It happened to all of us at some time that we had been planning to work on a project for some time but, when the day came, we could not materialize it. Or that we woke up scattered one morning and couldn’t get to work. It may also be that some situation or news has disturbed you and now you cannot return to your tasks. It is also extremely common to be distracted by noises and voices just when you have to study.
Concentrating again is very complicated, basically because it depends more than anything on your will, but there are exercises that can help you focus quickly and effectively.
Just as you can try 10 ways to unlock your creativity, you can also try these 5 techniques to regain concentration.
1. Technique of the object
When you can’t concentrate, fix your attention on an object in your environment. Pick any object on the desk or in the room that catches your eye and look at it for two minutes without thinking about anything else. Set a timer or cell phone alarm so you don’t have to keep an eye on the clock.
Look at it without analyzing or interpreting it, and come back to it every time your mind tries to take flight. This technique is a simplification of the “candle technique”, which consists of observing a flame for 30 seconds and then closing your eyes, trying to draw this mind into it.
You can repeat the technique several times until you feel that you can focus your attention on a new activity. The reason it works is that by focusing for a short time on something unimportant, you take the distractions that are affecting your work out of your mind.
2. Observation of your breathing
An alternative to the previous exercise is not to focus on something external, but on an internal process, such as your breathing.
Close your eyes and take a deep breath, paying attention to how air enters and leaves your lungs. Don’t try to change or modify the rhythm, just acknowledge it. Hold attention for at least 15 seconds.
This is a quick and easy way to calm your wandering mind by connecting with your own body. Body and mind work together, which is why the techniques that make this union conscious are very effective.
3. Separation technique
This exercise is useful when what distracts you is not in your mind, but in the environment, for example when you have to work or study surrounded by people who are talking.
The technique consists of imagining that you are separated from your environment. When you are working or studying, imagine yourself surrounded by a capsule, by walls or by mountains that isolate you from the world. View the image for a few minutes. When you intentionally stop doing it, the feeling will remain.
4. Technique “five more”
This exercise works when you’ve been doing an activity for a while and your brain doesn’t want to respond to it anymore, but it’s almost there and you need to finish it. Forget the end goal and set yourself small objectives: if your homework is divided into items, propose to advance five instead of (write five more lines, or read five more pages of that text that you can’t study until the end). If you can’t break it up that way, make it a goal to continue for five minutes.
5. Awards
You can combine this technique with the previous one: it consists of rewarding yourself when you reach your own specific goal. The most fun thing is thinking about the rewards: if you finish the project you are working on today you can reward yourself with a delicious dinner to share with whoever you want, or if you manage to work for an hour straight without interrupting yourself, you can take a break to watch funny videos during 15 minutes.