How Can I Concentrate?

A lack of concentration can be caused by myriad factors like ambient noise or anxiety. But taking medication or turning down the volume on a co-worker's radio is unlikely to force any substantial improvement in your ability to concentrate. Think of your brain like Microsoft Windows. You can have a dozen windows performing a dozen tasks, but the more tasks the slower the processor -- your brain -- works. This is because concentrating is a skill. And like all skills it must be learned, then honed.

Instructions

Learning to Concentrate

• 1

  Relax. Most people fail to concentrate because they are stressed, leading to a snowball effect where the harder you attempt to concentrate the more stress builds. Let go of everything. Breathing techniques, exercises like Yoga and noise-canceling head phones are just a few ideas for creating the calm before confronting concentration.

• 2

  Assign your brain a specific task for an allotted time period. Be specific and don't over generalize. If you have a presentation to make next week, break down the project into manageable pieces -- work on your introduction for one hour, or practice with an associate for a half-hour. If you still find yourself fretting over unfinished tasks then begin keeping a "things to do" list. This allows your brain to more easily forget other tasks.

• 3

  Develop a phrase to use when you find your mind is wandering. "Be here now" was the phrase developed by Kansas State University to help students concentrate. You can use any phrase you like. Each time you find yourself thinking about anything but the immediate task, say the phrase to yourself. This will help refocus your brain.

• 4

  Work on your procrastination. One common reason for an unwilling mind is that it is log-jammed with unperformed chores. Just as if you never cleaned out a dryer's lint trap your clothes will take longer to dry, your brain will begin malfunctioning as more projects pile up. One easy way to escape chronic procrastination is to sort your chores. Create categories such as long- and short-term or high- and low-priority, allowing you to tackle the list orderly.

• 5

  Create the right conditions. This is where you free yourself from negative environmental influences. Next time you find your mind wandering see if you can pinpoint the distraction. Once a distraction is defined take action to resolve the problem. Remember that you will not be able to influence environmental factors all the time.

• 6

  Wash, rinse and repeat ... your brain. You will never completely succeed in concentrating. There are times when it just isn't possible, and we are all susceptible to factors outside of our control. But the more you clear your mind, and the more attempts you make at concentrating, the better your mind will perform.