How to Improve Focus If You Often Lose It? 6 Long-Lasting Ways to Bring Focus Back

Over the past decades, words such as multitasking and laser-like focus emerged. You would wonder if they really exist because they seem contradictory to each other. Our busy modern world has made us believe that multitasking is a life hack that helps us accomplish more tasks and achieve work-life integration. However, this also often leads to disarray in focus and mental clutter.

Alexander Graham Bell once said, "Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun's rays do not burn until brought to a focus." Without mental focus, he probably wouldn't have designed and invented the first working practical telephone in history, and our modern internet connectivity would not be what it is today.

Your ability to focus spells the difference between success and failure. Even if you can harness your willpower and energy but are unable to channel it toward a specific goal, you will not be able to accomplish the results that you desire.

Many people dismiss lapses in focus as ordinary occurrences in our busy life. But what we don't know, according to neuroscience, is that the inability to train our minds to focus is related to a vital brain process called executive function. This executive functioning of the brain helps in planning, decision making, and most importantly, paying attention.

Improving focus and concentration is achievable, but it requires effort and commitment to make some changes in your daily habits. Start making changes in your physical routine before you attempt changes in other areas of your life. A healthy body is the baseline for a healthy mind. Check out this article for a stronger body.

Children overflow with energy, so it is necessary to help them release some of it through physical activities. Let them play and enjoy the outdoors. When you get back in, teach them to concentrate on specific tasks and attack projects head-on. Assist them in coming up with their own to-do lists. Help them break down their projects and tackle one task at a time. Needless to say, remove any distractions (toys, tv, food, electronic gadgets, etc.) that can steal your child's focus. Take note of their attention span, and make sure they take breaks when you see them losing focus.

Maintaining focus and concentration this school year is especially challenging for many students with remote learning and the pressure that comes with online requirements. The biggest obstacles include social media, other distractions at home, procrastination, and time management, not to mention the free-floating anxiety that comes with the unprecedented global pandemic.

The first thing you need to do in your search on how to increase focus while studying is to address these obstacles. Self-monitoring is the key. The internet can be used for both entertainment and education. If you can work offline, do so. This will prevent you from endless scrolling and surfing the different social media sites you visit. You can also condition your mind that your designated study area is to be used mainly for that purpose. Together with a clear and simple timetable, you will need a lot of motivation and determination to help you focus on the requirements of studying.

Getting distracted and losing focus at work is common. But this does not mean it should persist. Imagine how much time and productivity are lost, yet the tasks don't end until they are accomplished.

One idea on how to improve mental focus is to set your sights on your goals. Keep in mind what you need to accomplish and the time you need to get things done. Check your to-do list and tackle one task at a time to prevent snowballing. Eliminate distractions and manage your resources so you can gain good momentum in your job performance.

It is also necessary to take breaks and make sure you are not working on an empty stomach nor a sleepless mind.

Numerous studies have established that practicing mediation regularly strengthens the neural pathways in the brain that are responsible for focus and attention. Meditation is the process, and mindfulness is the product. When you practice mediation, you can train your mind to ignore distractions.

Prolonged working or studying can take a toll on your brainpower which results in mental fatigue. Taking a break for a few minutes will improve your concentration and help you focus better. It is somewhat like hitting the refresh button when the page is taking too long to load. Taking breaks can help you come up with new ideas or better perspectives.

Boredom sets in when you become uninterested and unengaged. The only way to fight boredom is to remember why you are doing the task in the first place. Think of the many benefits you will reap when you finish the task.

This may be as extreme as being stuck in a rut where you really need to escape your environment, or it could just be as simple as stepping outside to breathe some fresh air. Changing environments simply means getting out of your comfort zone. It is one idea on how to get mental clarity and focus.

Multitasking is a myth. The brain is unable to focus and attend to many tasks at the same time. You may do many things at the same time, but the resources of the mind cannot be spread equally among them. Instead, it may increase anxiety. Therefore, focus all your attention and concentration on a single task at a given time, and tackle the next after its completion.

Distractions create mental clutter. It is impossible to enter a state of flow when you are unable to focus and concentrate on what you are doing. Therefore, eliminate distractions by either removing them or by staying away from them.

The ideal is to have laser-like focus and get the job done ASAP. But the reality is, you are surrounded by people and events that can distract you. So keep them at bay and remind yourself about your goals to help you regain your focus. You have a great capacity to accomplish those tasks toward which you direct your energy and resources.