Get In the Zone — How to Improve Concentration and Mental Clarity

11th March 2015

By Deane Alban

Contributing Writer for Wake Up World

It’s been said that the greatest power of the human mind is its ability to focus on one thing for an extended period of time. But most of us struggle to concentrate. And when you can’t concentrate, everything you do is harder and takes longer than you’d like.

If you’ve ever held a magnifying glass in the sun, you know how scattered sunlight can be focused to start a fire. Imagine if you could concentrate your brain power into one bright beam and focus it like a laser on whatever you wish to accomplish.

In this article I’ll show you how to improve concentration by removing distractions, properly nourishing your brain, and using some simple concentration techniques.

You may be looking to improve your concentration to perform better at work, to ace your exams, to increase reading comprehension, or simply to make everyday life easier. If you can’t concentrate, you may think that’s just the way your brain works and that there’s not much you can do about it. But anyone can learn how to concentrate better. It’s a skill you can learn, just like playing the piano. It’s one we should have been taught in school.

Overcome Distractions

Being easily distracted isn’t all bad. In fact, in the right circumstance it can help you survive. Being hyper-aware kept our ancestors from becoming a sabertooth tiger’s dinner. But they didn’t have Facebook, mobile phones, emails, text messages, or the 5,000 ads we see every day all vying for our attention. (1)

Stop Multitasking

One of the worst things you can do for your concentration and focus is to multitask. Multitasking is a myth. You don’t actually do several things at once, your brain quickly toggles back and forth between tasks. You can do unconscious tasks such as walk and talk at the same time, but once it gets more complicated than that, you are sacrificing the efficiency of one task for another. As unrelated as it may seem, lack of mindfulness in the present has been found to promote brain aging by shortening protective end caps on your chromosomes called telomeres. (2)

CONTINUE READING:

Previous articles by Deane:

• How to Increase Dopamine, the Motivation Molecule
• Ways to Improve Memory and Live Longer with Music
• Exposed: Why Cholesterol Doesn’t Cause Heart Disease
• Overcoming Resistance to Change: The Secret to Lasting Health
• Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Brain
• Advantame – the “New & Improved” Artificial Sweetener, Approved by FDA
• 5 Reasons You Aren’t Getting Enough Vitamin D.. and What You Can Do About It
• Five Common Food Additives That Can Damage Your Brain
• 18 Choices You Make Every Day That Keep You Up at Night
• Stress, Telomeres, and the Secret to Prevent Aging
• 20 Common Medications That Can Cause Memory Loss

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