Between a constantly pinging cell phone, hectic schedules and an overflowing to-do list, you’ve probably become accustomed to multi-tasking.
But, trying to keep up only leads to stress and distraction. It’s easy to believe the idea you can have and do it all. And, you may have convinced yourself that being busy leads to happiness. But a smarter road to happiness is to ditch multi-tasking and practice your ability to concentrate and focus.
Here are 5 attention boosting tips to increase your concentration when you’re feeling super distracted…
- GRAB A GLASS – Feeling thirsty? A recent study shows that concentration and mental skills decline when you’re even a little bit dehydrated. The culprit? Your brain neurons can detect when you’re thirsty, which can trigger the parts of your brain that control mood. Grab a glass of water!
- GO FOR GOLDILOCKS – If your A/C is constantly blowing to keep you cool in the summer heat, then you might find it more difficult to focus. The same is true if your environment is too hot. Being overly warm can cause you to feel drowsy and relaxed, which reduces productivity. Find the “just right” Goldilocks temperature for optimal concentration.
- TRY THE POMODORO TECHNIQUE – The name may sound complicated, but it’s simple…set a timer to buckle down on certain tasks, then close out of your email, apps and calendar, and start working! This not only helps you eliminate unnecessary distractions, but it also stimulates a feeling of intense focus. Make sure you’re taking an honest look at how long you predict a task will take. Even setting a timer for a quick, 10-minute task can help jumpstart your focus for the day.
- TAKE 5 – Take a few minutes to focus on your breath! Try this simple exercise… inhale for a count of 5, and as you’re inhaling, count slowly to yourself…1,2,3,4,5. Then exhale for a count of 5. Repeat the cycle four times and notice how your focus has come back to the task at hand.
- ULTIMATE RELAXATION – Join me for 10 minutes in this free Concentration visualization! With this audio, you will visualize achieving your daily goals and at the same time enjoy greater focus and concentration.
