How to focus on one thing. How to focus

Being able to focus on any activity in time is a very valuable quality, having which you can achieve good results in a particular area.

You must have noticed that it is often extremely difficult focus on work or study, however you want it. Therefore, the skill of concentrating on a specific task is necessary and useful.

Here are some tips that will tell you how to focus on work as quickly as possible.

Understanding your purpose. In order for your attention not to be distracted by all sorts of useless information constantly entering the brain, you need to keep the goal in your head in an uninterrupted mode (read - How to set goals correctly). A sense of purpose will motivate you to make every effort to achieve it. You need to scroll through your thoughts about what will happen when your goal is reached. In this case, all actions will be as effective as possible, and nothing can distract you from the process of moving towards the desired result.

The realism of the goal. The inability to concentrate is often due to a vague task. When your goal is vague and difficult to achieve, there is a high probability that you will fail due to the fact that you will not be able to focus on the process of moving towards the result. When you have a very realistic goal, you can always determine at what stage you are. And this will motivate you to make every effort to approach the victorious end.

Setting obligations. Whether you are on time or not, you must give yourself internal orders to complete the task at hand. If you quit your job halfway through, you are unlikely to achieve a good result in your chosen field.

Quick start. In order for your working day to be effective, you need to set a business pace for it in the morning. It is not difficult to do this, it is enough to start the task as soon as you are at the workplace. Don't let unnecessary little things distract you. Remember, a good start will lead to a very productive day.

Ability to take breaks. Researchers of the capabilities of the human body came to the conclusion that labor productivity is cyclical. In order to join the workflow, the average person spends about 10-15 minutes. The next half hour is the most effective. After 45 minutes have passed since you started the task, the stage of gradual exhaustion begins. Therefore, in order to maximize focus on studying or work, it is necessary to take ten-minute pauses between stages of the labor process. This will allow you to maintain your performance at the highest level. You don’t need to “sew up” on any business, but at the same time you should not relax. Try to get used to a routine where you work for an hour and rest for 10 minutes.

Musical accompaniment. Here, psychologists do not have an unambiguous opinion. For some, music helps to focus, while for others, it is annoying or distracting. All this is purely individual, but certain patterns can be distinguished. For example, church music can give you confidence and help you relax. Classical works awaken the creative abilities of the individual, open up new areas of knowledge and help to concentrate. Modern genres affect productivity in absolutely different ways. So, for example, jazz and soul can both stimulate performance and set the listener in a romantic mood. As for rock and metal, these trends can cause depression in some people, and inspire others. In addition, if external noise interferes with you, then music will be your salvation.

Sensory training. Consistent sensing exercises may be the skill what helps you focus. You can train your sense of smell, sight, touch, hearing and taste in a variety of interesting ways. Constant visits to perfume shops can hone your ability to recognize this or that smell. You yourself will not notice how after a short period you will easily be able to distinguish Boss 6 from Chanel Allure. Also, try to guess what was served for breakfast using only your nose. To concentrate and strengthen the power of vision, an excellent way is to observe the movement of the second hand. If you are walking down the street, try to notice the smallest details in your surroundings: car numbers, people's clothes, shop names (pass mindfulness test and observation). To sharpen your sense of touch, try comparing different materials by texture, temperature, density, etc. Develop your hearing in the following way: walking around the city, listen to the barely perceptible sounds that drown out the city noise. It can be a barking dog or a barely audible melody. In addition, it is a good exercise to mentally single out one instrument from the orchestra, and try to listen only to its part. Practicing taste is pretty easy too. Buy many varieties of apples and take small bites, while being aware of how one variety differs from another. Find bags of spices at home and stimulate your taste buds by guessing one or another seasoning.

What makes it difficult to concentrate

Extraneous sounds. It often happens that inability to concentrate caused by ambient noise. It could be annoying music or TV. Still prevent to concentrate the sounds coming from the street. In order to reduce the influence of this factor to zero, it is better for you to move to another quieter room or simply close the window. In addition, people who are with you in the room can interfere with concentration. You should ask them to keep quiet and argue that they are busy with an important matter that requires maximum effort and attention from you. Remember that the ability to concentrate in a noisy place is a talent that not everyone possesses.

Extraneous thoughts. Internal dialogue during the performance of any task is a very harmful thing, because it distracts you from the process itself. Anxious experiences for any reason do not make it possible to concentrate on work, because they scatter thoughts in different directions. In order to get rid of intrusive internal conversations, you need to scroll through the goal in your head. Then you can tune in to the result and complete the task as efficiently and quickly as possible. Keep a goal in front of your eyes, and this will motivate you not to be distracted by extraneous problems.

information stimuli. Before starting or during work, there is always a temptation to get distracted and delay the moment of returning to the routine. You look at pages on social networks, correspond with acquaintances, read articles that are not related to work, and spend your time on incomprehensible things. Planning will be your lifeline. Prioritize according to your goals. If you have set a certain amount of work for yourself, write down the stages of its implementation. Set time limits for visiting entertainment and news portals. Do this in the morning before work or during your break. You should not once again be distracted from the process of achieving the result, since each time you will spend about 10-15 minutes to join the business pace. Remember that to take on all the cases at once means not to complete any. Know how to set priorities, which will become the basis for focused work.

Mood. Often, in order to justify their laziness, people begin to invent myths about a “non-work mood” and poor health. In most cases, these are excuses, created only to shirk the work process. Try to discard such thoughts, think constantly about the result and about the time frame you need to achieve it. This will help you stay positive and active in the workplace and get rid of procrastination. If you are really sick, it is better to start work after you have fully recovered.

Lighting. A workplace that is poorly lit can become a serious barrier to the effective completion of tasks. The dimmer the light, the faster your eyes get tired. And fatigue leads to the fact that your attention is scattered on poor health. Choose a lamp for yourself that will shine from the side opposite the hand of which you write so that the shadow does not fall. The light should be neither dim nor blinding. Choose the option that is ideal for you, and you will be provided with high-quality work.

Workplace.Workplace organization serious business! An easy chair or sofa absolutely does not contribute to the concentration of your attention. For work, a chair that will provide good posture and a comfortable fit is best. Remember that your place is not for relaxation and mental self-regulation. Spend enough time to ensure that you are as comfortable as possible to work.

Now you know, how to learn to focus and achieve goals quickly and efficiently. Be focused and success will not be long in coming.

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Single-tasking

First rule: focus on only one thing. We are all often distracted because modern society has unrealistic expectations of us. They want us to consume oceans of information without stopping. We must be constantly available to her. Many are responding to this alarming rise in demands by dividing their attention across multiple tasks at once. And this approach does not bring us good.

We suffer from a fundamentally wrong stereotype that it is necessary to do several things at the same time in order to cope with the burden of modern problems. But multitasking tactics usually lead to a dead end.

It's hard for us to concentrate. Our attention is scattered. We become impolite. Our productivity is declining. We lose control over the surrounding reality. We pretend to be able to do a lot. Why are we pretending? Because our brain is not capable of working with full dedication on more than one task at a time. Any neurophysiologist will confirm this.

Senseless worries about events that have already happened or unfounded worries about the future are the main and tireless plunderers of our time. We are also disturbed by thoughts about what others will say.

The first step towards overcoming all these obstacles is to achieve full awareness. Notice to yourself what your thoughts revolve around. Is this some specific "splinter" from the past? Or have you developed a habit of worrying about the twists and turns that might come your way?

Remind yourself that such thoughts are not only useless, but also counterproductive: they prevent us from being “here and now”. We are unable to change the past, predict the future, or control other people. At this particular moment, we can only focus on solving a specific problem, which will make a positive contribution to our lives, our work and the reality that is seething around us.

to-do lists

When we try to remember all the things that we have to do in the foreseeable future, this often turns into an additional stress load. But if we transfer the list of tasks to paper, then we relieve ourselves of the burden of fear that we might forget something.

A person is able to keep 7-9 cases in memory at the same time. Making a list allows you to free up mental resources in order to focus on one specific task and not be distracted by anxious thoughts about other responsibilities.

By using lists, we can sort and structure a seemingly overwhelming mountain of tasks, focus on the most relevant of them, and achieve maximum efficiency.

The ugliest frog

Mark Twain once said that if you eat a frog in the morning, the rest of the day promises to be wonderful, because the worst of today is over. Your "frog" is the biggest and most important work, the one that you most often put on the back burner. However, it is she who at the moment will positively affect your achievements, and most importantly, your life.

The first rule of eating frogs: of the two proposed, you need to start with the most disgusting.

In other words, if you have two important jobs to complete, start with the larger, more complex, and most important one. Train yourself to take on a task without delay, to bring it to the end, and only then move on to another.

The 25 minute rule

To reduce the temptation to delay a task, each active phase of the project should take no more than 25 minutes.

This technique involves splitting the task into 25-minute periods, the end of which is tracked using a timer. Each such period is followed by a short break. Four periods of work are followed by a longer break.

The technique is especially effective when you need to do something that you don’t want to do at all. When we know that we will work on the task for 25 minutes, and as soon as the timer rings, we can distract ourselves, it becomes psychologically easier to do the work.

Distractions

You must create a positive work environment for yourself that is conducive to productive activities. Eliminate all possible interference. If you're having a hard time working on a project or task, distractions will be just excuses for you to take a break.

The Internet, co-workers always ready to chat with you, phone calls, email pop-ups all contribute to procrastinating. Eliminate all distractions for at least 25 minutes and get to work.

How to talk to colleagues

In most workgroups, it is impossible not to be distracted. It's hard to get back on track if the conversation you were interrupted with gets out of hand and you don't know when it will end. Therefore, you must immediately set a time frame. The best way to do this is to announce what you are currently doing to the person walking towards you, and then ask targeted questions. Here are some examples:

“I'm just trying to clear my mail. Are you visiting me for a while or should I make an appointment for another time?

“I need to make some phone calls. Is there anything specific you want to discuss or can we talk later?”

“I'm going to a meeting in about five minutes. Can you briefly tell me your problem in half a minute, or should I call you after the meeting?”

The magic word "no"

Why do we agree to lunch with a friend, although we are busy with an important project? Taking on additional responsibilities at the request of the boss, despite the fact that we were going to devote more time to the family? We come to the aid of a neighbor, even if it interferes with our plans? It's simple: we are afraid to let people down or ruin relationships.

But we forget that we have the right to choose. You should not turn your own life into chaos, endlessly solving other people's problems. Say "no" and people will start to appreciate your time. And you don't have to regret your compliance every time.

Starting today, try to say no to all minor and “problem” requests, and use the free time to complete a more important task. Refuse unequivocally, but politely. "I'm flattered that you thought of me, but I'm afraid the download won't allow it" or "I'd love to, but I'm terribly busy." These forms of rejection will allow you to maintain a warm relationship with the interlocutor, and get rid of unnecessary small tasks that “clutter up” your day.

Diversity

Doing the same thing day after day can be terribly boring. Tired of monotony, we begin to get distracted at every opportunity. To avoid this, develop different routines for different days of the week.

This is exactly what Jack Dorsey, the founder of Twitter, does. Each day has a specific theme. Monday is reserved for meetings and company management. Tuesday is reserved for product development. Wednesday is dedicated to marketing, communications and development, and Thursday is dedicated to communication with developers and partners. Friday is the day of the company and its culture.

This routine helps you stay calm in the midst of chaos. On a daily basis, Dorsey focuses all his efforts on one topic, rather than dispersing them into several tasks. His work week always follows these rules, so it is easy for colleagues and partners to adapt to him.

Checking mail

Schedule what time you will open your email daily. For most people, the best option, the least disruptive to their workflow, is to check incoming mail four times a day and set aside no more than 15 minutes for each "session".

1. First thing in the morning. Most people start their work day by checking their email to make sure they haven't missed anything urgent.

2. Before lunch break. Lunch time is a perfectly natural pause in your business activities; to make this time more productive, you can check your email.

3. Mid afternoon. This is another natural pause when you need to take a break or are about to leave for a business meeting.

4. End of the working day. If you empty your inbox as much as possible before you leave your workplace, then the next morning you will immediately go to viewing new messages.

James Clear

Blogger, entrepreneur.

Concentration: what it is and how it works

Let's start with the most basic: what is concentration of attention? Psychologists define it as the act of directing interest or action toward a single goal. Yes, it sounds boring, but there is a very important idea hidden here.

What is concentration

To focus on one thing, you have to ignore everything else.

Concentration appears only when we say "yes" to one option and "no" to all the others. In other words, exclusion is a necessary condition for concentration.

What you don't do determines what you can do.

Tim Ferris, writer, public speaker

Of course, staying focused doesn't require an unchanging "no", it's important to say "no" now, in this moment. Later you can do something else, but for now you have to focus your attention on only one thing.

Concentration is the key to productivity. By saying no to any other options, you unlock your ability to complete the one remaining task.

Now for the big question: what can you do to focus on the things that matter and ignore the things that don't?

Why can't concentrate

Most people don't have trouble concentrating. They have difficulty making decisions.

We can convince ourselves to focus on the task by removing all distractions from the path. Have you ever had a task that needed to be completed at all costs? You did it because the deadline made the decision for you. Maybe you are, but as soon as the case forces you to make a decision, you act.

Often, instead of making the hard decision and choosing one thing, we convince ourselves that multitasking is better. But this is an inefficient approach, and here's why.

Why multitasking doesn't work

Technically we can do two things at the same time. For example, watching TV and cooking dinner or answering incoming calls during a telephone conversation.

But it is impossible to focus on two things at the same time. You are either watching TV while stirring the pasta in the pot in the background, or you are cooking pasta and the TV becomes background noise. At every single moment of time, you are concentrating on either one or the other.

But no matter what method you use and no matter how serious you are, at some point the concentration disappears. How to stay focused longer? To do this, you need to follow two simple steps.

Measure your results

Mindfulness is often lost due to lack of feedback. Naturally, your brain wants to know if you are achieving your goals.

We all have areas of life that we claim to be very important to us, but that we don't track. This is fundamentally the wrong approach. Only with numbers and full tracking can we do something when we get better or worse.

• When I started counting how many push-ups I did, I got stronger.
• When I started to follow the habit of reading 20 pages a day, I read more books.
• When I wrote down my values, I became more principled.

The tasks that I tracked remained the focus of my attention.

Unfortunately, we often avoid measuring results because we fear the numbers will be unimpressive. Understand that measurement is not for judging yourself. It's just the feedback you need to understand where you are right now.

Measure to discover, learn, understand. Measure to know yourself better. Measure because it will help you focus on the things that matter to you.

Value progress, not results

The second thing you can do to keep your attention longer is to focus on the process, not the events. Too often we think of success as something that can be achieved and completed.

Here are some examples.

• Many people think of health as an event ("If I can lose 10 kilos, I'll be in great shape").
• Many people think of entrepreneurship as an event (“If our business were featured in the New York Times, we would be successful”).
• Many people think of art as an event (“If my paintings were exhibited in a big gallery, I would become famous”).

These are just a few examples of many where we define success as a single event. But if you look at people who are focused on their goals, you will understand that it is not the events or results that matter, but the concentration on the process itself. These people love what they do.

And the funny thing is, focusing on the process will allow you to enjoy the results anyway.

• If you want to be a good writer and have a bestseller, that's fine. But the only way to achieve this result is to love writing.
• If you want the whole world to know about your business, it would be nice to be featured in Forbes magazine. But the only way to achieve this is to love the process of promotion.
• If you want to be in good shape, you may really need to lose 10 extra pounds. But the only way to achieve this result is to love healthy food and exercise.
• If you want to become much better at anything, you have to love the process itself. You have to fall in love with building the image of a person who is doing business, and not just dreaming about the desired results.

Focusing on goals and results is our natural inclination, but focusing on progress results in the long run.

Life hacks to improve concentration

Even when you are genuinely in love with the process and know how to stay focused on your goals, daily practice can wreak havoc and hurt your mindfulness. Here are some additional ways to increase concentration.

1. Choose an anchor task

Choose one (and only one) priority for each working day. Although I plan to complete other tasks during the day, my priority is one non-negotiable task that I must complete. I call it the "anchor task".

With a single priority, we start building our lives around that commitment without thinking.

2. Manage your energy, not your time

If a task requires your full attention, schedule it for a specific time of the day when you have the energy for it. For example, I have noticed that my creative energy is highest in the morning. I am awake in the morning, write better, and make better strategic decisions for my business. So I plan all my creative tasks for the morning. And I postpone all other work matters to the second half of the day: meetings, answers to incoming calls, phone calls and Skype chats, analysis and processing of numerical information.

Almost every productivity strategy includes better advice. But time itself is useless if you don't have the energy to complete the task.

3. Never check email in the morning

Concentration is the elimination of all distractions. And email can be the biggest distraction.

If I don't check my email at the start of the day, I can make my own schedule instead of having to adjust to someone else's schedule.

I understand that for many people it makes no sense to wait for the second half of the day, but I want to throw you such a challenge. Can you wait until 10 am? Or until 9? Before 8:30? The exact time limit is not that important. The bottom line is that you can make time for yourself in the morning when you can focus on what matters most to you.

4. Leave your phone in another room

5. Work in full screen mode

Every time I run a program on my computer, I use it in full screen mode. If I read an article on the web, the browser takes up the entire screen. If I write notes in Evernote, I use full screen mode. If I'm editing images in Photoshop, the program window is the only thing I can see. I set up the desktop so that the menu bar automatically disappears. When I'm at work, I don't see the time, app icons, and all the other distractions.

It seems a trifle, but in terms of concentration, this is a very important action. If you see an application icon, then from time to time you are tempted to click on it. However, if you remove the visual signal from your field of vision, then the desire to be distracted disappears after a few minutes.

6. Remove all tasks that interfere with your concentration in the morning

I like to do the most important things in the morning, because at this time there is no rush yet. So I moved my first breakfast to noon to free up some extra time in the morning for work rather than cooking.

No matter what strategy you follow, remember that when the world distracts you, all you have to do is stick to one thing. At first, you may not succeed. But you just need to start.

Improving your focus can help you achieve success in work and school and become a happier and more organized person. If you want to become more attentive, you need to learn how to avoid distractions, and clearly develop a specific strategy of action in order to complete the task. If you want to learn how to become "hyper-focused", follow our tips.

Steps

Part 1

How to get organized

Write a list of tasks. If you want to become more focused, make a to-do list every day so you can check out what you've accomplished so far. Such a list will help you point out how to achieve your goals. Instead of wasting your time, go through your to-do list and you can feel proud when you complete it.

• Write down at least three tasks to complete today; three tasks to be completed tomorrow and three tasks to be completed next week. Start by doing the things that need to be done today. Feeling satisfied with a job well done will help you get started on other tasks.
• Reward yourself with breaks at work. Every time you finish a task on your list, give yourself a little break.

1. Set your priorities. Remember that the most difficult and creative tasks should be done in the morning, when you are overwhelmed with energy and inspiration. Leave easy tasks (scheduling appointments, filling out paperwork, cleaning the office) for lunch when you feel most tired.

   • Don't put off the hardest task until tonight. You will see how it flows smoothly the next day.

2. Organize your workspace. The organization of the workspace is the key to concentration. Focusing is much easier if you know what is where in your office; where the table is, your bag, which creates an overall picture of the workspace. The organization of the workspace will save a lot of time and give motivation to complete tasks.

   • Remove from the workspace everything that is not related to work. An exception may be photographs on the table. Everything else should be work related. It doesn't matter what it is: paper, a stapler or a set of pens.
   • Put your cell phone aside if you need to work hard. You can check it every hour, but you can't keep your phone on the table, otherwise you will feel an irresistible desire to look at it all the time.
   • Organize the paperwork process. If you know exactly where all your documents are, you will save a lot of time throughout the day.

3. Allocate your time correctly. Time management is the most important component of attention. When you start a new work day or write a to-do list, write down how long you think it will take to complete each one. You will get an idea of ​​what your working day will look like. At the top of the list, list those tasks that take a long time to complete. You can cross them out as you go along.

   • Set adequate goals for yourself - this rule can be applied to any task. You can’t set aside 20 minutes for something that will take an entire hour, otherwise failure to complete the assigned tasks will disappoint you.
   • If you completed the task early, take a short break. This method will give you motivation.

4. Include breaks in your work schedule. Breaks matter a lot, just like getting the job done. If your schedule alternates periods of maximum activity with short breaks, you will be more focused than if you spent the whole day working without breaks.

   • Take 10-20 minute breaks every hour. This time can be used for a phone call, replying to a message from a friend, or a cup of tea.
   • Think of breaks as a reward for work. Use them as motivation. If you think like this: “Once I finish this document, I can have a delicious smoothie,” you will be much more motivated. If there is nothing positive on the horizon, interest in the result will decrease.
   • One of the breaks can be used to do exercises. A 15-minute walk or run up five flights of stairs will help you feel refreshed and energized.
   • Take a break to get some fresh air. You can't spend all day without leaving your home or office. Get out into the fresh air to enjoy the morning freshness or catch the sun on your face. After walking, you will become more focused and ready to work.

   Part 2

   How to improve concentration

   1. Work on staying focused. Any of us can start with a certain level of concentration, but most of us are sure that it needs to be improved over time. To improve attention span, give yourself a certain amount of time, such as half an hour, to do a certain task. When this time is up, see how much more you can work without being distracted from the task. It doesn't matter how long it is - 5 minutes or another half an hour.

      • If you repeat this experiment, you will see that you are able to concentrate on one task much longer than you thought. Keep training your attention in this way until you feel the need to stop. Try to focus more the next day.

   2. Meditate . Meditation helps not only to relax, but also to improve the ability to concentrate step by step, but on the condition that you meditate for 10-20 minutes every day. When you meditate, you focus on clearing your mind and focusing on your physical condition and breathing. These skills can be easily applied when you need to throw bad thoughts out of your head and concentrate on work. You can meditate both in the morning and before bed. Both options can be used.

      • Find a relatively quiet place where you will not be distracted by extraneous sounds.
      • Find a comfortable spot and put your hands on your knees.
      • Work on relaxing your body. This must be done step by step until all parts of the body relax.

      ADVICE OF THE SPECIALIST

      meditation teacher

      James Brown is a teacher of Vedic Meditation, a simple and accessible form of meditation of ancient origin. Lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. To become a teacher, he went through a rigorous two-year training program with Vedic masters, including 4 months of immersion in the Himalayas. Over the years, he has trained thousands of people from San Francisco to Oslo - individually, in companies and at events.

      meditation teacher

      Meditation can improve your ability to focus and concentrate. James Brown, a meditation teacher, says: “We use the words focus and concentrate interchangeably, but they are actually different things. To focus means to deliberately narrow attention, and to concentrate means to make an effort to keep it narrowed.

      Less multitasking. Many people think that multitasking is a great way to achieve a goal faster and complete two or three tasks at a time. Remember that multitasking harms the ability to concentrate. When you are multitasking at the same time, you think you have achieved more, but in reality you have not devoted your full attention and desire to any of them and hurt your focus.

      • Work on doing just one task at a time, and you'll see your pace pick up.
      • If you're constantly chatting online with your friends while doing work, you're getting into one of the worst forms of multitasking. Chatting with a friend can cut your productivity in half.
      • If you work from home, avoid the temptation to do chores while you study or work. You can wash the dishes, but by doing so, you will significantly slow down the pace of the task.

   Part 3

   How to prepare

   1. Analyze. Have you ever had a day like this where you "worked through" and then wondered why the results weren't great? If this has happened to you, you need to analyze your mistakes before starting a new inconclusive day. Before starting work, you need to write down everything that worked and failed during the work or school day to make sure that everything will work out in the future.

      • You were supposed to be studying, and you spent all day gossip with a schoolmate? In this case, you need to do your homework alone.
      • You were supposed to work in your office, and you spent a whole day solving problems for your colleagues, and did nothing for yourself? In this case, you need to help less and become a little more selfish.
      • Have you spent the whole day chaotically reading articles posted on Facebook, chatting with friends and discussing plans for the evening? It is better to do this after the end of the working day.
      • Before starting your work day, write down what is preventing you from reaching your goals to reduce the chance of making mistakes.

   2. Prepare well for the job. It doesn't matter if you're heading to the library or going to the office for an 8-hour day, you need to prepare well for the work ahead so that the day starts with a positive attitude. You need to find the motivation to complete all the tasks.

      Pick the right time and place. Most likely, you do not have the prerogative to start and end the working day at will if you work in an office. If you have a flexible schedule, you can start work at a time when you are more alert and choose an environment that helps you set yourself up for work.

      • Remember that each of us has different peak hours. Some people are most productive in the morning, while others need to tune in to daytime work. Pick a time when your body is ready to say "Let's go!" instead of the phrase "I want to sleep."
      • It is very important to find the right working environment. Some people like to work outside the home and feel quite comfortable. Others are motivated by working in a coffee shop or library where everyone is minding their own business.

   3. Try to anticipate your needs. If you want to be as productive and focused as possible, you need to anticipate your needs before doing anything. You will not be able to concentrate if your body requires rest.

   Part 4

   How to Avoid Sources of Distraction

   1. Avoid the internet. It is filled with interesting and valuable information, but when it comes time to work, the Internet can be very distracting. If you really want to get the job done, you need to avoid Facebook and texting friends during the work day. If necessary, you can check your mail several times a day.

      • If you spot an interesting article, tell yourself that you will read it during the break, but not before.
      • Avoid personal correspondence during work. It's distracting and you'll end up spending more time on tasks than you intended.
      • If you do not need the Internet for work, pull out the cable. You can access the Internet every two hours.
      • Online sources of distraction take up all of your work time. If you log into Facebook or check your email every 15 minutes, try to increase this interval to half an hour. You will see if you can check your email 2-3 times a day and completely stop using Facebook at work.
      • If you need the Internet for work, try not to open more than five tabs at the same time. Concentrate on what needs to be done and keep doing the task. If you have twice as many bookmarks open as you need, your brain will automatically tune in to multitasking.

   2. Don't let other people distract you from your work. It is people who are the main source of distraction if you work in an office or library. Don't let them distract you from your goals. It can be tempting to chat with co-workers while you work. In this case, the pace of work will slow down, and you will spend more time on it.

      • Give your employees the opportunity to understand that it is very important for you to do your job. It doesn't matter if you work from home or in the office. Your colleagues won't interfere when they see how dedicated you are to your work.
      • Do not receive personal calls or messages unless absolutely necessary. Ask your family and friends to call you only when they need to, and you'll get fewer messages.
      • If you have a friend from school or university who works with you, make sure you both work. You can even clap your hands if your colleagues are distracted to remind them of the importance of staying focused.

   3. Don't let your surroundings distract you. Any work environment can be distracting if you're not paying attention. But if you are determined to work, you can use the environment to your advantage. Here's how to do it:

      • If you work in a noisy public space, get noise-canceling headphones or listen to music without words to help you concentrate on your work.
      • If you're sitting next to a person on the phone, or next to a couple of friends who are actively discussing something, move away from them, even if you are tied to your workplace.
      • If you work in a room where a TV is on, don't look at it more than once an hour or you'll become addicted to watching.

   4. Stay motivated. If you want to avoid sources of distraction and become more focused, your best bet is to find motivation to get the job done. You need to write down what motivates you to work, and refer to this reason several times a day to remind yourself how important it is to focus and not be distracted by extraneous things.

      • Consider the importance of your work. Reassure yourself that when you are grading students, it is important to give them feedback. When you complete a project, you are doing it for the success of the company.
      • Take into account your position. What's the use of getting the job done? If you are preparing for a test, you will be able to get a good grade or improve your GPA. If you have signed a contract with a client, you may qualify for a promotion.
      • Think about what reward you will receive for the work you do. Remind yourself of interesting activities to do after work is over. It could be yoga, meeting an old friend for ice cream, or a great dinner with your sweetheart.
   • Physical exercise helps improve concentration. A 20-minute jog won't take you long, but it can work wonders.
   • Try to relax as much as possible so as not to think or worry about extraneous things.

   Warnings

   • The inability to concentrate is not always the result of a lack of motivation or laziness. Certain medical conditions, such as ADHD, can make it difficult to concentrate. If you are trying to focus but are constantly distracted by something, you most likely need to see a doctor.

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People with increased concentration of attention can quickly delve into the essence of a complex topic, move productively towards a goal and bring it to the end, live every day more fully and consciously, and enjoy life in general. According to Bill Gates, the ability to concentrate for a long time and keep the focus of attention is the very important quality that distinguishes a successful person from an unsuccessful one, smart from a stupid one.

In this article site I have compiled a whole list of useful exercises and techniques that will allow even the most absent-minded people to improve their ability to concentrate, effectively deal with interruptions and significantly increase your productivity.

• Second hand. Take an ordinary watch and watch the second hand move for 5 minutes. You need to think only about this arrow and about nothing else. If you get distracted - put yourself a minus and start over.
• Check. Exercise perfectly calms, helps to concentrate before an important speech, negotiations. You need to sit down and silently, slowly, fully focusing on the numbers, count in your mind from 1 to 30. With closed eyes - a simpler option, with open ones - for advanced ones.
• Countdown. Choose some big number and start counting backwards: 7845, 7844, 7843... In the future, it will be possible to subtract not 1, but 3 or 5.
• Breath. Breathe a little deeper than usual, concentrating on the process of breathing. Mentally imagine how the air moves through the respiratory tract and enters your lungs, slowly filling and expanding them. And in the opposite direction - follow your exhalation.

• We count the words. Take a book or magazine, open any page and count the number of words on it. Then count the words again. To complicate the task, count the words on 2 or 3 pages. Important: you can count words only with your eyes, without touching the paper with your hands.
• One word. Choose a word that inspires you or just likes you, and for 5 minutes mentally repeat it without thinking about anything else. Over time, bring the time up to 10 minutes.
• Reflective reading. The choice of a book is very important here, it should be interesting literature worthy of your attention, and not some kind of tabloid reading. The meaning of the exercise lies in complete immersion in the readable text, you should be as focused as possible on it, read and see the full depth of what the author wrote about, think about all the nuances and meanings. No need to set records, read at a pace that you can manage to stay focused on what you have written. If you notice that you are distracted, gather your will into a fist and focus again on the main task - to read and understand the text as much as possible.

• The study of the subject. Absolutely any simple object will do: a pencil, a pen, a lighter, an eraser, a cup. Examine the subject as if you were seeing it for the first time, constantly being interested in the new details that this subject has. Try to find more and more questions about him. Why this particular form? What material? How it works? What's inside? How else can this be applied? What country is it made in?
• Focus on smell. Choose a natural, natural scent that you like, such as the smell of grass, fruits, flowers, pine needles. Relax and slowly inhale, then exhale the aroma, concentrating only on this process, without distraction. Think only about the smell, no outside thoughts should be allowed.
• Where is attention directed? From time to time during the day, ask yourself questions: what are you doing, why are you doing it, are you investing resources, what is it taking your time for, is it worth continuing, etc. For convenience, you can write these questions down on a piece of paper and hang it in the most prominent place, so as not to forget about this exercise.

• Associations. Develop associative thinking. To do this, take a few minutes to study the person in your field of vision. Think about what associations he evokes in you: who does he look like from your acquaintances or from celebrities; what animal do you associate it with; if this person were an object, what kind; whom he could work.
• Reflection. Straighten your back and stand in front of a mirror. Draw circles on the mirror at the level of your eyes and focus all your attention on them. Stand so that the drawn circles do not go beyond the outlines of your eyes. Exercise should be performed until you feel a slight fatigue in your back.
• Imagination game. Sit in a chair and close your eyes. Imagine a large jug and a ball, and then how this ball goes in and out of the jug. You need to repeat the exercise up to 10 times, observing the sequence. Helps unload the brain and pump the ability to concentrate.

• The words are the opposite. This game, familiar to many from childhood, is an excellent exercise in concentration. Take simple, short words and say them out loud backwards: cat - akshok, fish - abyr, etc. In the future, you can take longer words and complicate the task.
• Text upside down. Take any book, turn it upside down and read the text. For the entry level, one page is enough.
• Scout. Take a book you don't know and read one paragraph. Try to repeat what you read word for word. It is unlikely that you will be able to do it right away, but if you train, then everything will work out. But each time take a new paragraph, and not the same one, otherwise the meaning of the exercise will be lost.
• Colorblind. Despite the apparent simplicity, the exercise is quite difficult. Write the names of the colors in different inks that will not match the name of the color itself. For example, write the word “red” in yellow, the word “blue” in red, etc. When reading, you need to name the color of the word, and not what is written.

• Line. On a clean sheet of paper, draw a line very slowly and smoothly with a pencil. Your thoughts should be focused exclusively on this line. As soon as you catch yourself being distracted, immediately make a small peak on the line, as if on a cardiogram, and continue to draw the line further. The concentration level can be easily determined by the number of peaks on the line. Ideal - if in 3 minutes you do not form a single peak.
• Figure. Draw any shape on a piece of paper: a circle, a square, a triangle. Paint over with any color and concentrate all your attention only on this figure. All your thoughts should be only about this figure. It is important not to strain your eyes. Look at the figure for 2-3 minutes, then close your eyes and imagine it in great detail and detail.
• Film strip. The point of the exercise is to imagine one day of your life as a video that you are watching. You need to try to remember in great detail how your day went, from the moment you woke up to the moment you went to bed.

When working on a task, focus only on it, making sure that it is a priority at the moment. If the task is large, break it into several stages and work on each of them separately. If the number of tasks is unrealistic, unbearable, then no amount of concentration will help.

Take breaks. During the regime of special concentration, it is important to take regular breaks: get up, drink water, do something pleasant. Such breaks every half an hour (maximum - an hour) will give a boost of energy for the next stage of work.

Customize your productivity according to your biorhythms. Keep track of what time of day, what working hours you are most productive, and set the main tasks for these hours, protecting yourself from distractions as much as possible.

What exercise did you like the most? Maybe you have your own method to help you concentrate and implement your plans productively?