How To Increase Concentration – 7 Exercises To Improve Focus
Want to know how to increase concentration? Here are 7 concentration exercises that will dramatically increase your focus.
Let’s chat about how to increase concentration.
If your concentration skills are lacking, it’s not your fault I PROMISE.
Chances are no one has ever taught you how to concentrate and focus.
In fact, most of us are experts at distracting ourselves rather than focusing. Is this true for you too?
You’re probably pretty good at finding something to keep yourself busy.
However, that something might not be very productive. It may be comfortable or entertaining but that isn’t the same thing as being productive.
Let me ask you a question now: do you want to be successful or comfortable in life?
The world we live in is full of distractions. In fact, it’s never been more challenging to concentrate in this world than it is right now. If you’re struggling to keep your attention on what matters, you’re not alone.
However, all is not lost. You can definitely learn how to improve your concentration and enhance your life as a result.
So, how does one do this?
Well, be prepared to start slowly….If you’d like to increase your attention span, it’s more effective to start by doing it little by little, especially at first.
I mean, you wouldn’t try to jog for 20 miles the first time you went running, right?
Nor would you try to bench press 300 pounds the first time you went to the gym.
You’d start at an appropriate level and move forward from that point.
YOU WOULD MEET YOURSELF WHERE YOU ARE AT.
The same goes for improving your concentration. See how long you can concentrate on a task before your mind wanders. Is it a minute? Five minutes?
Start where you are and move forward from there.
Slow progress is still okay. It is better than backward regression and it will improve and pick up over time. Don’t stress, relax and take your time.
Here are some great exercises to train your mind to develop greater focus:
HOW TO INCREASE CONCENTRATION
1 – Be mindful.
The best way to increase your concentration is to drumroll…. practice concentrating.
Pretty obvious, right? Instead of driving to work and daydreaming about work, your finances, or your spouse, put your attention on the road.
Keep your attention on whatever it is you’re doing throughout the day.
That is how you stay present in life…by focusing on whatever is in front of you right now.
HOW TO INCREASE CONCENTRATION
2 – Practice listening.
When someone speaks to you, you’re most likely thinking about what you want to say or thinking about something else other than the conversation.
Stop doing that!
Not only is it not nice, but it isn’t doing any favors to help you focus.
Practice putting all of your attention on the other person during a conversation.
Look into their eyes and truly LISTEN.
HOW TO INCREASE CONCENTRATION
3 – Sit still.
This one is a bit of a test.
Take a chair right now and position it so that you’re facing the wall.
See how long you can sit in the chair without moving or looking away from the wall.
Can you last a minute or two?
Can you stretch it out to 10 minutes?
Set a timer so you can keep track of the time and soon you’ll begin to notice all the weird little aches, pains, and itches that crop up after a few minutes.
Ignore them. They will move to a different part of the body soon enough.
How long can you last? Try it again in a few days’ time and see if you can improve the length of time you lasted.
HOW TO INCREASE CONCENTRATION
4 – Follow the second hand of an analog clock.
Tick, tock.
It might not sound like fun, watching the second hand of a clock go around and around but it is a good way of improving your concentration.
How long can you watch the clock without thinking about something else?
When your mind wanders, bring it back to the clock. Is it boring?
Of course it is. That’s what makes it challenging.
HOW TO INCREASE CONCENTRATION
5 – Count backward from 100.
Count backwards by ones. Then try sevens, or any other number that appeals to you. How far can you get before your mind drifts away?
Can you make it all the way down to zero? This is a great concentration exercise that has the side benefit of strengthening your math skills at the same time.
HOW TO INCREASE CONCENTRATION
6 – Focus on your breathing.
Put your focus on your breath and keep it there. See how many breaths or minutes you can maintain your awareness on your breathing before you catch yourself thinking about something else.
It is tough but that’s okay. It’s all about practice and the more you practice, the better you will get at this exercise.
HOW TO INCREASE CONCENTRATION
7 – Listen to instrumental music and try to keep your attention on the music.
It’s harder than you think! Trust me, I have tried this and it is so easy to let your mind wander. Without lyrics to help keep your brain engaged, your mind will start daydreaming very quickly.
All in all, very few people can concentrate well.
But that being said, you have a huge advantage if you can develop this important skill.
And you definitely can – I have offered you lots of cool exercises to test out.
Being able to concentrate well is a superpower when everyone lives in an age of distraction.
So do your best to master it.
Concentration requires practice but if you’re willing to do the work, this power of focus can be yours.
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I’m Frances Vidakovic – a mindset & action coach for quietly ambitious women who want to stop overthinking and finally take aligned action. I help women achieve their goals and follow through on what matters, without sacrificing their sanity or soul.