How to gather your thoughts: 5 tips to learn how to concentrate

business and clinical psychologist

“The skill of concentration and the ability to gather one’s thoughts are important human abilities that enable effective problem solving, learning and working. They help you stop procrastinating and start focusing on goals. But getting organized is not always easy. Modernity with its abundance of information noise greatly hinders this. We have to be constantly distracted by messages and calls. So the first thing to do when you’re doing a task is to put your phone away.

If at times you feel like your attention is scattered and you can’t focus on a single task, lose the thread of reasoning, forget important details, get distracted by small things, don’t feel bad. You are not alone in this. Many people shift their attention to messages from coworkers, calls, and emails during the workday. This is the reality we all live in now. The key is to learn how to maneuver through it.

Alas, it is not only the abundance of distractions that hinders concentration. There are other, more serious reasons. Such as?

Turinys

1. Stress

Stress is our body’s response to a threat or challenge. The good news is that such a state can be beneficial if it motivates us to act and cope. For example, some students procrastinate in preparing for a session, which puts them in a state of stress. But at the same time they can maximize their concentration and do a huge project overnight.

Stress has a negative side as well. It is dangerous when it becomes chronic. In this case, a person’s ability to think clearly and be creative is suppressed. Being under stress for a long time causes anxiety, irritability, insomnia and other symptoms that worsen the condition and distract from the main tasks.

2. Information overload

The second most common is information overload. We live in an era of information noise, when every day we view hundreds of posts, pictures, read dozens of news channels, see a lot of commercials. Only a fraction of this is useful.

The human brain is able to cope with a large flow of different information, at some point, defense mechanisms are activated. We begin to filter and memorize only what seems important and interesting. When there is too much information, the so-called “banner blindness” does not save. Concentration and memory begin to decline.

3. lack of purpose

The most important problem that does not allow you to concentrate is the lack of purpose. Many people live and work by habit, without desire. Immersion in an aimless routine often leads to a meaningless existence. A person without a goal begins to feel boredom, becomes disappointed in life, loses passion for any cause and sees no point in the effort. In such a state, he is easily distracted by insignificant things and wastes time on things that are not useful or enjoyable.

How to realize that you have a concentration problem?

1. Often forget what you wanted to say or do. Can’t remember important information.

2. You are easily distracted by extraneous sounds, random thoughts or emotions, and can’t get back to the task at hand for a long time.

3. have difficulty understanding, analyzing, and applying new information.

4. Can’t focus on one task, constantly switching between different tasks without finishing them.

5. Regularly feel tired, irritable or depressed. Do not enjoy what you are doing.

The more positive answers you give, the more ingrained the problem is in you. The good news is that learning to gather your thoughts is realistic. There are dozens of ways to help yourself focus on the main task at hand. Some you’ve tried many times before. Some will be new and perhaps difficult to accomplish. Remember to incorporate them into your life and do them regularly. Then there will be fewer problems with concentration.

5 techniques to get your thoughts together

A notorious book bestseller in recent years has been the work of Japanese neuroscientist Takashi Tsukiyama. After thoroughly studying the problem of absent-mindedness, he wrote a book with tips on how to concentrate and stay productive under any conditions. In the publication “It’s just a stupor!” he collected accessible to everyone ways to use the internal resources of the brain. Catch the most effective of them.

1. Start with a simple

When you fall into a state of laziness and lack of desire to do anything, make yourself sit down at a desk first. Do not embark on a time-consuming and complex task at once. Start by sorting through documentation, making schedules, reviewing work emails. All of these things will help to energize and stimulate your brain. Simple activities will be a kind of preparatory stage to launch the main brain activity.

2- Define a goal and break it down into steps

Clearly state what you want to accomplish. Break the goal down into smaller and more specific steps. Write down the goal and subtasks and follow them in order. This will help you organize your activities to avoid chaos and doubt. Written on paper or in an electronic file will help you see progress once done.

3- Limit your time

Set realistic deadlines for yourself to accomplish each step towards the goal, stick to them. This will help you focus on what’s most important, don’t waste time on unnecessary things, and don’t put things off until later.

The best way to accomplish an important task is the Tomidoro technique: take 25 minutes for one task, 5 minutes for a break and another 25 minutes to finish it. Of course, it’s impossible to work in this mode all day long. But to focus and complete key tasks on time, this technique is ideal.

4. Switch

During the period when you reach a dead end and realize that you no longer have the energy to complete the task at hand, postpone the activity. Shift your attention to other, less difficult tasks. This can be sorting papers on the table, solving arithmetic examples. That is, tasks that do not require prolonged concentration and brain activity. But do not switch to household chores, such as cleaning the house or cooking. They will not help to relieve tension and reboot.

5. Remove distractions

When you’re working on a task, try to isolate yourself from anything that can distract you or break your concentration. Turn off your phone, computer, TV, radio and other sources of noise and information.

If you work in an office, warn your colleagues about your busy schedule and ask them not to disturb you for a while. Put on headphones and allow yourself to fully immerse yourself in the task at hand.

One of the best practices is the “empty desk at the end of the day” rule. All unnecessary things that remain in your place, where you were working, throw them in a bucket. This way you develop a habit of minimalism on your desk and drastically reduce the problem of distractions.