These kinds of activities will help you re-energize and re-focus. Search Search. You might be wondering — how can spending less time studying help me get everything done? Phone a friend Cook a healthy meal or have a healthy snack Laugh! Express yourself through creativity — draw, doodle, color, etc.

Dance party! Try to make your exhale longer than your inhale. Progressive muscle relaxation: Starting with your toes and working your way up to your head, slowly tighten and then relax your muscle groups feet, legs, buttocks, abdomen, shoulders, arms, hands, face.

This type of body scan exercise is also great for helping you fall asleep. Mini-meditation: Even minutes of meditation can calm your mind and help you feel more focused and relaxed. Visualization: Mentally rehearse a task you want to master. Imagine yourself acing the task taking an exam, having an important conversation.

If your workmates or clients know that you are unavailable at certain times they will adapt. Try turning off your phone from time to time. Compose a suitable message on your answering service so people can ask you to call them back.

Avoid checking your emails constantly and instead set aside three or four times each day to process them. What does all this have to do with learning? Having a clear head can make a big difference. How much time should you set aside?

Tell yourself that now is the time to focus on your learning. Different people learn in different ways. For example, some people can retain information better by listening to background music or neutral noise.

Even the general clamour of coffee shop conversation can help some students. Others prefer silence. Headphones can be useful, either to deliver sound or to cancel out distractions. This is something you need to work out for yourself. Many people use the Pomodoro Technique to help themselves focus.

Since many people mainly millennials multitask and look at their phones simultaneously, they are not only training their brain to be stimulated by short term rewards, but they are fragmenting their focus as well.

The overall effect of both of these can turn even a Nobel Laureate into a mental ball of sludge very quickly. You need to curtail your Internet use and put it in a box or else it will take over the rest of your life.

To learn more about how to manage your time, check out How to Structure Your Time Management Using the Tower Technique. Now, I want to hear from you.

What methods are you using to increase your overall levels of focus and concentration? The thoughts that you have shared in the article on how to increase mental focus is very helpful, I think it will help me a lot as I am facing this issue now a days. Your email address will not be published.

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Seven Proven Methods to Increase Your Mental Focus and Ability to Concentrate August 20, Sim Camp 1 Comment. Psychology , Productivity. Previous Post 25 Superior Self-Improvement Books To Read In Your 20s Psychology.

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Legg, PhD, PsyD — By Sara Lindberg — Updated on February 17, Try puzzles Play cards Build vocabulary Dance Use your senses Learn a new skill Teach a skill Listen to music Try a new route Meditate Learn a new language Do tai chi Focus Bottom line Exercising the brain to improve memory, focus, or daily functionality is a top priority for many older adults.

Share on Pinterest. Brain exercises. Have fun with a jigsaw puzzle. Try your hand at cards. Build your vocabulary. Dance your heart out. Use all your senses. Learn a new skill. Teach a new skill to someone else. Listen to or play music. Take a new route.

Learn a new language. Take up tai chi. Focus on another person. The bottom line. How we reviewed this article: Sources. Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations.

We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. Feb 17, Written By Sara Lindberg.

Aug 7, Written By Sara Lindberg. Medically Reviewed By Timothy J. Legg, PhD, PsyD. Share this article. Read this next. READ MORE. Unpacking the Notion of Love Addiction. Medically reviewed by Kendra Kubala, PsyD. Toxic Femininity, Explained — Plus, Tips to Overcome This Mindset Toxic femininity, or behavior that aligns with patriarchal beliefs about what women should and shouldn't do, can affect your well-being.

Scientific experiments agree. One study at the University of North Carolina, for example, revealed that students who meditated for just 20 minutes a day for four days performed better on certain cognitive tests. Another study found that people who meditated regularly were less likely to engage in "mind-wandering" and were generally happier.

The researchers of the study suggest that this was because long-term meditators exhibited a lower amount of what's called default mode network activity DMN — a function of the brain linked with attention issues, anxiety, and depression. Exercises like running , swimming , and weight lifting aren't just good for the body.

They promote brain health, too, which is important for memory capacity and concentration, according to John Ratey, associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

In particular, scientists think regular exercise may help stimulate the release of a chemical called brain-derived neurotrophic factor , which some research suggests helps rewire memory circuits to improve their functioning. To-do lists not only help you prioritize what tasks you need to get done first, but they can also serve as a record of the loose ends.

Moreover, incomplete work could eat away at your concentration. This stems from something called the Zeigarnik Effect , which is the tendency to remember incomplete tasks instead of completed ones.

Researchers explored this Zeigarnik effect in a study which found that participants who could plan their work and complete tasks one by one were more likely to stay focused than those participants who were made to go from task to task without completing them.

If you're feeling groggy, grab a cup of joe or other caffeinated substance. Studies suggest that caffeine may, in moderate doses , help to boost focus — particularly in those of us who are fatigued.

But don't get overzealous with the coffee , or you might get the caffeine jitters , which typically reduce your ability to concentrate.

You can also try a cup of tea , which won't give you the quick buzz like coffee but can provide you energy for a longer period thanks to the L-theanine chemicals in it that our bodies metabolize throughout the day. You might have heard that watching cat videos on YouTube can improve productivity.

Well, that's true sort of. Whether it's watching cat videos, taking a walk , or a brief nap , it is critical to take the occasional break from work. In one study , 84 subjects were asked to perform a simple computer task for one hour.

Those who were allowed two brief breaks during that hour performed consistently for the entire time whereas those who weren't offered a break performed worse over time. Another widely-noted study analyzed the decision making process of 1, judges and found that more "favorable rulings" were made by judges during the beginning of the day and after they took periodic food breaks.

Essentially, this study explored how "decision fatigue" i. how fast and accurately we make decisions was alleviated by semi-frequent breaks. The right background music is ultimately what works for you. Some experts argue that no music is best for productivity because it minimizes the opportunity for distractions.

Whereas other studies have found that listening to background music without words offers better performance compared to white noise or silence. And still another study found that the time spent on a certain task was longest when listening to no music.

All that is to say, the type of music you listen to and the type of work you're doing at the time matters. So be conscious of your productivity and choose what music is right for you.

Your brain is a mental muscle, and some studies have found that people who are easily distracted will benefit from "brain training" exercises, like those promoted by Lumosity or Cogmed. But which exercises work — and for how well or long their effects last — is unclear. Therefore, the purported benefits of brain training need further examination, Susanne Jaeggi — who studies the brain and memory at the University of California — told New Scientist.

The pomodoro method is a time-blocking technique that can help compartmentalize your tasks into manageable minute intervals. To use the pomodoro method work for 25 minutes, taking five minute breaks in between 25 minute intervals. After four of these intervals, you can take a longer minute break.

This method of time blocking gives you the needed break in between work sessions to help you maintain focus longer and more sustainably.

Ambient noise, like cars honking or kids screaming, can stimulate the release of the stress hormone cortisol, Mark A. Andrews, former director of the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine at Seton Hill University in Pennsylvania, told Scientific American.

Too much cortisol can impair function and hinder focus. And, unfortunately, the more we're exposed to ambient noise, the worse our bodies respond, according to Andrews.