Distractions are bound to happen. We as individuals get distracted very easily and very often.
Sometimes, we are not able to focus and pay complete attention to what we need to do and that is fine until you have to complete a piece of work urgently or you have to meet deadlines but are not able to pay attention to the specific work.
Amazingly, a Harvard University study found that humans are present at the moment for little more than half of our waking hours—a discouraging 53 percent. We’re distracted and zoning out for the remaining 47% of the time.
Here, one may think that the solution is to get rid of distractions, which can be one way to hold back our attention and focus, but the main problem here is not having distractions, but not having the ability to hold our focus on the work we are doing.
Having the ability to focus our attention on anything we are doing is crucial for us to complete that efficiently in time. It can get difficult sometimes, to focus on the work you are doing, but improving your concentration and achieving sustained attention can help you to be more efficient and more effective. So, let’s look into 7 astonishing ways you can improve your attention span.
6 Effective Ways to Increase Your Attention Span
1. Identify and Understand Your Distractions
To improve your attention span, it is very important for you to identify what causes you to be distracted while doing your work. Distractions can be anything. E.g. one might get very distracted by their social media notifications in the sense that they have a habit of checking their phone as soon as they hear the ‘ting’ sound from their phone. Continuously checking your phone every 2 minutes can be very distracting and not healthy for your attention span.
Practice linking such habits or distractions to a more desired behavior after you identify them. To start with, you can tell yourself to be on the task for at least ten more minutes before giving in to the temptation to check your phone. Doing so would gradually make you better at managing these distractions and maybe get rid of them completely one fine day.
2. Get Good Sleep
Don’t we all agree that a well-rested mind and body would definitely be better at focusing than a tired and unrested body? The best way to rest is to sleep for a good amount of time which relaxes your body down and prepares it for work. Therefore, try to get at least six to eight hours of sleep every day, regardless of how busy the day is.
3. Exercise
A study found that physical activity increases cognitive control. Exercise doesn’t mean going to the gym or doing 100 pushups. It can just be a 15-minute brisk walk in your neighborhood or just 30 minutes of yoga daily. The idea is to get you moving for at least some minutes of the day, for you to stay healthy. You can engage in physical activity while doing something you enjoy, such as dancing in your living room or going for a stroll with your friend.
4. Meditate
There are undoubtedly numerous benefits to meditation, but one that cannot be overlooked is that, because it essentially involves training your attention, it can help you become more focused. Your brain can be trained to focus for extended periods through meditation.
5. Listen to Music
It is not that music helps everyone concentrate on the task they are doing, but it influences your ability to concentrate and focus on your work if it works for you. Music can motivate you, improve your mood, and help you relax.
Playing music while studying or working can improve focus by lighting up the brain’s attention center. Music can also boost your concentration by reducing stress levels and enhancing relaxation. The more relaxed you are, the likelier you are to focus on the task at hand.
6. One Day at a Time- One Task at a Time
When you see that you are unable to concentrate on your work, and it is becoming a pattern, it is very important to take it one day at a time, and one task at a time. Try to focus on that one thing that is scheduled for the day, and block out all other distractions so that you can pay full attention to that particular work.
It should be simpler for you to do a task when you focus all of your attention on it. After that, you can proceed to the following item on your to-do list.
At first, you may feel as though you failed at trying to increase your attention span. However, next week? You’ll definitely perform a little better. Along with the above tips, there are many other ways like hydrating, being kind to yourself, creating schedules, taking lots of breaks, etc which can help you lengthen your attention span.
It is possible that despite changing your daily schedule and routines, you are still having trouble focusing. If that is the case, try talking to a mental health professional now!
0 Comments