Authored by Holly Klamer
Being able to concentrate and direct your mental effort onto a task is critical for learning and achieving goals. But in today’s constantly connected world, concentrating and staying on task can often be difficult – especially if you have suffered a brain injury in the past or have any mental health issues. We’re always surrounded by opportunities for distraction, with notifications and other interruptions only a click away.
If you regularly find yourself being side-tracked, your brain won’t be retaining new information and you’ll end up struggling to learn and meet commitments. The good news is that with a little help, you can improve your concentration, increase your memory, and focus better on whatever you need to. Here’s now:
Get more exercise
While exercise is obviously important for your physical fitness, it also benefits your brain health by improving concentration, increasing cognition, and boosting memory. And the good news is, you don’t have to buy exercise equipment or join a gym. Any kind of physical activity will do the trick.
Whether it’s doing some yoga outside in the sun, going for a swim at your local pool, or shooting some hoops by yourself or with friends, all it takes is just 30 minutes each day, five times a week. If you’re relatively new to exercise, start by committing to three times each week and then add more days as you get used to it. Even simply going for a regular walk around in your neighbourhood will be enough to start working wonders for your body and your mind.
Try something new
One of the most effective ways to increase your concentration and memory over the long term is by providing new types of stimulation for your mind. That’s because whenever you do things you’ve never done before, it fires up parts of your brain that are only used for learning. This works in a similar way to athletes, in that you’re constantly training your brain to work better and faster when learning.
Rather than getting stuck in the same old rut of doing the same things you always do, try learning something new. Start knitting or woodworking, take a digital photography or art class, or learn how to play chess. There’s plenty of online classes available that can help you build up your life or career skills, or find something else that interests you. Learn to play a musical instrument, try cooking a new recipe for dinner, or take up juggling. The key is to constantly find stimulating activities for your brain that requires focus, concentration, and attention.
Declutter your environment
We all know that a cluttered environment makes a cluttered mind. That’s because your environment impacts your brain by influencing the way you work and live. Thankfully the reverse is also true, so by creating a more structured physical and digital atmosphere, your brain processes will also start to become more effective, efficient, and productive. Tidying everything up will help organise your thoughts, so start by clearing out and cleaning up your desk and the rest of your work area.
By streamlining and decluttering your environment for better focus and success, you’ll notice your time management also improves because you’re not constantly losing things in the mess and wasting time searching for them. Once you are learning in a cleaner and more orderly environment, your mind will start relaxing more and focusing better.
Take short breaks
Studies have found that our brains are not built for any kind of constant stimulation of new information. And it becomes more and more difficult to devote the same amount of attention to the task at hand. That’s because whenever you’re focused on a task for a few hours, you’ll often notice you start to lose focus.
While it may sound counterintuitive, taking small breaks throughout your day can dramatically increase your mental ability for concentration as it refocuses your attention elsewhere. By regularly taking short breaks you will not only help improve focus, but you’ll also boost your memory and productivity as well. Get up, move around the room, or have a chat with someone so you can come back to your task with boosted concentration from a more focused mindset.
Learning how to boost your concentration and memory are essential for a successful career and a happy life. Simply by following the above life hacks to sharpen your mind, not only will you accomplish more, but you’re also going to feel better doing it.
Author Name: Holly Klamer
Site: https://www.memorycarefacilities.net/
***Image Credit: Pixabay
