How to Concentrate !!!

People who are able to concentrate completely on the task at hand are great achievers--brilliant professionals, big business people, executives, leaders in the world of finance, science, invention, literature, education—-it doesn't matter what kind of work. The point is that when these people pitch hay, they pitch hay; when they write a book, they write a book; when they manage a sales campaign, they manage a sales campaign. They focus on that one thing they do at that one time, and nothing else, and every ounce they have goes into it. But behind of all this has been a lot of mental discipline, a lot of habit-forming, a lot of brain-building. Let's consider some of the steps they've climbed.

ScintsSteps

1. 1
   Relax. It may seem paradoxical that the first step to better concentration refers to relaxation, but there are many intense intellects who fail in their concentration because they never relax. Failure to let go between efforts is their chief stumbling block. They keep them-selves tense, nervous, "keyed-up" all the time, even when there is no need for it, thereby wasting nervous energy. They find it very difficult to "let go" or to relieve the high-tension by a little natural, wholesome relaxation. But we must learn to let go, to relax completely, before each period of intense concentration. Here is the working principle: Relaxation precedes perfect concentration. All great mental achievement has been preceded by periods of absolute rest or relaxation! During this time, the mind stores up fresh energy and establishes a reserve to draw upon during the hours of intense concentration demanded by the big task that lies ahead. Different people take their relaxation best in different ways, but, whether in complete rest, of play or wholesome laughter, it must come before any sustained effort of concentration. Nature itself requires cycles of growth and rest. Take your breathing spell before the battle.
   
   
   
2. 2
   Free the mind. Nothing is of greater aid to concentration. In fact, unless you are able to do this, concentration is impossible. When harassed by the three devils, hurry, worry, and fear, the mind never has a fair chance to center on anything. But in your period of relaxation, you have an excellent opportunity to free the mind. Now is your chance to eliminate all mental handicaps and get ready for the race. Not only hurry, worry, and fear must be thrown overboard, but anything and everything that troubles you and disturbs your serenity and your peace of mind. Out they go! You should not indulge in day-dreaming, either, or mental drifting. Practice meditation. Clear the mental horizon; give yourself a clean slate to write on when your hour of concentration comes. And when it comes, if you have relaxed and cleared your mind, you will be possessed of that rare thing: mental poise.
   
   
   
3. 3
   Find the right conditions. It's true that a trained mind can concentrate under any conditions—-in the roar of crowded cities or the busy hum of traffic, in the midst of telephone calls or a thousand and one other interruptions. But these people are already masters of concentration, and this article is addressing those who have not yet learned how to concentrate. Therefore, it's only a matter of common sense to make conditions as favorable as possible. Some of our greatest creative thinkers absolutely insist on right conditions and the right kind of a place in which to produce their masterpieces. True, good books have been written in mail, great poems written in the trenches, masterly speeches conceived on an express train. But in every case there was a degree of concentration strong enough to rise triumphant above the environment. Otherwise, keep the following conditions in mind:
   
   
   • Seek a quiet place free from all distractions (and noise is a terrible distraction), a place free from all interruptions which may break your train of thought (and a telephone is a terrible interrupter), a place where you can be alone, free from all outside influences (and a friend who "must drop in" is a terrible outside influence), and a place of pleasing environment, beautiful or otherwise, where the atmosphere is right for you. Preferences differ with the individual; it's all in the mind. One may do his or her best work seated in a luxurious chair in a beautiful and artistic study--another may reach his or her highest plane of creative thinking while sitting under a lone pine tree on the crest of a hill. Choose your own place for concentration. Use ear plugs, occupational ear defenders or even both!
     
     
     
   • Solitude has always been, in all the history of mental achievement, a requisite for great work. Solitude calls forth the mood of receptivity. Only then do we get the best. Great things are worked out in silence. Then come the flashes of inspiration—the new visions. History reflects the statement that to bear solitude well is a mark of greatness. And today, right in this practical present, thousands of our most successful business men have learned this secret...That by getting alone, they can gain new efficiency, and think out better plans for managing their daily affairs.
     
     
     
4. 4
   Make a daily schedule. Your daily schedule helps to focus the mind, holding it steadily to one thing at a time and in the right order. Following a logical sequence tends to eliminate confusion. It's been demonstrated in efficiency tests over and over again that time and energy are lost not so much on the operation itself as in passing from one operation to another. So in our mental operations, failure to move smoothly from one thing to another results in confusion. And when confusion comes, concentration goes. A definite daily schedule is a wonderful aid in keeping the mind on the right track. It often proves to be the salvation of those who have been unable to concentrate. Try it.
   
   
   
   
   

ScintsTips

• Concentration applies to all the activities of life. It should be established as a life habit. Make a business of doing one thing at a time with all your soul.

• How to Get Organized and 

  Concentrate on Your Work !!

  
  
  

  
  

  It's hard to concentrate when you have a lot on your mind and there's a lot to do. Here are a few tips to keep you more organized to better concentrate on the work at hand:

  ScintsSteps

  1. 1
     Make a list of daily and weekly tasks.
     
     
     • A bullet-form list is quick and easy to read and follow.
     • Be thorough and include extra tasks that may inevitably arise in your day. It's best to be realistic.
  2. 2
     Decide what's most important. Some tasks may have priority, such as making a meal, doing homework or keeping an appointment.
  3. 3
     Divide tasks throughout the week or month.
     
     
     • Give yourself additional time to relax.
     • Get plenty of sleep to think more clearly and creatively.
     • Leave time to do work that is not a priority.
     • Set aside time to take care of anything unexpected.
     • Some things take a little longer than anticipated.
     • Leave time for error.
  4. 4
     Accomplish small tasks.
     
     
     • Break down your more time-consuming tasks into smaller increments.
     • Do your math homework in two half hour sessions, taking a break in between.
     • Have fun in between chores.
     • This creates less stress with a more reasonable use of your time.
  5. 5
     Stay focused.
     
     
     • Try not to start a new project until a previous project has been completed.
     • Concentrate on one thing at a time and do it well.
     • Write "Focus on Priority" on post-it notes. Keep them near the phone, computer or on the refrigerator to remind yourself.
  6. 6
     Review your progress. Sit back and look over your work.
     
     
     • Have you progressed as far as you should?
     • Is there a more efficient way to accomplish what you're doing?
     • Reassign portions of your project to another day.
     • Delegate to others, if needed.
  7. 7
     Be flexible. Try to complete your projects, but if unable to do so, complete them up to a certain point and leave them for another day.
  8. 8
     Plan a deadline. Stay on track and on schedule. If you are scheduled to do something, do it, unless it is very inconvenient or impossible to do so.

  ScintsTips

  • Leaving projects half-finished will make you feel disorganized. Plus you'll feel as if you haven't accomplished anything.
  • Begin your day by doing the most important task first. Just getting that done will have accomplished a lot.
  • Before studying, meditate to relax your mind. Concentrate on one thing that needs to be done.
  • Log time spent on distractions and breaks. You'll realize more time could be available. Log time with a chess clock.

  
  

  ScintsThings You'll Need

  • Paper, planner or calendar
  • Pencil
  • Determination
  • 
    

  • How to Concentrate While 

    There Are Background Noises 

    
    
    

    Scientists estimate that we are subject to receiving one billion stimuli every second in our brains.^[1] Of this amount, our brain manages to filter out most but there are still around 100 sensations kept for continued processing every second. And much of the stimuli received is in the form of noise. With all this bombardment, you can be forgiven for feeling easily distracted, ready to down tools and go for a little mind wander (or even a wander somewhere else totally).

    When the bleep-bloop of someone's cellphone sears through you, the traffic hum and honking is blazing through your system and the chatter of others across the way is almost as bad as thunder to your concentration, what are you to do? Here are some suggestions to ease the cacophony and to hone in on good concentration.

    ScintsSteps

    1. 1
       Make sure you're not hungry or tired. Hunger and tiredness will deplete your ability to concentrate because your focus is elsewhere––on getting food or more sleep. And be aware of the connection between hunger and tiredness––if your blood sugar levels are plummeting as a result of eating too much sugar, then you'll slump quickly and find it very hard to concentrate. As for caffeine, while it can give you an energy boost in the immediate time following consuming it, this benefit can be short lived and could leave you feeling jittery and uncomfortable, which soon breaks concentration.^[2] In each of these cases, if you haven't fueled and rested your body adequately, there is an increased likelihood that noises will disturb you when you're trying to concentrate. Indeed, a body and brain that is fatigued and suffering from hunger pangs or sugar lows is likely to be distracted by almostanything!
       
       
       • Eat a healthy diet consisting of a good balance of whole foods (fruit and vegetables) and whole grains––it is consistency of eating healthy foods that helps aid concentration and gives you more strength to cope with external stressors.^[2]
    2. 2
       

        Block out the noise.
       Block out the noise. If you're someone who is able to think, concentrate and study when listening to music, this can be an excellent way to balance out other noises going on around you. Slip your earplugs into the computer or an MP3 player and use the music to create a barrier between you and the external noise that isn't as pleasant to hear. Music without lyrics (such as classical, trance or ambient music) is often the best choice for allowing you to continue to think and study.
       • Noise canceling (active noise control) headphones or earplugs can be a really useful option; just check that they're comfortable for you before buying them. If you're using them in an office environment, also explain to your colleagues and boss that you're not being anti-social but that you really need to block out noise levels in order to be able to think and concentrate well. In this case, it might be helpful to point out the sources of noise such as ringing phones, people talking and walking about, the office acoustics, etc.
       • If it's your home study space or office space, investigate the possibility of having acoustic building measures taken to reduce noise levels. Things such as double glazing, acoustic ceiling tiles and rubber wall mats can help to deaden noise levels.
       • You can also listen to a track of "pink noise" (easily found for download as an mp3 or on YouTube) that will help cover background noise if your headphones are less than noise cancelling. However, some people find the pink noise to be annoying or even more distracting than background noises.
    3. 3
       Move. This can be as simple as rearranging where you do your thinking and studying in the same building or even involve leaving the house, office or study area to find somewhere else more suitable for the period of time you need to concentrate. Researchers have shown that students in schools located where there is a lot of aircraft noise don't learn as well as students in quieter schools, although some of this may also have to do with the irritability of teachers and adults around them (as a result of the noise).^[3] Try studying or thinking in the library, a quieter office where you can close the door, a friend's house or even in a local park when weather permits. The change of environment may stimulate new learning opportunities in itself and the relief from the background noises that have been bothering you is likely to be enormous.
       • Move away from crowds. If you're trying to think or study amid a group of chattering, noisy people, you'll find it a lot harder to concentrate. Move to somewhere a lot quieter and away from the group.
       • If you are subjected to high levels of noise such as aircraft, building work sites or heavy traffic on a regular basis in your home learning environment, and the noise does seem to be affecting your learning abilities, you might consider shifting residence for your longer term health. Obviously this is a drastic solution and you'll need to weigh up all the factors involved in making such a huge but potentially beneficial change that could also improve your general living experience.
    4. 4
       Use your imagination. In combination with your senses, your imagination can help to occupy your brain with thinking rather than being distracted by noise. A great tool for this is to use visualization. For example, when your physics professor is trying to explain the laws of gravity, imagine something falling to the ground; or when you are trying to figure out a difficult problem, envision it in pictures inside your brain. The effort required to focus on visualization can help to deflect the noisiness and keep you focused "in the moment".
    5. 5
       Breathe for peace. Breathing can calm and center you, giving you the ability to tolerate experiences that are battering your senses, such as noise. Aim to alternate concentrating on your breathing, taking deep inhales and exhales, with focusing on understanding what is being taught, read or thought about. Each time the noise seems to intrude intolerably, remind yourself to focus on breathing again to restore the balance.
       • Read How to improve your breathing, How to breathe deeply and How the breathe like a yoga master for more details.
    6. 6
       Increase your passive concentration. Take time off at home to simply try to concentrate. Watch an online video and try to not lose attention at any time. Stare at the wall and if you catch yourself "hearing" what you're thinking, take a second and try to focus fully on the wall again. Use little moments in your day to practice deflecting unwanted noise and to concentrate more consciously on the things that deserve your attention.
       • Ignore background noises. In many ways, getting used to noisy environments will serve you better than shunning them. So many workplaces and group-filled spaces are noisy that training yourself to endure the noise can be an extremely useful skill for both work and socialization reasons. You can spend your life dodging the noise but it's much harder and can alienate you from some experiences, whereas training yourself to find ways to cope with it can be a saving grace.
    7. 7
       Check the silence. While this may sound counter-intuitive, if you're trying to study or think in an area where it's really quiet, every noise that does happen may stir you from your concentration. There is such a thing as noise in moderation, enough to help give you a buzz while thinking and learning but not so much as to overwhelm you. Indeed, sometimes a total lack of noise can be just as disturbing as too much noise; for example, a lack of noise interaction is one reason why solitary confinement drives people crazy. Aim to have a study or thinking environment that has a steadiness of background noise in some form, such as birds chirping, small amounts of traffic buzzing along or conversations happening in the next room, etc.
    8. 8
       Meditate. Meditation can improve both your concentration and your ability to cope with noise levels. If you're already thinking that the noise will prevent you from meditating, there's a cure for that too. By including the noise as part of the meditative focus, you will accept the noise and let go of it. For example:
       • In beginning a meditation, actively notice the noise and appreciate all of its different tones, cadences and sources. Then think about the people behind those noises and wish them all well. Accept that the noise is part of the meditation process. Focus first on your breathing, then on the noise as part of the meditation. Through acceptance of the noise, you cease to fight it and it becomes a part of the practice of the meditation. The ultimate aim is to have the noise enrich your meditation experience and to at least be creatively worked into your meditation routine. If you believe in God, taking breaks for prayers help too. Prayers force you to concentrate and shut out background noise.^[4]

    ScintsTips

    • If you can't get away from a noise such as a radio on at work, consider raising the matter considerately with everyone involved. It is important that everyone in a workplace or study environment feels comfortable and it might be that some of those who enjoy the noise haven't realized that others find the noise a distraction that prevents good concentration.
    • If you have ADD (attention deficit disorder), it may help to use behavioral modification techniques to adjust to noise levels around you.
    • Noise from electronic items such as TVs, game machines and computers can be very distracting. Be sure to think and study away from such noise.

    
    

    ScintsWarnings

    • Avoid turning headphone music up so high that you can't vaguely hear people talking nearby. Daily doses of listening to music too loudly can lead to permanent hearing impairment.

    ScintsThings You'll Need

    • Noise cancelling headphones (optional - prices vary and these can be quite expensive)
    • New location to study or concentrate
    • MP3 player