Giving you focus and forcing you. How to concentrate on studying and not get distracted. Learn to set the right pace for your work day

Many young people come to the doctor with strange complaints that, it would seem, should bother older people. I can't concentrate on anything. It is impossible to read serious books: by the time you reach the end of the paragraph, the idea is lost. The names of new acquaintances are forgotten, and sometimes important matters fly out of your head. All this greatly worsens the quality of life and forces you to consult a neurologist with complaints of “memory impairment.” However, this problem has nothing to do with memorization. Attention deficit, which is very common among adults today, is often confused with “poor memory.”

Internet surfing - mindlessly looking at pictures, reading other people's verbal battles and absorbing a huge amount of unnecessary information - leads to the fact that the “attention muscle” atrophies. The habit of not focusing on anything, switching attention from one thing to another, while leaving it scattered, leads to problems with the perception of truly important and necessary information.

It would seem that the ability to quickly switch from one to another is a useful skill? However, with Internet surfing, the opposite is true, because a person does not delve into details and does not delve into the essence of the information, but mindlessly moves from one page to another. This is the basis for the curious phenomenon of ridiculous comments like “I haven’t read it, but I condemn it,” which is well known to popular bloggers. Out of a hundred opinions, only one or two will be from people who were able to read the text to the end and grasp its essence; the rest of the commentators will pour out free associations that arose from one phrase caught in the text out of the corner of their eye.

Lack of attention can easily be called a sign of the times. And this problem has a global scale. Total inattention can not only cause irritation to everyone around. Sometimes it leads to serious mistakes at work and even collapse in your personal life.

Many entertainment Internet resources are designed for people with attention deficits: studies show that a modern adult, on average, is able to maintain attention on any new text for about 10 seconds - then he will most likely write a comment in the style of “I haven’t read Pasternak, but I condemn” and starts watching videos with cats, completely forgetting about the information that entered his brain two seconds ago.

Lack of attention leads to an amazing phenomenon: today, any person today has access to the Cochrane library and PubMed in one click, with their help you can independently understand the problem of a healthy lifestyle; but the majority prefers to take the simple path, type into a search engine the query “gluten-free diet reviews” and absent-mindedly glance at the anti-scientific nonsense that is generated by the fevered brains of dietary fanatics. All this occurs not from a lack of intelligence, but from weakness of attention, the inability to concentrate on the text and delve into its essence. Reading several articles in English and drawing some conclusion is an impossible task for people with attention deficit.

Publishing houses take advantage of this by releasing countless pseudoscientific books and magazines: they contain a lot of information that is not substantiated by anything other than the author’s excessive self-confidence, but they are also equipped with beautiful pictures of pumped-up abs. All diets that are wildly popular, be it a raw food diet or avoidance of gluten-containing foods, are gaining many new supporters every day. This happens not because such diets work, but because their creators caught the trend in time: talk about food in three phrases and five pictures, as if the reader had the intelligence of a preschooler, and the diet will be a success. Because most readers will not understand where the facts were manipulated. Most of them have an attention deficit that they are unaware of. But readers want a new diet religion in five minutes, and then they will watch videos with funny raccoons, with breaks for the next holivar on the Internet. True, in a month the new eating style will probably be abandoned in favor of another “revolutionary technique,” ​​because low concentration is often accompanied by increased distractibility and suggestibility.

Attention is an important “cog” in the work of the psyche. Therefore, its deficiency is perceived as a feeling of “cloudy head”, difficulties with remembering, and even as a depressed mood or lack of motivation to do anything. In other words, the work of the mind without attention is impossible, and therefore its deficiency is very noticeable, although it is difficult to recognize.

How well information is remembered depends on the acuity of attention, its volume and the ability to switch while maintaining concentration. Sharp attention is also needed for personal relationships - it ensures empathy, the ability to make compromises, and resolve conflict situations peacefully and fairly.

How to improve attention?

1. Mindfulness practices. Mindfulness is a skill that helps you get out of “autopilot” mode, at least temporarily. We are used to doing a lot of things automatically: washing our face, brushing our teeth, working out on a treadmill, eating dinner while watching TV. At the same time, the person seems not to be present in the moment, but also does not engage in useful mental work, because the mind at such moments produces endless “mental chewing gum,” increases anxious thoughts and wanders aimlessly from one subject to another. Meditation helps to cope with this - any of the many techniques that can be found today using the corresponding hashtags on social networks: breathing meditation, movement meditation and others. Yoga Nidra provides an excellent effect - conscious relaxation with attention moving throughout the body. Mindfulness can be practiced while eating, turning off the TV and putting away the smartphone. Focusing on the taste, texture and other characteristics of food can help improve your relationship with your body and sometimes help you lose weight.
2. Full sleep. Another common cause of attention deficit is lack of sleep or poor quality sleep. Frequent awakenings at night, anxiety and depressive disorders, eating disorders - all this can lead to deterioration in the quality of sleep. Simple rules of sleep hygiene, such as ventilating the room, sufficiently darkening the room, and avoiding overeating at night, are sometimes sufficient to ensure complete sleep. If this does not help, you need to consult a specialist - a neurologist or psychiatrist.
3. Prevention of chronic diseases. In people with undiagnosed hypertension and diabetes mellitus, often the first sign of the disease is that same feeling of “cloudy head”, difficulty concentrating and remembering. Sometimes such a seemingly insignificant symptom as the inability to concentrate on anything turns out to be the “first sign” of a serious neurological illness. Therefore, visiting a therapist once a year and getting some tests done is a good idea in order to rule out certain diseases or identify them in time and begin to treat them.

Sharp attention is one of the secrets. It helps to examine objects and phenomena from different angles and find non-standard solutions to problems. Therefore, it makes sense to train your attention, like a muscle, in order to become an interesting conversationalist, a good professional and a completely satisfied person with life.

Over the past 2 months of working with self-discipline, I have learned a lot. The only thing that is not yet available is concentration on one task.

Over the course of 60 days, I introduce new and renew old productive habits. I can almost always say it on my lips. I take a cold shower in the morning. I do breathing exercises and speech exercises. In a day I manage to complete at least 14 of the 18 planned points (at the end of July only 4).

Distractions

There is a difficult problem. When I'm doing one thing, I think about others. For example, I’m writing an article. During preparation, there is a whole swarm of extraneous thoughts in my head. “What's for lunch today? I don't have a good relationship with this person. What will your colleague answer? I wiped off the dust in the morning. I need to clean the sink. What will the article be about tomorrow? What else remains to be done on the blog?

This greatly slows down the process. Instead of working, I’m busy grinding away at side things that don’t affect the actual task in any way. I can't do them right now. They will be important the moment I take them on. Why bother with this?

It turns out that with this approach I spend 2 hours writing an article. Of course, this is serious progress. Because the summer was a difficult period in life and it was hot. One text took up to 5-6 hours. Now it’s 2.5-3 times less. I'm very happy about this. But there is no limit to perfection. I know that I can create a publication in just 1 hour. I strive for this.

The main goal for the next week is to learn to think exclusively about the current task in a single unit of time. Do not be distracted by extraneous noises and various factors.

I have been actively following some of the professional advice for the last 10 years. I will share working recommendations that turned out to be convincing for personal experience.

1. Make a task list the night before.
2. Think over a plan within the current task.
3. Proceed strictly in stages.
4. Remove unnecessary items from the workspace. On the table there should be what is required for the business.
5. Important things to do first.
6. Concentrate on one action so that you don’t have to switch from one to another.
7. Remove the phone from the room.
8. Check email and social networks 2 times a day.
9. Do not react to interference that you cannot influence. There's a construction site outside my window, by the way.
10. Create comfortable working conditions.
11. Take breaks every hour for 5-15 minutes.
12. Get enough sleep.
13. Eat healthy.
14. Set goals wisely for proper motivation.
15. Measure the time it takes to complete a task.

All this is in mine. Efficiency in achieving purity of thinking has increased significantly. It seems like I'm panicking early. The main thing is not to give up and continue to think exclusively about a specific matter.

I hope to learn this before Sunday. We have to keep up the pace.

P.s. When I was writing the article, relatives unexpectedly came to visit. We had an emotional conversation, laughed, and discussed the latest news. Of course, finishing it was difficult. So another additional life hack. Before and after work, exclude bright events.

Do you know how to think about only one thing?

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We live in an information world. This is a world where every minute, even second, something happens that urgently requires our attention. Video, audio, Internet, mobile communications make us real information devourers. But our attention is becoming more and more distracted. We get used to “grabbing on top” and are no longer able to concentrate on one thing, even when it is important and necessary. Try it - will you be able to finish reading at least this text without being distracted?

Today we will talk about how to learn to concentrate, definitely - without this skill it is impossible to make our life purposeful and productive.

Let's start simple, because complex problems always have simple solutions. There is a universal recipe for concentration. He’s like this: make the object of attention become interesting to you.

Interest is the most effective way to focus on something. The attention load when washing floors is about 9%, and when counting money it is more than 80%.

But here's the problem - the problem with simple solutions is usually that they are difficult to implement. What if you need to maintain attention for a long time, for example, while taking exams or writing a scientific paper?

Connect physiology

Our ability to concentrate directly depends on how we feel. There are several rules that should be followed during periods that require concentration. These are the rules:

1. Replace your usual cup of coffee with a few aerobic exercises. It is believed that coffee is the best activator of thought processes. But this is not true; in large quantities this drink will unfocus your attention.

In fact, the most effective stimulant is physical exercise. In our brains, they release chemicals that affect learning and memory. If you don't like exercise, replace exercise with a 15-minute walk.

2. Drink more water while you read or absorb information. There are at least two reasons for this.

One - physiological - is based on the fact that our brain recognizes the slightest changes in the body. And it begins to work in a less than optimal way to attract our attention, making it difficult for us to concentrate. And lack of fluid is the first thing the brain reacts to (after lack of air).

The second reason is esoteric in nature. Water as a carrier of information helps to better assimilate new things. You should drink clean water in small sips.

3. Get enough sleep. The reason for the inability to focus is often a simple lack of sleep. On days of intense mental activity, 7-9 hours of sleep are needed, this time will then pay off in excellent performance.

Accept organizational measures

In the information world, we must be on time everywhere, do several things at once and keep a lot in memory. The tension that comes from multitasking turns into constant stress. And is one of the reasons for our inability to concentrate. We always seem to be missing something. You can “fly above the bustle” with the help of organizational measures.

1. Make a list of all the things that are “spinning” in your head. Divide it into 3 lists according to the principle:

— the most urgent (first priority);

- what can be done tomorrow or the day after tomorrow;

- things that can be postponed for a certain time.

Make this list anew every day, cross off what you do as you complete it. Try to complete complex tasks in the first half of the day.

2. Organize your workspace or place where you will study. There should be no distractions in this place. Don't try to concentrate while the TV is on or between writing comments on social networks. The most you will achieve is an inexplicable feeling of fatigue in the evening.

3. Incorporate breaks into your schedule. This time can be used for making phone calls, browsing social networks, walking outdoors, or stretching. The main thing is to switch from concentration to relaxation from time to time.

Exercise

And - good news - our brains can develop the ability to ignore distractions! Therefore, in conclusion, how to learn to concentrate with the help of special exercises. They are contained in yoga complexes and auto-training. But the most accessible and enjoyable way to develop the ability to concentrate is reading.

Read a book without stopping for 30 minutes. Every few pages, retell to yourself the content of what you read, make sure that you are concentrated on the text. Every day, increase the time of continuous reading, gradually bringing it up to an hour or even two.

Training to switch attention. Read two books on similar topics alternately. A page - in one, then - in another. After 30 minutes of such reading, you need to make a plan for what you read in each book.

So, the main thing is that the ability to concentrate can and should be developed. Try it, and thanks for your attention!

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The ability to concentrate on one goal allows you to achieve maximum results. If concentration skills are absent at the right moment, sounds, people, and extraneous thoughts distract you. Learn to focus quickly and you will be surprised at your own effectiveness.

Find a job you love and you'll never have to work another day in your lifeConfucius

“Whenever you want to achieve something, keep your eyes open, concentrate and make sure you know exactly what you want. No one can hit the target with their eyes closed."

When there is a lot of work to do, and besides it there is a whole bunch of other responsibilities, the ability to properly focus on the most important thing at the moment is a rather valuable quality, the possession of which will help you achieve colossal results in any area of ​​your diverse life.

Sometimes it can be really difficult to concentrate on anything, even if you try your best. This is why the ability to concentrate attention on a specific task is not only useful, but in some cases it is simply necessary (see “”).

How to learn to quickly and completely focus on work

1. Know your purpose

This is indeed extremely necessary so that your attention does not dissipate on the mass of all kinds of, but truly useless, information that continuously enters the brain from everywhere. The goal must be absolutely specific, tangible and visible (see “”). In addition, it should be in your brain constantly, becoming sharply visible if you suddenly forget about it for a while. This constant sense of purpose is a powerful motivator that can motivate you to make every effort to achieve it in reality.

And so that all actions aimed at achieving it are truly effective, and no extraneous factors can distract you from the most important thing, you need to periodically imagine everything that will happen after achieving it.

2. The goal should be as realistic as possible

This is very significant, because the inability to concentrate is due precisely to the unreality and vagueness of the task. In addition, it is almost impossible to concentrate on a goal that is difficult to achieve and non-specific, which means that achieving it will be almost impossible. A real goal can constantly keep you on your toes, because at any moment, if you wish, you can determine at what stage along the path to it you are now. And this feeling is the strongest motive for directing all efforts to bring its achievement as close as possible.

3. Set some commitments

To begin with, this may be a specific time frame, but if you suddenly really realize that for some fairly objective reasons you cannot meet the deadline, then you must definitely “agree with yourself” that the task at hand must still be solved. It is quite difficult to achieve a positive result if you develop a bad habit of quitting halfway through your work.

4. Learn to set the right pace for your work day

A quick start in the morning puts the work in the right business direction. To do this, you need to start performing work tasks as soon as you arrive at the office. Don't be distracted by unnecessary little things. Remember one important rule: a quick, effective start will lead to a truly productive day.

5. Know how to take breaks

It has long been proven that real labor productivity manifests itself in certain cycles:

• infusion into the work process – 10-15 minutes;
• 30 minutes of the most effective work;
• stage of gradual exhaustion - 45 minutes from the start of work.

That is why it is advisable to take short ten-minute breaks between cycles of the labor process. This change of work and rest allows you to maintain your own performance at a really high level during the day (see “”).

Mindlessly immersing yourself in work without rest drains energy and is just as unproductive as a constant relaxed state. Switch to an effective work mode, in which an hour of intensive work is replaced by a ten-minute break, and you will see how much more productive you become.

6. Train your own senses

This can be achieved through consistent exercises to improve certain senses, and as a result you will realize that this is a very useful skill that helps you concentrate at the right time. Train your senses of hearing, vision, touch, smell and taste in a variety of ways and ways, and you will soon notice that you can accurately identify different aromas or sensations.

Exercises that you can perform for these purposes absolutely everywhere, wherever you are at the moment, will help you learn to concentrate on elementary details, and then turn into a stable skill.

What can prevent you from concentrating on time?

1. Various extraneous sounds

Ambient noise is a truly annoying external factor that can nullify all efforts to concentrate. This could be the sound of a working TV, loud music, or sounds from the street. To significantly reduce the impact of this irritant, you need to close the window or just move to another, quieter room.

If the reason for your inability to concentrate is other people who are in the same room with you, then do not hesitate to ask them to speak more quietly or to remain silent altogether. Just explain that you are busy with a serious matter that requires special attention from you. And if you learn to concentrate in a similar place with an increased background noise, then you will become the owner of an extremely rare, but very important ability that many people dream of.

2. Own stream of consciousness

Constant internal dialogue during work that requires full concentration is quite an annoying and distracting thing. Worrying thoughts that are unnecessary at the moment prevent you from concentrating on the work at hand, and to get rid of this process, you just need to “scroll” it in your head, and then for some time think exclusively about the goal. This will help you tune in to the desired result and complete your task quickly and correctly. Try to constantly keep the goal in front of your eyes - this will help you concentrate and not be distracted by other extraneous problems.

3. Internet irritant

How often, just before starting work or directly during its implementation, you want to be distracted by the news of the World Wide Web and thereby significantly delay the moment when you still have to return to your normal routine. Sometimes a seemingly minute check of personal email or news on social networks drags on for up to half an hour, or even more wasted time.

An excellent way out in such a situation would be for you to clearly plan your working time. Try to set priorities that fully reflect your goals, and also consistently write down all the stages of performing a specific job.

Agree with yourself to limit the time you visit Internet sites that are not related to your work; it is best to do this before starting work or immediately during a break. Understand one thing: by periodically being distracted by social networks, you delay achieving the desired result, because each subsequent infusion into the desired business pace will require up to fifteen minutes of working time. Don't take on too many things at the same time, be able to correctly identify and set priorities - this will help you focus best on your work.

4. Negative mood

How often, to justify their own inaction, people begin to talk about poor health or lack of work spirit. Most often, these are ordinary excuses that justify your laziness in your own eyes. Drive away such thoughts, constantly think about the result and the deadlines for your work. These thoughts will help you to actually work actively and be in a positive mood.

5. Lighting in the workplace

It should be bright enough to stimulate your work activities. If the lighting is excessively dim, then your eyes will quickly get tired while working, and this will ultimately lead to dissipation of attention to general malaise. Try to choose a lamp with a fairly soft, non-aggressive light, one that is right for you. Keep in mind that good lighting is the key to getting things done well.

6. Reasonable and thoughtful organization of the workplace

You should not choose an overly large and soft chair or sofa, since such furniture promotes relaxation in the workplace. An office chair is much better suited - it will provide a comfortable fit and a positive working mood. Try to organize your place of work so that the conditions are quite comfortable and the necessary items are located at an accessible distance.

In fact, in reality, focusing on what is most important is not just an effort of will. Many internal and external factors can help with this, and some of them, on the contrary, can distract you from the process for a long time. But you can learn to concentrate and concentrate; these important skills will help you achieve your goals really effectively and in a fairly short time. And the desire to learn something depends entirely on you.

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People with increased concentration can quickly understand the essence of a complex topic, move productively towards a goal and finish what they start, live each day more fully and consciously, and get more pleasure from life in general. According to Bill Gates, the ability to concentrate for a long time and maintain focus is the most important quality that distinguishes a successful person from an unsuccessful one, smart from stupid.

In this article website I have compiled a whole list of useful exercises and techniques that will allow even the most absent-minded to improve their ability to concentrate, effectively deal with interruptions and significantly increase your own productivity.

• Second hand. Take a regular watch and watch the second hand move for 5 minutes. You only need to think about this arrow and nothing else. If you get distracted, give yourself a minus and start over.
• Check. This exercise is great for calming you down and helps you concentrate before an important speech or negotiation. You need to sit down and silently, slowly, completely focusing on the numbers, count in your head from 1 to 30. With your eyes closed is a simpler option, with your eyes open is for advanced ones.
• Countdown. Choose a large number and start counting backwards: 7845, 7844, 7843... In the future, you can subtract not 1, but 3 or 5.
• Breath. Breathe a little deeper than usual, concentrating on the breathing process. Mentally imagine how the air moves through the respiratory tract and enters your lungs, slowly filling and expanding them. And in the opposite direction - follow your exhalation.

• We count words. Take a book or magazine, open any page and count the number of words on it. Then count the words again. To complicate the task, count the words on 2 or 3 pages. Important: you can count words only with your eyes, without touching the paper with your hands.
• One word. Choose a word that inspires you or just likes it, and repeat it mentally for 5 minutes, without thinking about anything else. Over time, increase the time to 10 minutes.
• Reflective reading. The choice of book here is very important; it should be interesting literature worthy of your attention, and not some kind of pulp reading. The point of the exercise is to completely immerse yourself in the text you are reading; you must be maximally concentrated on it, read and see the full depth of what the author wrote about, think about all the nuances and meanings. There is no need to set records, read at a pace that allows you to stay focused on what you are writing. If you notice that you are distracted, gather your willpower and focus again on the main task - to read and delve into the text as much as possible.

• Studying the subject. Absolutely any simple object will do: pencil, pen, lighter, eraser, cup. Study the object as if you are seeing it for the first time, constantly interest yourself in the new details that this object has. Try to find more and more new questions about it. Why this particular form? What material? How it works? What's inside? How else can you apply this? In what country was this made?
• Concentrating on the smell. Choose a natural, natural scent that you like, such as grass, fruit, flowers, pine. Relax and slowly inhale and then exhale the aroma, concentrating only on this process without distraction. Think only about the smell, no extraneous thoughts should be allowed.
• Where is attention directed? From time to time during the day, ask yourself questions: what are you doing, why are you doing it, are you investing resources, where are you spending your time, is it worth continuing, etc. For convenience, you can write down these questions on a piece of paper and hang it up it in the most visible place so as not to forget about this exercise.

• Associations. Develop associative thinking. To do this, take a few minutes to study the person who comes into your field of vision. Think about what associations he evokes in you: who he resembles from your friends or celebrities; what animal do you associate it with; if this person were an object, then what kind; who could he work with?
• Reflection. Straighten your back and stand in front of the mirror. Draw circles on the mirror at eye level and focus all your attention on them. Stand so that the drawn circles do not go beyond the outline of your eyes. The exercise should be performed until you feel slight fatigue in your back.
• A game of imagination. Sit in a chair and close your eyes. Imagine a large jug and a ball, and then how the ball moves in and out of the jug. You need to repeat the exercise up to 10 times, following the sequence. Helps relieve the brain and improve the ability to concentrate.

• The words are the opposite. This game, familiar to many from childhood, is an excellent exercise for concentration. Take simple, short words and say them out loud backwards: cat - akshok, fish - abyr, etc. In the future, you can take longer words and complicate the task.
• The text is upside down. Take any book, turn it upside down and read the text. For entry level, one page is enough.
• Scout. Take a book you are unfamiliar with and read one paragraph. Try to reproduce what you read word for word, from memory. It is unlikely that you will be able to do this right away, but if you practice, you will succeed. But each time take a new paragraph, and not the same one, otherwise the meaning of the exercise will be lost.
• Colorblind. Despite its apparent simplicity, the exercise is quite complex. Write the names of the colors in different inks that do not correspond to the name of the color itself. For example, write the word “red” in yellow, the word “blue” in red, etc. When reading, you need to name the color of the word, and not what is written.

• Line. On a blank sheet of paper, draw a line very slowly and smoothly with a pencil. Your thoughts should be focused exclusively on this line. As soon as you catch yourself being distracted, immediately make a small peak on the line, like on a cardiogram, and continue to draw the line further. The concentration level can be easily determined by the number of peaks on the line. The ideal option is if in 3 minutes you do not form a single peak.
• Figure. On a piece of paper, draw any shape: circle, square, triangle. Paint with any color and concentrate all your attention only on this figure. All your thoughts should be only about this figure. It is important not to strain your eyes. Look at the figure for 2-3 minutes, then close your eyes and imagine it in great detail and detail.
• Film reel. The point of the exercise is to imagine one day of your life in the form of a video that you are watching. You need to try to remember in great detail how your day went, from the moment you woke up to the moment you went to bed.

When working on a task, focus only on it, making sure that it is a priority at the moment. If the task is large, break it down into several stages and work on each of them separately. If the number of tasks is unrealistic and overwhelming, then no amount of concentration will help.

Which exercise did you like best? Maybe you have your own method that helps you concentrate and implement your plans productively?