Can’t Concentrate? Know the Culprits
Been working on a report for several hours but couldn’t concentrate? Well, you are not alone. Many people experience it too. In this fast-paced world, paying attention to any task has become a very difficult process. But if you know who your enemies are, you can greatly increase your productivity and ensure the quality of your work outcome.
Did you know that concentration is among the key drivers of intelligence? It is defined as "the ability to direct one’s thinking in whatever direction one would intend". We all have the ability to concentrate but sometimes, our thoughts appear to be scattered and our attention tends to shift from one thing to another. But research has shown that it is possible to improve our concentration skills, which could result to a higher level of intelligence. So you can address the issue properly, it is necessary that you are aware of your enemies. Here are among the most common concentration killers that might be preventing you from being productive and reaching your goals.
Social Media Sites
If you’re one of the 550 million active users of Facebook, chances are, you log on to your account everyday to update your status, ‘like’ your friends’ status updates and photos, edit your profile picture, play a game or two, chat with your online buddies, and do all sorts of stuff. Did you know that the average user spends 75 minutes per day on Facebook? Yes that’s more than an hour and you could have done a lot of more important things during that timeframe. What’s more, peeking into your social media account every now and then whilst in the middle of a task could greatly impede your ability to concentrate, so you lose more time trying to finish the task than if you have a clear, focused mind. So to sum up, you don’t just lose 75 minutes of your precious time, but more.
Multitasking
Do you often eat in your desk? Do you watch TV while working? If you think you’re saving time and doing more by multitasking, think again. This technique doesn’t only impact your concentration levels, but also harms your brain! Vast studies have emphasised the dangers of multitasking, from severe stress and rage in adults to learning problems and autism-like behaviour in children. Whenever possible, devote your attention to one project at a time. Save your multitasking ability for tasks that are not so demanding, and don’t require you to focus too much, like speaking with a friend over the phone whilst wiping your work table.
Emails
Those small email notifications constantly popping up on the lower right corner of your screen are also concentration killers. Most of your emails may still be work-related but it isn’t really sensible to pause from the task you’re working on to reply in all those email threads, unless they are urgent. If you don’t want to be distracted by email overload, consider turning off the notification pop-ups or just log-out from your email until after you’ve finished a major part of your work.
Mobile Phone
Even more distractive than the email alerts is the ring of your mobile phone. Just one beep can totally distract you from focusing on the task at hand. It doesn’t only costs you the time spend on talking, but also blows away the momentum – or the flow of great ideas that could have given you the key to an award-winning project. It’s really helpful if you make use of a caller ID. This way, you will easily know which call is urgent and which is not. Consider putting your phone on a ‘silent mode’ and set time for checking your voicemails.
Hunger and lack of Sleep
Surely, you won’t be able to focus if your stomach is empty or if you lack enough sleep. Your lifestyle has a significant impact on your concentration levels. Avoid skipping meals and make sure you are having 7-8 hours of shut-eye every night. When snacking, choose complex carbohydrates and proteins. They will keep you feeling full longer without extra calories.
Stress
Stress can sap your energy and attention, and make you do nothing but lie on bed. Stress also has physical effects. It could cause you headache, back pain, dizziness and fatigue that can really make it hard for you to concentrate. So make sure you give yourself time to de-stress and unwind. It’s true that you can’t avoid stress, but you can minimise its effects on your health and well-being. Meditation, exercise, sleep and yoga are great stress busters.
Boredom
Admit it, no matter how much you love your job, there are days when you feel bored doing what you do. It’s normal. But boredom makes us more vulnerable to distraction and procrastination. Fortunately, there several ways to stay focused on your task amidst boredom. For instance, you may want to make a deal with yourself that if you finish your task on time, you could have a cup of coffee or your favourite snack. If it really feels so dragging, take a small break and refresh your mind. Have a walk or do some stretching exercises to reenergise your body.
Worries
It’s really, really hard to concentrate if something’s bothering you inside. It could be the dainty dishes waiting for you at home, the argument you had with your spouse the other night, and some tasks you wish to finish later. It can be helpful to leave your worries and nagging thoughts behind when you’re working on an important project and deal with them the moment you could. You may also want to create a schedule prior a workday so you will be guided about the things you need to accomplish in a given time.
Depression
Many people think of prolonged sadness as the hallmark of depression. But did you know that the inability to concentrate is also a very common symptom of this mental illness? If you have troubles with concentrating, and at the same time you experience feelings of emptiness, helplessness and indifference, it would be helpful to see a professional therapist. Psychotherapy, particularly cognitive behavioural therapy, is a great treatment option for depression and other behavioural or mental disorders.
What do you do whenever you feel like you can’t concentrate on a task at hand? Feel free to post a comment below.
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