Let me look at that message first. Oh! Did I just get a new like on my Facebook profile photo? How do I concentrate on my studies when I have so many things happening around me? This would most likely be a regular scenario in a student’s life these days. With exam season knocking at their doors, it’s time to buckle up and concentrate. Here comes the pertinent question — how do we concentrate with so many distractions? Well, we might have a few tricks up our sleeves! But first, let’s understand what concentration means: it simply means control of attention. It is the ability to focus the mind on one subject, object, or thought, and at the same time exclude from the mind every other unrelated thought, ideas, feelings, and sensations. However, it becomes tricky for everyone, be it a child or an adult, to focus by excluding unrelated thoughts, ideas and other sensations.
Hence, we have listed five simple ways to improve concentration:
Here’s a list of certain types of games that can help you to improve concentration. Try these out:
-sudoku
-crossword puzzles
-chess
-jigsaw puzzles
-word searches or scrambles
-memory games
A study conducted in 2015 on 4,715 adults found that spending 15 minutes a day, five days a week, on brain training activities can have a huge positive impact on concentration. These activities or games help you to develop your memory and sharpen your problem-solving skills.
Sleep deprivation causes disruption in your everyday life and not to mention your ability to concentrate on tasks as well as attention spans. Failing to get a good night’s sleep on a daily basis can affect your mood and performance in your academics. Several experts over the years have recommended that people should aim for 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night.
Here are a few quick tips to improve your sleep:
– Turn off the screens an hour before you go to bed.
– Keep your room temperature comfortable enough for you.
– Listening to soft music or reading a book can help calm you down as you get ready to sleep.
– Try and maintain a routine for your bedtime that you even follow on weekends.
As kids, we have always had our parents tell us how important it is to add nuts to our diet to help with memory, retention power and concentration. Similarly, avocados and chocolates can also be added for the same. Walnuts are said to improve performance on tests for cognitive function, including those assessing information processing speed, memory, and concentration. Walnuts are said to be rich in alpha-linolenic acid, a plant-based omega-3 fatty acid. They also contain more polyphenolic compounds than any other type of nut. Both omega-3 fatty acids and polyphenols are considered critical brain foods that help in reducing stress and inflammation — two major drivers of cognitive power and lapses in concentration. Researchers have found that eating an avocado daily also enhances measures of cognitive skills, including processing speed, memory, and attention. Chocolates help with the same functions. Researchers have found that eating dark chocolate can change a human being’s brain wave frequency, providing benefits in memory improvement and stress reduction.
When you put in really long hours into studying something, your concentration might begin to waver as time progresses. Researchers, over the years, have found that our brains tend to ignore sources of constant stimulation. Taking very small breaks by refocusing your attention elsewhere can dramatically improve mental concentration after that. You can just walk around, talk to someone, or even switch to a different type of task. You will come back with a much better and more focused mind to keep your performance high.
Various research has revealed that individuals who practise sport can perform better on cognitive tasks than those with poor physical health. Yoga might also significantly improve energy levels and brain function. Practising meditation every day has been proven to boost the regions of the brain associated with goal-directed behaviour and allows people to focus more easily on regular tasks.
Finally, the bottom line is that some of these ways to improve concentration might work really well for you while some may not. Hence, you should try out different approaches and various methods to determine what works best for you.
Do you know of better ways to improve concentration? Tell us in the comments below.
Enjoyed reading this? Check out more tips and tricks on The Learning Tree blog.
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Writing has always been Shreesha’s passion, be it for imparting knowledge or expressing opinions. In her former role as a journalist, she contributed to enriching society with knowledge. Now, at BYJU’S, she has moved on to something more exciting – creating tailor-made content for students. When she is not writing, you would find her looking for new ways to engage her child.
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