Attention Concentration and Focus
Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment- Buddha
The greatest power of the human mind is its ability to focus on one thing for an extended period of time. If you’ve played with a magnifying glass in the sun, you discover how scattered rays of sunlight can be focused and burn a hole through a paper and even start a fire. Imagine if you could concentrate your mind power into one bright beam and focus it like a laser on whatever you wish to accomplish.
Staying focused in the middle of a hectic day is a
critical component in anyone’s ability to not only get work done but get work
done well.
A few of us struggle to concentrate on life. And when you can’t concentrate, everything you
do is a lot harder and takes a lot longer than you’d like.
Concentration is very important for reading,
in office, writing exams, playing musical instruments, cooking, driving, and
even just even enjoying a small hobby. Anyone
can develop their ability to concentrate.
Attention is not just one's ability to focus on a single
task without being distracted, but it is comprised of several different
elements that must be effectively managed.
Researchers discovered that individuals who can sustain their attention
for long periods of time perform better on all sorts of cognitive challenges
than those who cannot. Sometimes the best strategy to employ is to stop and take a
break, relax, close your eyes for a few minutes or walk around. Our brains were not built for constant
attention always, so taking short breaks can improve your ability to maintain
focus over long periods of time. By taking short breaks in concentration you give your brain a chance to recharge so you can return to what you were doing refreshed.
Sometimes we daydream or allow our minds to wander, while
mind wandering or daydreaming can boost creativity and help us untangle
unresolved problems, it can also distract us at important times and lead us to think
on negative thoughts and emotions. So while daydreaming may seem creative
sometimes, to maximize its benefits and minimize its drawbacks, it is best to
actively manage your mind wandering sessions:
Have specific times in a day where you can let your mind to
wander, instead of letting your mind wander or daydream unintentionally and you
drift away from the task at hand. So find
times throughout your day where you deliberately give your brain permission to
wander at will. Some great thinkers and leaders have made it a habit to block
out chunks in their day where they don’t do anything except let their mind
freely ramble.
As an analogy the mind can be thought of as a muscle, as you
strengthen your body’s muscles by working out and exercising so you can also
strengthen your mind through controlling it and exercising and directing it at
your will. Your physical muscles and
your attention muscles both have a limited amount of strength at any given
time, their stamina and power can either waste away from inactivity or
strengthen from energetic exercise, and also they require rest and recovery
after they’ve been intensely exerted.
As always pre-workouts before an intense workout, you have
doubts about your effectiveness and performance and completion of the exercise
task, but you have to make the choice, and you have to set your mind, persist,
and take the first step. You may
want to quit in between, but if you persist you will gain more strength and
focus and concentration in the end and you’ll be surprised at your progress and
your newfound capabilities.
Your willpower is also important, voluntary attention and
willpower are closely entwined. Our willpower
allows us to deliberately ignore distractions while staying focused on the task
at hand.
Meditation helps to keep you calm and collected, research
has also shown that mindfulness meditation can boost your attention span
significantly, meditating showed measurable improvements in attention span, as
well as other executive mental functions.
You don’t have to spend your days meditating in a monastery to take
advantage of its attention-boosting power. Research has shown that just 10 to
20 minutes of meditation a day will do the trick. What’s more, you’ll even see
improvements in your attention after just four days.
Mindfulness meditation also helps.
Mindfulness is simply focusing completely on what you’re doing, slowing down, and observing all of the physical and emotional sensations you are experiencing in that moment. Mindfulness can be practiced when eating as you take time to really chew your food and concentrate on its flavors and texture. Incorporating short sessions of mindfulness throughout your day will strengthen and expand your attention span for the times when you really need it. Mindfulness can also combat distractions as they arise. You can also think to yourself or talk slowly to yourself in your mind “be still” or “be here and now” in that moment whenever your mind tries to wander or you get distracted, and you’ll see that the distraction is no longer present and that you’re ready to get back to work.
Mindfulness is simply focusing completely on what you’re doing, slowing down, and observing all of the physical and emotional sensations you are experiencing in that moment. Mindfulness can be practiced when eating as you take time to really chew your food and concentrate on its flavors and texture. Incorporating short sessions of mindfulness throughout your day will strengthen and expand your attention span for the times when you really need it. Mindfulness can also combat distractions as they arise. You can also think to yourself or talk slowly to yourself in your mind “be still” or “be here and now” in that moment whenever your mind tries to wander or you get distracted, and you’ll see that the distraction is no longer present and that you’re ready to get back to work.
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