How to stay focused for longer time - A simplistic but effective approach to increase time to stay focus
Dear students, your date of final examination is approaching nearer and today CBSE has declared its time sheet for Class - X and Class - XII final examinations. This particular time is very crucial yet very challenging as you try to maximize your utilisation of time for study. So, today let us discuss how we can stay focused for longer time to get maximum benefits out of our study time.
I shall start with a very surprising statistics - our brain can focus on a particular thing for a 15 seconds only. Then how do we focus for longer hours? The answer is when we study we focus on our content, previous knowledge and simultaneously build an image of the subject in a continuous process. When we learn a particular thing we obviously build images of our learning in our mind. The more we focus, the more clear and vivid images are created in our mind. And memorization is nothing but the duration of images stay in our mind. Keeping this in mind go ahead reading the next part of the article.
If there’s one thing we could all probably use a lot more of, it’s the ability to focus. But telling yourself to stay focused on a task, especially a mundane one, is often easier said than done.
The good news? Several techniques can help you on the task in front of you. If you need help staying focused, try one — or all 9 — of these tips.
Let us first know what causes poor attention in detail...
All people can experience poor attention to detail or have trouble focusing sometimes. Some contributing factors may include:
- being stressed
- being hungry
- being tired or having poor-quality sleep
- feeling worried or anxious
- being distracted by something in your environment
1. Get rid of distractions
First things first: You need to eliminate distractions. While you can’t do away with everything, you can make an effort to reduce or get rid of as many distractions as possible.
Start with the simple things like:
- moving to a quiet area
- turning off notifications on your phone or turning your phone off altogether
- closing the door to your office
- telling those around you not to distract you for a period of time
- closing out of programs or apps that aren’t essential on your computer
- playing calming ambient music or white noise
- declutter the space where you will be working
2. Practice the Pomodoro technique
Staying focused helps you get more done in less time. While that sounds simple enough, it’s not always easy to put into practice. So, the next time you’re wrestling with your attention span, try the Pomodoro technique.
This timing method helps you train your brain to stay on study for short periods. Here’s how it works:
- Set your timer for 25-30 minutes and get to study.
- When the buzzer sounds, take a 5-minute break.
- Then, set the timer again and get back to study.
Once you’ve done four rounds of this, you can take a longer break, approximately 20 to 30 minutes.
3. Put a lock on social media
If your idea of a break from work is checking Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok every 5 minutes, you may want to consider an app that blocks social media.
Several apps work for your phone, tablet, or computer. In addition to social media, some of these distraction-busting programs also allow you to block online games as well as apps and sites like YouTube, Netflix, Amazon, Twitter, text messages, and even email.
Some popular social media blockers include Freedom, AppBlock, FocusMe, and Focus.
4. Fuel your body
We all know what happens when “hanger” strikes. This dreaded combination of hunger and anger is a major focus fail.
So, to keep your brain focused, energy levels up, and emotions calm, make sure you don’t delay or skip meals.
Try to balance lean protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats to stay fueled. Snack on fresh fruit, veggies, nuts, or seeds if you get hungry between meals, and be sure to keep yourself hydrated with plenty of water.
5. Get enough sleep
It’s no secret that the majority of Americans are lacking in the sleep department. While a few nights of minimal sleep is okay, not getting enough sleep most nights of the week can negatively impact both your short and long-term memory, as well as your ability to concentrate.
The recommended amount of sleep for adults ages 18 to 60 is 7 or more hours a night. Older adults may need up to 9 hours per night.
To boost your sleep health, try to:
Avoid caffeinated beverages after lunchtime.
Switch off or put away all electronic devices an hour before bedtime. The light from these devices can stimulate your brain and prevent you from feeling sleepy. Some devices may allow you to switch them to “warm” light.
Take time to wind down. Read a book, take a warm bath, or listen to soothing music.
Keep your bedroom dark, or use a sleeping mask. Block out light, especially white and blue light, from your bedroom with room-darkening curtains or shades if you can. Otherwise, consider using a sleeping mask.
6. Set a SMART goal
If your lack of focus results from feeling overwhelmed by a complex project, try breaking it down into smaller parts and plugging the smaller steps into the SMART formula.
SMART stands for:
- Specific. What exactly needs to be done?
- Measurable. How will you track your progress?
- Achievable. Is it realistic? Can it be done by the deadline?
- Relevant. How does it fit with the overall plan or bigger goal?
- Timely. When does it need to be done?
When you take a large, complex project and break it down into smaller, bite-sized tasks, you can improve your ability to concentrate and focus on specific tasks. That’s because you end up with goals you feel like you can accomplish.
7. Be more mindful
Does your mind tend to wander away from where it’s supposed to be? Don’t worry. You’re definitely not alone. Distracted thinking is common and something we all experience.
However, these short mental vacations often make it harder to focus on the task in front of you. That’s where mindfulness comes in.
Being mindful means maintaining moment-to-moment awareness of where you are and what you’re doing — which is great news when trying to stay focused.
By being mindful and recognizing when your attention starts to drift, you can quickly bring your focus back to where it needs to be. Plus, you can train your brain to be more mindful by practicing breathing techniques, meditation, and mindful movement, such as yoga.
For the long term goal, these may also help:
improve relaxation
improve self-esteem
manage stress
manage symptoms of anxiety and depression
cope with serious illness
reduce blood pressure
reduce pain in some instances
improve sleep quality and reduce insomnia
manage weight and eating behaviors
8. Make a to-do list
Let’s face it. The items on a to-do list can add up quickly. And it can be challenging to find the motivation to accomplish everything you set out to do.
The good news? Studies show that having a written plan of action can increase productivity.
After you make your list, choose two or three key tasks and put them at the top. Then rank the rest of the items in order of importance. This allows you to tackle urgent tasks when your brain is fresh, and your energy levels are high.
9. Focus on similar tasks
Tired of jumping from one type of thinking to another (aka “multitasking”)? Then pick similar tasks, group them together, and do one at a time. This makes transitions smoother, and you may get a lot more done by not jumping from one type of task to another.
Despite what you may think, multitasking is not more effective or efficient, especially when you’re having trouble staying focused. In fact, a 2019 study notes that the human brain’s structure is not capable of multitasking and works much better while focusing on a single task at a time. Working on multiple tasks simultaneously comes with a cost — whether a reduction in performance accuracy or speed.
The bottom line
You need to do better in examination and the whatever work you do. The primary necessity is to remain focused by whatever technique you adopt. Let's do it and crack it hard.
Please share your views and feel free to ask queries.
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