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In addition to addressing nutrition and trying complementary practices, you can improve concentration and focus by changing certain habits and incorporating new methods in your life.
One of the top ways to improve concentration is to disconnect from technology while you are working or studying. Turn off social media alerts, log out of your email, silence your phone, and keep music at a low volume. If you find that your mind wanders because of a loud environment that you can’t control, wear earplugs or noise-canceling headphones if necessary. One study has found that “infomania,” or the distraction of technology products, causes a 10-point drop in IQ, more than twice the drop caused by smoking marijuana!
Did you know that each time your mind wanders, it can take 20 to 25 minutes to re-engage with your previous activity? It is natural to have tasks, ideas, and concerns pop into your mind while you are trying to focus—the key is the way you manage these mental distractions. One of the best ways is to keep a running task list on your desk. Quickly note items that need further attention when you have completed your project.
Powering through a task is not always the best way to maintain focus and concentration. In fact, many people find that concentrating for 45 minutes and then taking a 10-minute break can actually improve your attention when you return to work. During the 10-minute break, listen to music, run or walk in place, grab a cup of coffee, stretch, and give your eyes a chance to refocus—but don’t make business calls, go over your to-do list, or answer emails. Use the 10 minutes as a real break.
According to a study from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, students who engage in moderate physical exercise before a test performed better than students who don’t exercise. Regular exercise helps our brains learn to ignore distractions—but researchers aren’t quite sure why.
As an added bonus, if you love to run, run in organized races whenever you can! According to a new report in The Journal of Positive Psychology, recreational runners that participate in organized competitions experience more positive emotions, have higher self-esteem and confidence, are more satisfied with life, and feel their lives have more meaning than recreational runners that don’t run in organized races. Researchers note that running in a race provides a psychological reward that carries through after the races and may impact brain power.
Do you doodle? If so, you are boosting your concentration—at least according to an article in the journal Applied Cognitive Psychology. In a small study, half of the participants were assigned doodling while listening to a telephone call and the other half didn’t doodle during the same telephone call. The result? The doodling group recalled 29% more information on a surprise memory test than the group that didn’t doodle.
We’ve all heard that “sitting is the new smoking” and that we should move more. And now a study from neuroscientists in Canada suggests that working or studying at a treadmill desk actually increases concentration and memory. The researchers of this small study focused on students walking at a rate of 1.4 miles per hour (2.25 kilometers per hour) for 40 minutes. After they got off the treadmill, they were tested for comprehension of the information they’d read during the 40 minutes. The treadmill group showed superior memory performance, scoring an astounding 34.9% higher than those who studied at a traditional desk.
Multitasking is the arch-enemy of concentration. It can interfere with your ability to learn and remember relevant information. Research has identified a particularly shocking danger—multitasking is associated with smaller gray-matter density. Other scientific studies have shown that multitasking adversely affects working memory and long-term memory and inhibits learning in a classroom environment.
Time management experts estimate that multitasking can decrease productivity by as much as 40%. You may think you are accomplishing more—but you aren’t! During times you need heightened concentration and focus, turn off distractions, stay present in the moment, and complete the task you are working on before moving forward.
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