Ways. To increase concentration

Pick a valid subject of concentration. If there is no passion or plausible motivation, then your task of concentrating is going to be one hell of a challenge! Remember how you used to do the laundry or mow the lawn so half heartedly and the outcome was a disaster? Analogously, you cannot ace your mathematics test if you resent it and hence if you fail to concentrate, you will also fail the test! The Five More Rule is a technique that has certainly helped many individuals who invariably fall short of concentration. You set a target to finish a fixed amount of work or studying. However, ten minutes later, you are already tempted to step out for a smoke or check the football game score. Block all lures and enticements to immerse your heart and mind into achieving your goals. Solve five more math problems or dedicate five more minutes to a chapter of history, or else face guilt when you indulge in play. To your delight, five minutes is all it takes to engross you to such an extent that you forfeit your break! Stretch your attention span and build mental endurance! If you are convinced you have the world's lowest attention span, here's an interesting exercise. Walk into a movie theater and catch up on a random gripping action or drama film. Thirty minutes into the movie, shift your gaze from the screen and look around. What do you see? Probably a hundred riveted faces. If you stare long enough, you will notice how rarely they blink. Only a false alarm of a fire breakout could distract them! Observe the audiences and learn the art of concentration as they stay still scene after scene. To encourage your strong desire to maintain concentration, eliminate stumbling blocks such as multi-tasking, blaring radios or TV sets and flashing multi-colored lights. No doubt that our human nervous system is fantastic beyond words. However, we should not expect too much from it! Hence, stick to one task at a time! It will be greatly challenging to assimilate intense facts on quantum physics while catching the latest episode of �The Simpsons', munching on a packet of crunchy chips and getting a foot massage! Build strong concentration abilities as you exercise all of your brain power in solely one task! Mediation might help you gather your thoughts methodically. Watch your breathing; calm it down along with your brain. Soon enough you will automatically shift to an alternative state of mind which is peaceful and creatively receptive. Set aside multi-tasking, multi-thinking can do equal damage! Channel your thoughts in one direction. If you have promised to study for an hour, try not to think of �Oh what could Marsha be doing right now� or �Is he cheating on me?� or �What do I eat for dinner!� Focus on the present! Life is a ticking time bomb and if you don't handle the undertakings purposefully, your future will explode in your face. Take breaks, get some air and calm down. Don't let the nerves get on to you. Concentration and energy co-exist in your conscious or subconscious mind. Don't be a scatter brain. Just maintain a calm demeanor while concentrating completely in meeting your targets. Defeat every lurking urge to procrastinate your responsibilities. Yes, preparing for an exam or finishing all your corporate deadlines might not be a bed of roses. Wake up! Life is difficult. And if you procrastinate, you will only be rewarded with an endless list of regrets. You might wonder- �How can I resist the Oprah Winfrey show tonight!' What if it doesn't repeat? News Flash - This second or minute or hour of your life is never going to return and if you make the most of it, you might be sitting on Oprah Winfrey's couch one day! It's amazing how our brains operate in such bedazzling ways. For instance, we drive down the road while talking or fiddling with radio or engaging in soliloquies. It's dangerous but most of us do it. How do we handle all the 101 thoughts and distraction from impeding our concentration abilities? Try cupping your hands around your eyes to block sight of everything unrelated to your current priority. Referred to as tunnel vision, this technique ensures that your eyes do not wander away from your book or laptop screen! Use your hand as blinkers and narrow your concentration to what you have in front of you! It gradually turns into a ritual as you constrict the innate wide angle focus of your brain. Infuse personal interests into your projects and tasks by manipulation. View them from different angles as long as the core remains the same. This will surely make the work less boring. Foods such as fish, chicken and meat are known to improve your attentiveness. Increase your intake of fresh juices and boost your levels of vitamin C.