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We all know how important focus is.
Think about it, when was the last time you were so focused on your task that you weren’t distracted?
Focusing nowadays is more complex than ever. You know what it’s like when you’re at your job and think about “just checking” your Facebook feed. One thing leads to other, and you’ve spent over an hour looking at what your friends are up to.
The traditional view of procrastination is that “a stitch in time saves nine” and that we should not procrastinate to be efficient. But can you stop procrastinating?
We have this one-sided belief that procrastination is wrong, but if you look at well-known philosophers, they just sat around and spent time thinking. Now I know what you’re thinking: it’s because they did not have many distractions. Well, yes and no.
The lives of ancient philosophers like Descartes, Socrates, and Plato were filled with government roles and societal responsibilities, but they chose to think and think. Their “overthinking” led to many founding principles today, like Descartes’s mind and body principle.
Scientifically, procrastination is a battle between two parts of our brain — the limbic system and the prefrontal cortex. The limbic system fights for short-term pleasures while the prefrontal cortex for the long-term goal. However, given that the prefrontal cortex is the only thing that makes us different compared to animals, there is nothing automatic about this part. Thus, we constantly need to give it a push to get stuff done. On the other hand, our limbic system takes over as soon as we stop pushing forward, leading to procrastination.
Procrastination is only natural and not always something to label as negative. Now that we have that out of the way, let us introduce six powerful methods to increase focus in your life.
1. Exercise
Have you ever had those days when you don’t want to go to the gym because you’re tired, but then you end up going?
Like me, you probably felt euphoric energy flowing through you. This is because when you exercise, your muscle contracts and release a protein called IGF-1. This very protein travels to your brain and releases many chemicals, one of them being BDNF. The BDNF stimulates further connections between neurons, and these connections form the basis for learning. Even though this takes some time, an immediate response to this change is increased concentration and focus.
2. Make a plan
When I say make a plan, I mean to be as specific as possible.
Let’s say you want to start writing your book finally. Instead of adding “Work on the novel” to the to-do list, be a little more specific. How about:
- Make a character list
- Write down what the book is about in less than 150 words
- Break down the chapters and summarize each one in a line or two
When we get specific on our target goals, our attention is invested in accomplishing these small tasks. As our beautiful brains have it, they can only handle two complicated tasks at a time, so why not make them focus on the specifics instead of broad concepts?
3. Discover your most productive environment
The relationship between your brain and you is interdependent. If you want peace of mind and calmness, you must treat and exercise your mind. Here, we shall focus on treating it right. You see, the environment in which you study really affects the brain— this is why coffee houses are filled with students studying.
Many factors exist in the environment that end up affecting our focus — noise, smell, music, appearance, and comfort are some amongst many. Excellent and calm music, for instance, helps us be more productive as this background noise is more soothing. It’s no surprise why listening to Beethoven is recommended instead of Eminem while working. To find out how other environmental factors affect our focus, read this article by Western Governors University.
4. Wake up early
Okay, so let’s say you went for your 7 AM jog, made a specific plan, and currently are sitting at your local Starbucks, trying to work on a paper and still finding it hard to focus. Why’s that? Maybe cause the energy you are working with is minimal.
It’s said often that the greats sustain their greatness because they wake up early in the morning and get most of the critical stuff done well before the world wakes up. You see, after all that sleep your brain got, it’s re-energized and ready to help you learn new things and change the world.
Now, I know what you’re thinking: “but I’m a night owl.”
So am I, but creativity and productivity are two different things. The former is more about thinking about that one idea for your next song or your next artwork. The latter is more about the order, which is why two different modes of thinking manage them: focused vs. diffused.
Productivity goes well with the focused mode of thinking wherein the information in your brain enters and travels orderly. On the other hand, creativity requires a diffused way of thinking.
Thus, if you’re looking to learn how to increase focus, it’s essential to wake up early, as that’s when our energy levels and creativity peak.
5. Prioritize your tasks
As mentioned before, this one goes without saying: our brains can only focus on two complicated tasks simultaneously. Ever wondered why to-do lists don’t help you get stuff done? Because there isn’t any scheduling done. Why not try this approach: list everything you think you can achieve in one day and then number them.
Focus on 1 and 2 (the most important) in the morning and then worry about the rest later
Let’s say you are working in the middle of the day, and you get an email that distracts you. There are two approaches to tackling this. First, you could turn off all connections to the outside world. This means no checking email. Second, you can react less.
Those urgent urges to check your phone happen because your prefrontal cortex is tired later in the day, and the limbic system is taking charge.
6. Meditate
We have this belief that focus is all about retaining attention. However, this leads to our minds becoming strained. What if our attention was more natural than manual? Meditation helps you do that. Human’s have an attention span of 8 seconds. Meditation changes the game, and it helps in increasing your consciousness.
In short, meditating helps our brain filter out the noise, particularly distracting and harmful noises. Even with 10 minutes a day, your brain can start filtering your thoughts and provide the clarity you need to increase your focus.
Please share your tips and experiences in the comments section!
