Do you find it difficult to concentrate? Are long hours of studying with the same level of focus difficult? Is it hard to stay Deeply Focused to achieve your goals?
Well you do not have to worry because a lack of deep focus is much more common than you would think, and even better is that with these 9 techniques you can become deeply focused towards the task at hand.
Why am I not focused in the first place?
However, before we begin to discuss strategies to become deeply focused, first it is pertinent to understand why you even lack the focus and attention needed to achieve your goals.
Science says there can be a number of reasons for decreasing focus
- You are facing physical ailments
- Feeling stressed
- You are not sleeping enough
- Might be on certain medications
- You are on improper diet
All of these reasons combined or individually can hinder being deeply focused when you begin a work project or homework.
A few of these points can be even more frustrating because they are not in your control.
For example, stimulant medications like amphetamines and methylphenidates can be prescribed by your doctor for obesity, ADHD and even chronic pain that results from other diseases.
However, a side effect of such stimulants is that they lead to restlessness and end up decreasing your ability to focus on a singular task
Similarly, sleeping when we are young is much easier than when you are older. So, lacking deep focus can simply be an outcome of natural aging or a side effect of other things, and therefore not in your control.
But worry not, even if your lack of attention is from an uncontrollable condition, you can still take a few steps to make it easier for you to become deeply focused.
Mindfulness
To remain focused, you need to let go of any thoughts, emotions or background sounds in your brain.
A neuropsychologist in Harvard Health recommended sitting still, closing your eyes and focusing on your breathing pattern for 5-10 minutes.
This can help you align your thoughts towards your main goal, making it easier to be deeply focused and achieve your goals.
Now you might ask what mindfulness has to do with you trying to focus on your class lectures. Well it all lies in the science of your brain.
In its simplest form, mindfulness is being aware of your surroundings and being present, so when you are practicing to be mindful, you are actually improving your attention span, and indeed becoming more focused.
Play Games
Now this may sound counter-productive, but research has proven that gaming can actually help you improve your focus.
The game can be of your choice, either a board game or a video game, but at the end of the gaming session, you will find yourself being more attentive towards your work than before.
To study this phenomenon, one study conducted by Frontiers sampled 29 people during and after a session of action video games.
The research reached the conclusion that all the participants managed to improve their Visual Selective Attention. Shortened as VSA, it accounts for your ability to concentrate on one task and avoid distractions.
No Distractions – Stay Deeply Focused
Talking about distractions, it is also important that if you want to improve your focus, switch off any and all distractions.
The constant buzzing of a phone or a TV playing in the background can be highly distracting to your focus.
This is why, to ensure that you are deeply focused on the task at hand, make sure no disruptions are present.
There are several apps that can help you put your phone into lockdown mode during studying sessions to keep yourself deeply focused.
If an app is not your thing, then simply put your phone into airplane mode and you are good to go.
Focus on your Diet
This one seems a bit unnecessary, but the food you eat can severely impact your cognitive abilities. It is related to basic functions of your brain that involve concentration and memory.
So to keep yourself deeply focused, you have to make sure that your diet is healthy and light.
This means avoiding any processed, sugary, and greasy foods. They can make you feel extremely full, leading to lethargy and no concentration or motivation to work.
Instead, eat fruits, vegetables or air-fried fish, chicken breasts, or any other protein, which is not too heavy but equally filling.
In one research, it has even been suggested that people lacking focus and concentration, must consume a Mediterranean diet, which has led to improvement in focus and attention span.
Rest, If needed
Connected to the strategy of avoiding distractions, you also have to consider that your internal distractions can decrease concentration as well.
To become deeply focused, you therefore need to be well rested before you even begin your task.
You might also find yourself highly concentrated in the beginning of the task, but over-exertion can cause you to lose your focus. To avoid this, you have to take breaks and rest to maintain your productivity.
‘Rest’ as a term can be highly ambiguous and when I recommend resting, it can be confusing what you should be doing exactly.
It might be that your go-to resting activity is to scroll through Facebook, but in reality, it doesn’t really allow your brain to rest for the 10 or 15 minutes of break.
Instead, what I mean by taking a break is to avoid any stimulation of your nervous system and brain.
Considering this, choose an activity that is highly mundane and requires no brain power, allowing you to rest your brain even if you are physically active.
For example, you could wash your dishes, go for a run or even meditate.
Your Sleep is more important than you think
In one research conducted on identifying factors that lead to lacking concentration among children, it was found that their lack of sleep can lead to a lack of focus.
When you are not well-rested through the night, it is unlikely that you feel productive in the morning
Applying the same logic, sleep deprivation can lead to a failure in meeting your demanding schedule. When you have not had enough sleep, you can also notice your reflexes being delayed, tiredness and disinterest in your tasks.
This is why, experts recommend getting at least 7-8 hours of sleep every day, which can actually help you become deeply focused in your goals.
Caffeine Can be your Friend
Although, 7-8 hours of sleep is recommended and must be had, often times having a well-rested night is simply not possible because of many reasons.
So, in this situation, caffeine can help you become more focused and concentrated.
Now most doctors dissuade consuming too much caffeine, but just a little to get your senses activated can actually help you regain concentration and overcome lethargy.
Also, a point to note in this regard is that you should intake caffeine after you have identified the cause for your lack of attention.
If it is lethargy, then caffeine will help you. However, much like stimulant medications that can decrease attention because of restlessness, if you further consume caffeine, it will only make things more difficult for you.
Recommended caffeine beverages are Coffee and Tea, but you can drink Green Tea, Macha Tea or even Dark Chocolate, as it has the same effects.
Go out
This recommendation is because of the findings of APA (American Psychological Association) that time spent in nature has positive effects on a person’s mental and physical health.
By breathing in the fresh air while you walk through a park can help you become more mindful, and inadvertently become deeply focused and attentive to your work.
In a study conducted by Yale, it was even found that time spent in nature can:
- Lower blood pressure
- Lower stress hormone levels
- Decrease nervous system arousal
- Increase self-esteem
- Decrease anxiety
- Enhance immune system
- Improve your mood
You can gain so many advantages just by spending a little bit of time in nature.
The way it works is that time in nature takes you away from the hustle and bustle of normal life, which reduces much of the stress, blood pressure, and self-esteem issues.
Identify the problem
After following all the strategies for improving your focus, if you’re still having problems, then it is likely that another factor is causing this lack of concentration.
Often times we lose concentration because of a lack of interest in a task, project, or assignment.
So, even after being mindful, avoiding distractions, and being well-rested, if you are still having issues concentrating, then it is most likely that you are not looking forward to the work ahead.
This means you have to re-evaluate your interests or make the work appealing to you.
The bottom line is that to develop a deeply focused attitude towards any work, you have to be understanding of your own needs, whether it is rest, disinterest, or lethargy, and then apply the technique that most suits your case.
Gifts and products that help you to set goals and stay focused.