In the United States, research shows that more than 12% of American adults struggle to focus or concentrate. This can have a significant effect on their quality of life.
People who can’t concentrate or focus will battle more in life. They will find school and college more challenging. For instance, they may even struggle in their career when asked to make decisions.
However, there are some things you can do to help your state of mind to focus more. These can range from brain activities to taking supplements.
If you find it difficult to focus with constant distractions, keep reading. Here are ten things you can do to help improve your mental focus.
Get Enough Sleep
One of the first techniques we’re highlighting to improve your state of mind is to ensure you get enough sleep. As humans, we require different sleep levels at various life stages. This means not everyone needs the same amount of sleep to focus.
However, most adults need between 7 and 8 hours of sleep a night. You may think you’re functioning fine on 5 hours of sleep, but your body and mind need more.
Avoid Multitasking
According to studies, people are more productive when focusing only on one thing at a time. This means you need to stop multitasking. You must learn to prioritize tasks to improve your concentration and focus in the workplace.
It may appear multitasking is quicker, but because you’re not entirely focused on one task, it leaves room for more errors. Instead, limit your focus to one job at a time so you can properly process everything.
Practice Mindfulness
There’s something to be said about being in the moment, and if you want to improve your state of mind, you need to start practicing mindfulness. You may be scratching your head if you’ve never heard of this term.
Mindfulness is being completely present in whatever you’re doing at that moment. This means not focusing on the constant distractions but instead on the task.
It also means removing all distracting thoughts and being mindful of our thoughts. Mental achievements can also boost our self-confidence.
Minimize Distractions
Working in a busy environment can make it difficult to focus or concentrate. Wherever possible, try to minimize the distractions around you. If you lose focus on what you’re doing when your favorite songs play on the radio, you need to turn it off.
If you work from home and there are too many distractions (those dishes need to be done….that laundry needs to be folded…), try work elsewhere. For example, there may be a quiet coffee shop nearby that you can visit. This can be especially helpful if you have children constantly distracting you.
Choose Your Diet Carefully
What we eat plays a significant part in our state of mind. For instance, have you ever eaten a big greasy meal and felt like napping afterward? Exactly. Watching what we put into our bodies can significantly impact our concentration.
Instead, you want to fill your kitchen with brain-healthy foods like fish, leafy green vegetables, eggs, blueberries, green tea, pumpkin seeds, nuts, etc. Ultimately you want to avoid eating over-processed foods which are high in sugar.
Take Breaks
If you work long hours without breaks, you may think you’re being extra productive, but studies show that even a 10-minute breather can improve productivity by 16%. The longer you spend focusing on something, eventually, your focus will start waning.
Taking a small break every hour will improve your focus quality. This means you can work longer while maintaining the focus and concentration you would have when working fewer hours.
To give yourself a proper break, focus on something away from the task you’ve been doing – for example, taking a short walk or a coffee break.
Play Puzzle Games
When people hear the word “games,” they don’t often connect it with mental focus. However, playing puzzle games can keep your mind sharp. Research has shown that doing a puzzle causes the brain to produce more dopamine. This is the chemical that gives us feelings of happiness.
By doing and completing puzzles, your body produces more dopamine. This increased level of dopamine can help regulate memory and mood, affecting our state of mind and ability to focus.
Take Supplements
Another technique to try when you want to improve your focus is to add supplements to your diet. For example, specific vitamins like Vitamin B can help your brain remain healthy. Other alternative supplements can include ginseng, ginkgo biloba, etc.
While studies still need to be more conclusive about what supplements help your focus and concentration, adding extra vitamins into your diet can’t hurt. However, talk to your GP before adding supplements to your daily routine. You can often find more information on mental focus supplements and treatments on alternative medicine websites like Ayurvedic Clinic and Healthline.
Journal
Journaling is another technique that can help your state of mind. When actively journaling, you focus on only the task at hand. When you journal, you focus on what you’ve accomplished and the goals you still aim to achieve.
This can help improve your concentration as you continue to journal. Writing out tasks and checking them off can also help you keep your focus on only the tasks that need to be done that day.
Meditate
Finally, the tenth technique we’re giving is meditation. Meditation can significantly improve your state of mind. It’s not something you have to be great at immediately, but it can help you teach yourself to limit your mental distractions and clear your mind.
The more you practice it, the better you will become and the more peaceful your state of mind will be. Refrain from beating yourself up if you find your mind wandering while meditating. Instead, focus on clearing your mind and refocusing on your mediation.
Have a Focused State of Mind when You Need it
With so many distractions, like social media, adverts, social interactions, business distractions, etc., it can be challenging for some people to keep focused. If you find your state of mind cluttered, you can try a few things.
For example, practicing meditation and mindfulness is an excellent way to improve your mental focus, journaling and puzzle games can keep your mind sharp, and watching what you eat and adding vitamins to your diet can all help your state of mind.
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