Tips to Boost Your Concentration When Working
Concentration is essential when performing any mental activity. Whether it’s reading a book or playing a video game, our level of concentration must be high to really reach our goal. Probably, it’s easier for you to focus on activities that please you, such as playing video games. However, when working, you also need to concentrate and dedicate yourself completely to the tasks of the day. That said, the following tips can help you boost your concentration levels even when you have to focus on work.
Remove the elements that distract you
In order to stay focused longer, you should avoid certain distractions. For example, put your mobile in silent mode, sign out of your social media accounts and disconnect yourself from instant messaging services such as WhatsApp, Viber or Skype. Analyze what other elements can distract you and find ways to eliminate them momentarily while you are working. This can be achieved more effectively if you work from home because you have total control over the elements that can distract you. However, regardless of whether you work in an office or at home, there will always be external factors that could distract you, such as talkative roommates or street noise.
Work in a comfortable place
The degree of comfort you find in your office is also a factor that has an impact on your concentration and productivity. In this regard, it’s important to ensure that you have a comfortable chair and sit in a proper position. Sitting for many hours could be harmful to your neck, shoulders, and back, so be sure to get up to stretch your legs every so often. Going for a glass of water or just taking a short walk can help eliminate the stress that has formed in your back in all those hours of work.
Also, make sure you wear comfortable clothes when you have to spend hours in front of a computer. If you feel some type of a discomfort such as a headache, even a slight one, you should try to rest a little as even this will influence your concentration and will not allow you to work at 100% capacity.
Eat if you’re hungry, drink if you’re thirsty
It is a fact that physical exercise makes you hungry, but this rule also applies to the mental exercise you perform in any activity that requires your concentration. So, it’s quite usual for you to feel hungry after working for a couple of hours. Therefore, make sure you give yourself small breaks to eat fruits and cereal. Also, be sure to include eggs and fish for your lunch and/or breakfast, as Omega 3 fatty acids are great for your body because they strengthen cells and boost brain activity.
Staying hydrated is also essential to avoid fatigue. As you should know, 80% of the human body is composed of water, which also applies to the brain. Therefore, dehydration can have a negative impact on your concentration. Make sure you have a bottle of water or juice on hand.
Have some background music on
Working in total silence is not necessarily beneficial for your productivity. In fact, it could be a great disadvantage. And part of feeling comfortable has to do with music. In that respect, you can listen to your favorite band or genre while you work. You just have to make sure that the volume is low enough so that the sound acts as background music. If the volume is too high, it may end up distracting you instead of helping you concentrate. In case you work in an office that you share with other colleagues, use headphones to avoid bothering others.
Create an environment that fills you with energy
Apart from listening to music, scent can also be stimulating. In that respect, you may try to use scented candles and/or incense burners. Keep in mind that different people prefer different scents. Therefore, choose the fragrance that works for you personally.
You can also decorate your workspace to add inspiration and get encouragement to continue with your work. Make sure that all these decorations don’t actually cause any disorder in your workspace as too much clutter can affect your productivity negatively as well. As long as you keep in mind the functionality of your work area, you can decorate it to your liking.
While it’s important to create a certain environment and make prior preparation, it should not take you too long. If you spend more time than you need to be prepared to be productive, then the goal itself does not make sense. The more you work on a certain project, the more you will realize the things you need to stay focused. As time goes by you will discover new tricks and you could even come across some particular music genre that improves your concentration and creativity. But in order for this to work, you need to work!
Reaching top concentration can be complicated for a variety of reasons; you may not like the project, or you feel bored or there are simply other situations in your life that cause you to worry, be sad and/or anxious. It’s normal that these emotions distract you from work, but you can discover what works to cheer you up and boost concentration in these situations as well. Like everything in life, practice makes it perfect. Improving your concentration skills is also a matter of practice, as well as knowing your way of working.
