Attention-Getting Ways to Improve Your Focus

If your mind keeps wandering and you’re wondering how to concentrate, use these tips to have laser-like, razor-like focus. 

It happens all the time…you’re sitting at your desk with a looming deadline and a wandering mind. You know you need to hunker down and concentrate, but your mind has other ideas—and focusing isn’t one of them! But you’re not alone because in our constantly-connected world, distractions and diversions are always a click away. Whether it’s a noisy radio or a nosy co-worker, there’s always something driving you to distraction. It can be hard to focus your attention on a single task when so many other things are vying for yours. But you can improve your ability to concentrate with this focused approach to staying focused.

1. Train Your Brain

If you’re game to improve your mental focus, brain-boosting games are a winning idea. Studies have shown that brain-training activities like problem-solving exercises, sudoku, crossword puzzles, memory games, and jigsaw puzzles are more than fun and games! These activities offer a number of mental benefits, from improving your concentration to developing both your problem-solving skills and your memory. Even playing video games can improve your concentration by altering areas of your brain responsible for attention. To improve your focus and memory, get in the game.

2. You Snooze, You Win

Has a lack of sleep at night left you feeling drowsy and lousy all day? No wonder you can’t focus! Sleep sharps your thinking skills, increases your ability to pay attention, and helps you make decisions. A good night’s sleep is also good for your memory, with studies showing that sleep helps your brain process and preserve memories so you can remember them years later. By getting the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep every night, you’ll be able to say goodnight to a lack of focus.

3. Think About Meditation

For centuries, many cultures and traditions around the world have turned to meditation to calm their minds and enhance their health. Today, research is catching up and catching on to this mindset as studies have revealed that this mind-soothing practice may help improve focus, attention, memory, and other cognitive abilities. All of these brain-boosting benefits make meditation worth keeping in mind. 

4. One and Done

Multitasking sounds good in theory, but it’s usually a bad idea. Juggling numerous tasks at once can make you think you’re being efficient, but all you’re being is fooled because it results in less focus, poor concentration, and decreased productivity. And if you try to do everything at once, you do nothing well at all. Instead of multitasking, focus on ‘monotasking.’ This is simply the practice of dedicating yourself to one task at a time and minimizing any interruptions until the task is done. A monotasking mindset can help improve your focus, lengthen your attention span, and improve the quality of both your work and your life.

5. Break Out of Your Rut

When you’ve been concentrating on something for a long time, your brain can take only so much stimulation until it ignores it altogether. That’s when your mind starts to wander and you begin to wonder where your concentration has gone. One of the best ways to regain your focus is to take five. Studies have shown that taking a brief break can help boost your energy, concentration, and motivation. The next time this happens and you feel your focus start to fade, take a brief mental break. Walk around, grab a snack, or call a friend. Just shift your attention away from your task and you’ll come back with a more focused mind.

6. Go Green

The wonders of nature can work wonders for your focus. Research has shown that spending time in nature can boost your concentration and make you more productive. Even just taking a walk among the trees may improve your memory. And when you’ve been stuck indoors for too long, it’s only natural to need a break from bright screens and tight spaces. Being surrounded by nature has always been considered mentally and emotionally “restorative”, but now it seems that a natural environment may help restore your attention, too. 

By paying attention to these concentrating-boosting and memory-building tips, you’ll be able to get, stay, and feel focused.