I should have gold medals & trophies for my achievements in procrastination & distraction. I’ve actually wanted to write this article for some time now & somehow, I’ve found 1000 other things to do instead even though this is something I actually want to do for myself! I’m so envious of those people who are so naturally good at just getting in the zone & getting things done without losing focus every 2 minutes like I do. I’m sure a lot of you relate if you’re reading this.

Concentration is always something I’ve struggled with. I remember it being mentioned in my school reports from a young age. Whether I was distracted by a classmate sending me notes via scrunched up paper ball, playing with my tamagotchi under my desk or just daydreaming about some fairytale situation, I would have a knack for avoiding doing my work.

The fact is, it’s totally normal to be distracted constantly these days. It’s a sad but true fact that on average, we take in 174 newspapers worth of information a day! That’s compared to just 2.5 pages only 24 years ago! No wonder we can’t think straight, there’s so much to process.

I know I’ve just rambled on about how I find it really hard to concentrate but, I actually can do it if I make a conscious effort to put myself in the zone as it were so thought I would share my top tips for improving focus & concentration.

TIDY HOME, TIDY MIND

By making sure that your work space is tidy & organised you can increase your productivity, concentration & focus. If everything has its place then you spend less time worrying where x, y & z are. Our environments affect us physiologically more than we are aware of & studies have proven that cleaning & tidying have a positive, therapeutic effect on us. So, pop on your best pair of marigolds, have a spring clean & declutter your workspace.

GET ZEN

Although this may seem like an intimidating task to some, meditation has been proven to improve concentration levels, increase focus, improve memory and attention span as well as reducing stress, anxiety & depression… Now, who wouldn’t want that?

I’ve personally found that meditation even for 5 minutes before I start a task is extremely helpful when it comes to concentration & focus.

Everyone has 5 or even 3 minutes so you don’t really have an excuse not to! Especially because there are endless amounts of free guided meditations online to help you along. I dare you to pick one, pop your headphones in, find a comfortable spot and see how you feel after.

THROW AWAY YOUR PHONE

Not literally. I’m just being dramatic for effect.

Although our phones & other tech can be extremely useful in our day-to-day lives for communicating, they can also be a huge burden when it comes to focusing. I personally get so distracted by notifications on my phone & have a bad habit of mindlessly scrolling so I'm trying to nip it in the bud.

On average we spend up to 4hrs of our day on our phones…. That’s one quarter of our working lives! Do you realise what else you could achieve in that time?

Social media companies want to capture our attention for as long as possible to sell advertisement space for profit. They manipulate our brain chemistry by borrowing tricks from casino slot machines which are highly addictive. The ‘pull to refresh’ feature takes advantage of our attraction to unpredictability & the ‘reward’ aspect of likes or comments keeps us coming back for more & more instant gratification which releases dopamine in our brains. Also known as the pleasure hormone.

Less of this please & more of achieving personal goals! If you’re able to, put your phone in another room so it’s out of reach, put it on silent or just turn off the notifications. I promise, this will help.

MUSIC IS THE KEY

One thing that is guaranteed to help me concentrate is music. Every time I’ve had an important email to write or a lengthy document to read, I’ve put on some music that’s specifically created for helping you focus. This usually consists of alpha waves & binaural beats which help you relax & increase cognitive flexibility which is key for concentration & focus.

You can find this type of music on the Calm app, the Self-Timer app or even on YouTube.

This track is a personal favourite of mine that I’ve been using for years now. I would say some of my best work has been done listening to these relaxing sounds.

For extra focus, listen through your headphones… it helps the sound waves manipulate your brain better. Plus, it gives people the impression you don’t want to be disturbed!

P.s. these sounds can also help you sleep better or just chill out if you’re feeling anxious or stressed.

So there we have it. My 4 step plan to help you concentrate…..

Tidy your space, do a quick meditation, get rid of your phone & let the music guide you to ‘THE ZONE’.

getting in the zone - how to focus if you can’t.

how to meditate - creating a blissful ritual.

hello & welcome.