How to improve concentration

Research confirmP. Lorenz Spreen, B. Mørch Mønsted, et al. Accelerating dynamics of collective attention / Nature Communicationsthat every year our concentration of attention decreases. This affects both professional and personal life. Fortunately, you can detect the problem in time and solve it with a few simple steps.

How to recognize problems with concentration

Determining the level of concentration is not difficult. On the Internet, you can find several tests at once, for example in English or in Russian language. You can also use Schulte tables - they are usually used to develop speed reading skills, counting and memory improvement, but they will also work for our purpose.

The following signs may indicate problems with concentration:

• You are often something forget.
• It is difficult for you to stay focused for a long time on one task.
• You periodically have a feeling that the head is no longer thinking.
• You get distracted a lot, especially when you hear someone else's speech.

How to improve concentration

Unfortunately, there is no quick way. But there are a few techniques that, with regular practice, can help.

1. Do Mindfulness Exercises

If you've never done this before, start with the basics, such as the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise. Numbers in its name means the following:

• 5 - pay attention to five objects that you see next to you;
• 4 - select four things that you can touch;
• 3 - focus on the three sounds you hear;
• 2 - feel the two smells that surround you;
• 1 - Find one thing that you can taste.

Try to fix the situation around you more often, take time to study the work or home space. Such a small workout will make you much more attentive.

2. Listen actively

This means more than just making a conscious effort to hear what your interlocutor is saying. It is important to spend time and mental energy on the "internal processing" of the information received. This approach also helps to pump mindfulness.

3. Take breaks

It sounds strange, but conscious breaks really improve concentration. Take a break from business, leave the office, take a walk around the office, pour yourself a coffee or get some fresh air for 5-10 minutes. When you return to your seat, it will be easier for you to keep your focus on tasks and your productivity will noticeably increase.

In addition, mindful breaks relieve the guilt that inevitably arises during spontaneous pauses when we flipping through the news or sitting on TikTok instead of working.