Do you have an exam? Or do you have to submit a report at work? If you are one of those people who is easily distracted when you have a task ahead of you, these tips may help.
It does not matter if it is study, work or even fun, the truth is that for many of us focusing our minds on a specific task for a long time can be difficult.
But even if it costs you, all is not lost: according to experts, it is possible to train your mind and play some tricks so that you stop wandering and focus on the mission that lies ahead.
Here are some tips that are very simple to put into practice.
1. Feed and hydrate
Drinking water is essential.
If you skip breakfast, your adrenaline will kick in and make you feel stressed out, explains Harriet Griffey, author of the book “The Art of Concentration.”
What’s good for the body is also good for the brain – combine protein with carbohydrates to stabilize blood sugars and drink plenty of water, as dehydration reduces your ability to concentrate.
2. Give more to the mind
According to a theory proposed nearly two decades ago by Nilli Navie, University College London professor of psychology and brain sciences, deliberately adding certain distractions, such as including background noise while trying to focus, reduces the chances that you will become distracted.
This theory, which in English is called Load theory and which in Spanish could be translated as theory of overload, suggests that this works because our attention is a limited resource.
Thus, if you fill every space of your attention with something, there is no room for any other kind of distraction.
3. Make doodles
According to the scientific journal New Scientist, in one study a group of volunteers were asked to listen to a recording with a particularly bored voice.
If your drawings are related to what you are listening to, all the better.
Those who were allowed to scribble on a sheet while listening to the recording remembered more of what it said.
The content of the drawings was also important: if the scribbles are related to what you are trying to memorize, they can be seen as an intentional wandering of the mind, which can help you focus on the task at hand.
4. Take a break and go out to the plaza or park
Take a walk in the park to breathe the fresh air.
Unlike an urban environment, a natural environment helps to release stress.
An investigation by the University of Michigan, in the United States, asked a group of students to take a walk around the city, while another was sent for a walk through a green place, full of trees.
The second group scored better on tests of concentration.
So if you have a park nearby, take a break and sit on the grass or take a walk around there.
Exercise will also help you reduce anxiety and increase your mental capacity.
