Lifestyle Tips that Help Improve Focus and Concentration…

Struggling with concentration and focus can make it impossible to get anything done, no matter how much work you need to do. However, research shows that attention spans have been steadily decreasing for more than a decade now, which can be at least partly attributed to the increase in available external stimulation.

With things like social media notifications, email, phone calls, website popups, and text messages, it’s no wonder we can’t focus on one thing – we’re almost always exposed to constant noise.

There are some lifestyle tips you can use to improve your focus and concentration, though – to make the most of your brain’s ability to stay on task and get projects done. If you can incorporate some of these tips into your daily life, you can enjoy increased productivity and efficiency – both at home and on the job.

#1 Eliminate obvious distractions

While technology certainly offers a lot of important benefits, there are some challenges that it brings, as well – including the ability to maintain constant connections with the outside world. This connection is one of the major factors that leads to inattention or a lack of focus.

On average, office workers will check their email thirty times during the course of only one hour. You can avoid this temptation by closing all tabs and programs that aren’t relevant to the current task you’re hoping to accomplish.

If you find yourself frequently checking your phone, turn off the ringer and tuck it somewhere you won’t notice it – in your bag, in a desk drawer, or even in another room. You can get it again when you’ve completed your task.

#2 Don’t take on too much at once

Some people will tell you that multitasking is a great way of accomplishing several goals at once – but this has been proven incorrect thanks to a number of studies. While you might get all of these jobs done, none of the tasks will be completed to the highest level you’re capable of.

If you’re frequently switching from one thing to another, you’re always having to rethink where you were last – falling back a couple of steps each time.

Instead, choose one objective and focus on that completely until you’ve reached your work goals. You’ll wind up making much more significant progress and enjoy a more stress-free work experience.

#3 Exercise more often

You’ll enjoy a huge boost to your focus and intelligence after a workout – even more than you would get from drinking a cup of coffee. While this increased mental and cognitive performance is temporary, regular exercise can help better develop these parts of your brain. In fact, studies show that physical activity actually releases chemicals that impact your learning and memory – allowing you to benefit from improved focus and attention.

#4 Take baby steps

Often, the goals we set for ourselves are huge – large tasks that actually require the completion of many smaller steps. Instead of focusing on the big picture, which can easily get overwhelming, try breaking each goal down to a series of achievable tasks – then start working on those one at a time.

You’ll be able to see yourself making progress toward your ultimate goal in a very tangible way, providing you with the motivation to keep moving forward. And if you can make this kind of thinking a habit, you’ll enjoy improved focus even into the future.

#5 Stay hydrated

One of the first symptoms of dehydration is actually inattention – and this can happen before you even start to feel thirsty. Avoid this potential distraction by proactively drinking enough water throughout the day – at least 9 cups of water for women and 12 for men.

Also, if you’re regularly getting up from your desk to refill your water bottle, you’ll get a bit of activity in and enjoy a small break from your work, which will make you even more productive when you return to your project.

Make the most of the hours you have available to you each day by taking advantage of these tips, and learn how to more effectively interact with this distracting, overwhelming environment. Hopefully, with regular practice, you’ll see significant improvement to your focus and concentration – increasing your health, happiness, and the quality of your life.

Thank you to Jon Reyes who wrote this article. Jon is a guest author from Steam Shower Store and is a respected and expert voice in a plethora of health related subjects with over 10 years of writing under his belt.