How to Increase Your Concentration

Concentration is a skill that help us focus, problem solve, memorize, and recall information. It can be developed, or underdeveloped, depending on the types of activities and pursuits you are engaged in day to day. Children develop their concentration spans at an early age, and are prone to either growing it considerably, or losing it considerably during their prime years. However, adults can still grow their attention spans by learning to pay attention, focus, and recall information. In the short term, this allows you to get more done in less time, as you are focusing on the most necessary and crucial parts of a project or activity. As your skill level increases, there is potential to move onto the 'next level' of activity, and your attention is naturally larger than previously.

It will take effort, time, and commitment, but the rewards are many. The value of concentration includes increased focus and attentiveness, improved self-awareness, increased problem-solving ability and learning capabilities, calming of the mind and body while you work and think, and creative space for an open mind. When you are able to engage your mind on a specific task or activity for a lengthy period of time, you are using a large portion of your brain's natural capabilities and potential.

Concentration also gives us freedom; once you develop a consistent pattern of thinking with this type of focus, you are literally freeing yourself of distractions, anxiety, and 'noise.' It's an incredible state of mind as you are able to divert all attention to one purpose, and create and control projects of a large scale. Physical exercise is just one easy and satisfying way to begin; if you do an activity that requires following someone's lead (e.g. a class), or involves holding and breathing poses (e.g. yoga, t'ai chi), you will develop some key building blocks towards a concentration plan.

As you gain the abilities for concentration, self-awareness will also increase. Your thoughts and even breathing will be controlled, calming, and centering, instead of 'running your life' and causing unnecessary stress. Creativity increases tenfold, as you are now able to guide your thoughts and imagination as you wish, without waiting for a random 'urge', timing, or instant inspiration to enlighten you. You are also less likely to get carried away with any passing thought, advertisement, or idea when you have the 'space' to think with concentration.

There are some exercises and activites that can improve your concentration immensely. When performed over a period of time, these activities will enhance and guide you to larger projects where you can contribute with your concentration powers.

Here are just five concentration-increasing activities to get you started today:

1. Count from one hundred to one backwards, skipping every 2 digits. See how long it takes to complete, repeat, and try to beat your record each time.

2. Light a candle, and for five whole minutes, look at nothing but the flame. Watch it, look at it, and remove all things around you to completely focus on the flame. This is a step towards meditation also, and will reduce your thoughts and focus towards a specific object for a set period of time. This activity can also be very calming.

3. Choose an inspiring word, or mantra, and repeat it 'silently' in your mind. Learn to breathe with it, and let your mind become calm with its idea, meaning, and sound. Ideally, ten complete minutes of this will clear your mind considerably.

4. Close your eyes and draw a simple three-dimensional figure; concentrate on what you think it looks like, and without opening your eyes, continue to think about it for five minutes. After opening your eyes, you will make a connection on what your 'mind's eye' sees, and what you actually create.

5. Imagine a place that is far away from you physically, that you remember well from your past (e.g. your child's room, your best friend's house). 'Navigate' your way around the room as if you were really walking into it today; make note of the colors, sounds, objects, and recreate this vision in your mind. The stronger your vision is and the longer you continue to 'see' it, the stronger your ability to concentrate will be.

Another key area of concentration, and learning, is sleep. When our brains are learning and processing new information, they greatly need to recharge with rest and relaxation in order to process in the information. Athletes are familiar with this process when learning a new physical skill; the body simply cannot repeat an activity over and over without enough deep rest in between to literally 'imprint' the process onto their brains. This may sound strange at first, but concentration ability is actually increased the day after a new skill is learned and acquired after a series of the activities are performed. Quite quickly, this process leads you to use concentration almost like second nature; it becomes easier, comfortable, and natural to 'flip' back and forth between learning, concentrating, creating, and thinking without anxiety.

As always, a clean, healthy, and balanced diet will improve your concentration abilities even further. Without any major caffeine or sugar highs and lows, you are more likely to continue on a path of continual growth rather than be set back by mood swings. Your best choices are fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains such as oatmeal and brown rice, plenty of lean protein, and water. Mental performance supplements and herbs are also available on the market today; these include natural ingredients such as gingko biloba, gotu kola (natural caffeine source), ginseng, alfalfa, ginger root, and St. John's wort. Always take health precautions before taking herbal supplements, and as always check with your doctor. Not everyone responds the same way to herbal supplements and mental performance drugs, so do research all side-effects, and even present it to your physician for evaluation.