Gram’s Wisdom 17: The importance of mindset on your concentration

I would bet that like most of us you normally have no trouble concentrating on the task at hand. It’s easy, right? You have a to-do list or a routine, so you know exactly what to focus on. 

The world for most people is topsy-turvy right now. You don’t know what the other side of tomorrow looks like, let alone next month. The temptation to let things slide rather than plan for that other side is more an inability to concentrate than the lack of desire toward the subject.

As a teen, I remember it being harder and harder to focus on the homework for classes I wasn’t so interested in. When I asked my Gram for advice, I told her I needed more than, “life is full of things we must do like it or not.” You see the problem for me was, I would procrastinate because I couldn’t concentrate on what I thought of as useless subjects.

Fortunately, Gram did have a few simple ideas. First, she said to find a reason to become interested. (In my case I wanted a good grade average.) Second, she said reward yourself when finished. The third thing she said was to change or take control of my mindset. The last tip she said was the most important because it’s always better to do what’s necessary with good grace and acceptance.

Tips to boost your concentration

The good news is that in the intervening years though we humans have created more distractions for ourselves, you can learn to focus more and focus better. All you need is to alter your mindset, take charge, and apply these tools to boost your attention span.

1.     Get your brain moving

You’re at work; you have deadlines, meetings, projects, tasks - all things that need to get done within the span of a few hours. What to do? You make a list, of course. Many successful people swear by their lists because it has everything on it, from the most important to the things that can wait until later.

Another great tip? Write your list the night before so you’re not bombarded with many things at the start of the day. This is like stretching before a workout - it doesn’t take a lot of time, but you can’t start without it.

2.     Take regular breaks

Francesco Cirillo, the owner of the Cirillo Consulting firm in Berlin, devised an ingenious system that manages time by breaking it down into intervals. For example, once you’ve started on a task, set the timer to, say, 30 minutes.

During that time, focus completely on that task. Once the timer rings, you take a 10-minute break to get some coffee or just walk around your desk for some quick exercise. Then, every 4 30-minute work intervals, you can take a longer break of 20-30 minutes.

The way this technique works is that you have to refrain from picking up your phone to check your email or social media every 5 minutes. Research has proven that it takes us nearly 25 minutes to get back to our original task once we’ve been distracted, which means you’re spending the entire day just on trying to regain your focus but not achieving it.

A smart way to avoid this when it comes to your phone is to put it on silent or stick it in a drawer to ward off temptation. An even better way to do this is to carve out half an hour at the start of the day, or in the afternoon, to get all that out of your system so that you’re not constantly thinking about it.

3.     De-clutter

While it may seem straightforward to everyone that working in a calm, organized environment boosts concentration and, hence, productivity, it may not be as easy as it sounds. Even if your choices are limited or can’t get away with changing too much of your workspace, you can do wonders with a few add-ons here and there.

But all you need are a few basic items:

• a desk organizer to store away whatever you’re not working on at the moment

• a plant or two because it’s been proven that being surrounded by nature magnifies concentration levels and extends your attention span

• a good source of lighting

• a calming piece of artwork or photo

• soft background music or sounds of nature to put you in the mood to concentrate

4.     Make your health a priority

Most people don’t make the connection between eating right and having strong concentration and memory skills. Studies show that foods high in trans fats and processed sugars harm your cognitive abilities.

Enjoying a balanced diet rich in minerals and vitamins, on the other hand, boosts energy levels and gives you the mental stamina you need to concentrate on the task at hand. Water is also very important to prevent dehydration. Staying hydrated throughout the day prevents your mind from slowing down. Exercising regularly also boosts cognitive powers and mental stamina.

5. Play brain games

There has been extensive research that shows just how much how solving crossword puzzles, problem-solving exercises and other types of mental games can improve cognitive abilities, reasoning, memory, and attention spans. It also boosts your skill and speed on tasks that have to do with memory and reasoning.

My final thought

I believe that right now most of us are having some focusing difficulty. I say cut yourself some slack, try and accomplish one small thing each day, and, using Gram’s second tip, reward yourself. You deserve it.

I hope this post helps. Please share it with your family and friends.