Ways to stay focused

The ability to focus on something is very important for achieving goals and learning new things. Fortunately, you can improve your concentration, even though it doesn’t happen easy and quick. You will have to make real efforts and probably change some of your daily habits. In this article, I want to share some tricks and tips that can help you develop focus and concentration.

Consume special foods to stay focused

Certain types of foods provide the brain with nutrients that may help you stay focused and concentrated.

• Fish and Flaxseed

Flaxseed and oily fish like sardines or salmon are high in Omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for maintaining brain health. Some researches show that Omega-3 acids may also help improve attention and fight age-related brain problems.

• Antioxidant-Rich Foods

Antioxidants can protect against age-related issues with memory and attention. Some researches show that such antioxidants as Vitamin C and Vitamin E may help slow down cognitive decline.

• Green Tea

Green tea may help reduce anxiety, improve cognitive function, enhance learning and memory. These benefits are attributed to L-theanine and caffeine. L-theanine is an amino acid that tea leaves contain. Some people use theanine for preventing Alzheimer disease and treating high blood pressure.

Remove distractions

People often don’t even realize how many distractions prevent them from concentrating on something. It is not easy to minimize some sources of distraction. If it is television or radio, you can just turn it off, but it is more challenging to deal with an interrupting child, spouse or colleague. One way to solve this problem is to tell other people that you need to be left alone for a certain period of time. Another alternative is to find a calm place where no one can disturb you. However, such internal disturbances as anxiety, exhaustion and worry can be much more difficult to avoid. If you want to minimize such internal distractions, you should rest well before the task and use positive thoughts. If you find yourself flying in the clouds, consciously bring your concentration back to the task.

Live in the Moment

It is hard to stay focused when you are thinking about the past and worrying about the future but tuned out of the present. Thus, you should always be fully mentally engaged in the present moment to recapture your focus. Being present keeps your attention sharp and your mental resources focused on the things that really matter at the moment. You can’t change what has already happened and you can’t see what is in the future, but your actions at the present can help you avoid repeating past mistakes and be more successful in the future. It may take some time but you should learn how to live in the moment.

Focus on one thing at a time

Multitasking is a great way to get done many things quickly, but usually, people are very bad at it. Trying to do many tasks at once can dramatically reduce your productivity and makes it much harder to focus on truly important things. Attentional resources are limited so you should use them wisely. Stop multitasking and concentrate on one thing at a time.

Practice Mindfulness

People have been practising mindfulness for thousands of years, but only now its benefits are starting to be understood. Meditations improve concentration and focus, they help to be more efficient at work. Mindfulness can involve meditations and easy deep breathing exercise. Take several deep breaths and don’t forget to focus on each of them. When you feel that your mind is starting to wander, bring your focus back to breathing. Even though it may seem easy, such exercise is much more difficult than it appears to be. Fortunately, you can do it anywhere and anytime. After some time it will become easier to disengage from intrusive thoughts and fully focus on something.

Take a Short Break

If you try to focus on one thing for a long time, your concentration starts to break down and consequently, your performance suffers. Even if you take a brief break by shifting your attention to something else, it can significantly improve concentration. Always give yourself occasional mental breaks to keep your mental focus sharp and performance high.

Keep Practicing

Building mental focus requires a lot of time. Even professional sportsmen practice for a long time in order to strengthen their concentration. The first step is to realize how much concentration issues affect your life. If you are struggling to accomplish your goals and often find your mind wandering towards distracting thoughts, it is time to start working on your concentration. It will help you accomplish more and focus on truly important things.