Let’s face it. In this fast-paced world where multi-tasking has become a necessity
more than a quality to brag about, it’s becoming more and more difficult to keep our
focus and concentration on one subject at a time. There are just too many things in
our "to-do" list and many more going on in our minds at any given time!
Most of us are constantly stuffing ideas, suggestions, problems and solutions in our
brains -all at the same time- while trying to
perform efficiently with obligations and responsibilities of our daily life.
As if this wasn’t enough, the prejudging and
self-talk are going on regularly, on top of the many memories we have stored and keep on storing.
Wow, we do have incredible brains indeed, but no wonder we keep on forgetting things and must rely SMART phones, sticky notes and reminders just
to keep up!
But abusing our brains in this manner can back-fire big time. Just think about what has happened to those that pick a CD and use their cell phones while driving and you’ll see what I mean.
Sometimes, we also think about things that are really unnecessary. These things occupy too much space in our minds which impede proper development of focus and concentration. Thinking about many things at once, makes us more prone to forgetting the things that really matter; those that are of importance right now, in the present moment. Worse yet, this kind of scattered thinking acts as a distraction that prevents proper focus and concentration to achieve our goals on a daily basis and on a grander scale!
So what can we do about this? How can we filter out all the unnecessary, unimportant, redundant, and even negative thoughts so that we can focus on the present moment, on what is truly important, and on what needs to be done right now?
We do this by learning the power of focus and concentration; a skill that can be a determinant factor between living peacefully and getting ahead or feeling stuck
and anxious most of the time.
Learning to focus and concentrate takes both, time and determination but it can be done. Here are a few points to start exercising this great power:
The first step to train your brain to focus on one thing at a time starts with basic relaxation.
This is because it is impossible for
a stressed mind to focus and concentrate!
The more things you have in your mind at any given time, the more stress you accumulate, so you must work on eliminating what is not important and prioritizing what is. This alone will start improving your focus and concentration!
When you relax, you ease tension and nervousness. This way you can free your mind to think clearer and focus on what matters most. The best practice to induce relaxation is breathing properly, but before getting to that, you must work on your awareness.
You see, many people are so busy at "being busy" that they don’t even realize what is going on in their minds. They just live stressed and fall for the belief that life is just like it is and there is not much they can do. This is completely false! We can decide to develop a focussed mind and work at it to our benefit.
Thus, the next time you feel tense, make an effort to become aware of your state and your feelings. Notice all the noise that is going on in your mind, and take a few deep breaths. Exhale slowly while bringing an image of something that gives you joy and peace while you let go of those things that agitate and stress you.
You may feel that if you let go of your thoughts in this manner, you will forget important things. In fact, when you relax your mind for a few moments, you end up with more clarity afterward which naturally leads to focus and concentration with ease. So, no worries... Just let go...
There are actually many ways to relax and de-stress your mind. Some people prefer music, while others rather take a walk. The practice is not important as long as you relax in a way that you deem fit; in a way that you feel comfortable and are familiar with.
Take a few moments to get rid of all the things that are invading your mind – hang-ups, resentments, worries, troubles, and even day-dreaming.
Next, start bringing the thoughts one by one and set priorities. Free your mind of all worthless stuff while you do this.
You will be surprised at the many things you were thinking about that didn’t require that much thinking... Really!
Proceed to take a few more deep breaths to start from a clean slate with the real priorities in mind, one at a time, from a new perspective, in a fresh environment. Don’t overwhelm yourself. Overwhelm destroys your attempts at learning focus and concentration. If you ended up with many important things and are afraid you may forget a few, jot them down, prioritize yet again and tackle them in order of importance over a few hours, days -- or weeks!
Notice how you feel now that your priorities are more organized and manageable. This is the very first step to getting rid of unnecessary stress and from that point on it'll be much easier to get and stay focussed on a regular basis.
Above it all, be patient. Just like learning math or to ride a bike, sharpening your concentration and focus requires determination and will, but the benefits to your mental and physical health are well worth it. Go for it!
