I Can’t Focus on What Needs to Get Done(and How to Fix That)

When our own minds betray us and won’t focus, no matter how hard we try, it can be very frustrating and depressing. Not being able to focus can affect every area of our lives and the good news is that there is something you can do about it.

There are several reasons you may find it difficult to focus on what needs to get done, each one is solvable.

It’s important you don’t fall into the trap of thinking this is just how you think or something you’ll always have to deal with. Learning to control your focus and improve your studying is like learning any other skill — it just takes some practice.

Learning to improve your focus is a lot more like learning to lift weights or run longer. There are some tricks we can use to help develop those synapse paths quicker but it naturally does get easier over time.

The first thing you should *really* do to improve your studying is work on your ability to focus and retain information. Doing this sooner rather than later means you can do in 3 hours what most do in 6. You get a massively unfair advantage from doing this. Download the free audio-book from a chess grand-master ‘Unlimited Memory’ and watch your results improve dramatically.

Distractions and Stress

Your phone is constantly pinging and whirring between your emails, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, memes, phone calls, all that noise. It’s not just your phone. Our modern lifestyles encourage us to go, go, go, to be constantly in a state of doing and that causes stress and fragmentation of brain power. Take your phone out of the room, download a concentration app that blocks distracting sites and messages.

Try the Pomodoro technique. Shut everything out. Turn your phone off and go into a quiet, tranquil space, whether that’s your garden, bedroom, local library, as long as it’s calm and quiet and not cluttered. Perform a mindfulness exercise to help you hone in on what needs to be done and after a breathing exercise start to break your work into small tasks of 25 minutes and do just one thing at a time. Don’t think about anything but the one task you now need to do.

Meditation is a very useful tool to help you focus and stay calm. Don’t work for more than four hours of intense work a day.

Sitting for too long also saps your ability to work. Don’t sit for longer than half an hour before getting up and stretching and go for a five minute walk every hour.

Motivation

You sort of want to do these tasks… because you have to. But you don’t really want to. In truth, you’re not engaged with the work you’re doing, be it your schoolwork, your job or even the washing up. Reward yourself with small treats after a certain amount of work, whether that’s with chocolate, strawberries or beer (or a chocolate strawberry flavoured beer) nuts, a new scarf, or even a new CD, giving yourself something to work towards will help you stay engaged and on task.

Listening to music, chewing gum, doodling or feet workouts (yes they’re a thing, tap away! OK maybe they’re not, but tap away anyway) all help to increase concentration.

Tired and Hungry?

When you’re lacking sleep, your brain doesn’t work as well. It’s something that humans have known for centuries and modern science has backed up. You need at least 7–9 hours a night of sleep. On a regular basis, not just once a week.

If you find yourself unable to concentrate, look at your sleep schedule. Taking a nap may seem counter-intuitive but can help you work better and get more done.

You may also be hungry, even if you don’t realise it. Make sure you are eating a healthy and varied diet, nutrient deficiency can impede your ability to work. And don’t skip breakfast, it’s important. Eat carbohydrates instead of sugary snacks that give you a quick boost and leave you feeling down afterwards. Ditch the sugar, reduce your caffeine intake and make sure to drink. A lot. Your brain, in fact your whole body, is mostly water and even a small amount of dehydration can result in a huge lack of brain power.

Exercise!

Staring at indoor walls all the time has proven physiological detriments. Get your nature fixed and exercise at the same time.

Disease

This is not the first thing I’d suggest but there are certain conditions which affect your ability to study.

Maybe you have one of the following disorders; diabetes, thyroid disease, lung disease, heart disease, malnutrition, drug or alcohol abuse, ADHD and ADD. All of which are treatable with medication. There are various supplements that claim to aid concentration, but if you are suffering from one of the above conditions, consult a doctor who can prescribe you medication.

It’s important to note that with ADHD, Ritalin isn’t always a magic wand. Getting doses right can be challenging and side effects can be discomforting. Using the solutions and methods outlined above, in conjunction with medication, will help you to concentrate better than with medicine alone. However, in some cases, Ritalin will be unavoidable.

The most important thing to remember is to stay relaxed, positive and motivated to help you concentrate on whatever task you need to. Adequate sleep and a healthy diet as well as an orderly environment ensure that you have all the tools for success.