watching movies or electronic means of entertainment is just a passive process. A person spends his time, but the mind remains passively resting, gaining nothing. Focus on the work at hand and try to do it with full concentration. Many people initiate one work and then start thinking of another. They may leave the first one undone and begin doing another. While doing the other task, he starts thinking of some work which has to be done the following day. The net result is that nothing is done wholeheartedly. Any work done in this state remains either undone or is finished poorly. This state of cluttered mind is very confusing. Unless a person works with absolute attention to a task, he should not expect successful results. Meditation done regularly helps to improve mental concentration. A misconception regarding meditation is that it is something to be done by old or retired people, or those seeking spiritual advancement. Meditation is a measure to relax the mind absolutely and make it more focused. The mind also sharpens with meditation. It not only helps in improving memory but also keeps the mind tranquil and disciplined which is a prerequisite for doing good quality work. Every individual desires to be successful in his field according to his overall ability. If he/she improves mental concentration by adopting one or more suitable measures, success is bound to follow.

Health

How to improve your concentration