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CONCENTRATION: HOW TO MAINTAIN IT?

Posted at May 16, 2021 by Nathania Angel

The current pandemic situation can not be used as an excuse to make someone unproductive. The work from home transition presents its challenges for some people; one can start losing focus and becoming less concentrated. In reality, maintaining concentration is not easy. If done by force, it can cause frustration and stress. But, don’t worry! Here are some steps you can take to overcome lack of concentration.

First, to increase our concentration, we can exercise our body. Based on research, it has been found that exercise can boost our brain's ability to ignore distractions. Here is an example; playing chess has proven to help increase your concentration. Players are required to think of strategies so that they don't lose. It will impact emotional intelligence, prevent senility, and optimize the performance of your brain. Besides, running can also be a good choice. A study shows that cell growth in the hippocampus increases while you are jogging/running. This area is part of the brain that regulates duties and responsibilities, in-memory performance, and learning. Doing this activity will also improve blood circulation to the brain, memory, and brain performance. You can also do various other sports to train your concentration. Therefore, there is no excuse for not exercising with its many choices and benefits!

Second, create a to-do list. Have you ever worked on something, and suddenly you thought of something else? When those thoughts come, we are often distracted and choose to leave our work to move on to other things that come to mind. This makes what we are currently working on incomplete or not maximal. To stay focused on your work, list down things that come to your mind on your to-do list and promise yourself you'll do it after your current tasks are done.

Third, improve your sleep time. The occasional lack of sleep may cause you many trouble. It may also affect your mood and performance at work, including your concentration. It is important to try  to sleep within the recommended 7-8 hours, because sleep is the body's best way to re-energize and recharge our body. You will definitely feel the benefits of increasing sleep time in your daily activities.

These are some steps that will help you overcome the concentration problems you feel, so your activities can be completed efficiently with good results. So, let's try it, Extraordinaries!

References:

Universal Class. (n.d.). Retrieved from   https://www.universalclass.com/articles/psychology/how-sleep-affects-our-concentration.html

Vannisa. 2019. Retrieved from 10 Jenis Olahraga Untuk Meningkatkan Konsentrasi Otak Dan Kesehatan: https://perpustakaan.id/olahraga-untuk-meningkatkan-konsentrasi/

McKay, B. &. (2014). Your Concentration Training Program: 11 Exercises That Will Strengthen Your Attention. Retrieved from https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/your-concentration-training-program-11-exercises-that-will-strengthen-your-attention/

healthline. (n.d.). 12 Tips to Improve Your Concentration. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/how-to-improve-concentration#video-games