3 Strategies to Tap Into the Power of Concentration

By Editorial Staff

Can't seem to concentrate these days? Whether at school, the workplace, the highway or anywhere else, lack of concentration can have serious consequences. Fortunately, there are simple strategies to help sharpen your focus and regain your concentration if it's lagging.

• Strategy #1: Lose the Distractions. Trying to study with the music blaring? Working on a major project at work while answering every new email that pops into your in-box? Concentration takes a big hit when distractions abound, so limit them: turn off the music, shut your office door and wait to answer your email / text messages / phone (if possible).
• Strategy #2: Set Limits. Concentration has its limits – do the same thing hour after hour and you're sure to suffer a concentration lapse now and then, increasing in probability with the amount of time dedicated to that same task. So break things up and give your concentration a break. Study for 30 minutes; then take a five-minute break. Do the same thing at work; stay glued to the computer screen, immersed in your work, and eventually, concentration will fade. (By the way, scheduling breaks when sitting is also a great way to ensure you get occasional exercise and a breath of fresh air now and then.)
• Strategy #3: Organize. There's no greater enemy to concentration than disorganization. Why? Think about it. You've got 12 things on today's To-Do List, written down and ready to cross off, one by one. Easy to concentrate on the task at hand, right? But what if you didn't have that list? What if your only "list" was a jumbled mess of "I could / should do that" in your head? Harder to stay focused, no doubt. Now consider two desks: one where every assignment / report / etc. is organized and easy to access; the other piled high with various unorganized files. Which desk do you think is more conducive to concentration (not to mention productivity)? You guessed it!

The ability to concentrate is an increasingly rare trait in our distracted, information-overloaded world. You need to cultivate it with the proper habits. Take these three strategies to heart and brainstorm other ways you can make your life easier by tapping into the power of concentration.