10 Effective Tips for Improving Your Concentration Skills

“Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus.”
– Alexander Graham Bell

• Do you wish to strengthen your concentration skills?
• Do you want to know how to increase your focus?

Why should you care about improving your concentration skills?

There are many reasons why you should care. Improving your concentration skills would increase your attention span, and this is one of the most important keys to success.

If you are not able to fix your attention on tasks and goals, how can you accomplish anything?

Alexander Graham Bell quote, mentioned above, explains well the meaning of the power of concentration:
If you focus the rays of the sun on one point you can create fire. If you focus all your attention on one thought or action, you produce a mighty power.

Successful people are able to focus their mind on their goals, until they accomplish them, be it money, fame, power, self-improvement or meditation. With some training you can do the same.

Is it possible to improve the ability to focus the mind, when there are so many things that distract the attention? It is possible, with the right concentration guidance and training.

Napoleon Hill Words about Concentration and Attention:

“Controlled attention is the act of coordinating all the faculties of the mind and directing their combined power to a given end. It is an act, which can be achieved only by the strictest sort of self-discipline.”

“Learn to fix your attention on a given subject, at will, for whatever length of time you choose. You will have learned the secret to power and plenty! This is concentration.”

“Keep your mind on the things you want and off the things you don’t want!”

Napoleon Hill’ words are a good advice for any person, who wishes to learn how to improve concentration and attention.

You might like reading the following articles on this important topic:
The Power of Concentration
Concentration Exercises

10 Tips for Improving Concentration and Attention

I would like to offer you a few simple tips to help you improve your concentration and focus skills.

1. Don’t keep saying that you cannot concentrate.
Telling yourself that you cannot concentrate, actually, weakens your concentration. It makes you believe that you cannot concentrate, and you don’t even try to improve this ability.

2. Program your mind to believe that you can improve your concentration skills.
Keep telling yourself that you can make your focus better, especially when doing something that requires focus. Don’t listen to the doubts that your mind brings up.

3. Accept the fact that this ability requires training, like any other skill.
In order to improve your concentration you need to train it, like any other skill. If you persevere, and are earnest enough, you will be able to focus your mind on anything you want.

4. Make a deal with your mind.
If there is something that is distracting your attention, such as emotional problems or unresolved business problems, tell your mind that all these problems can wait for a little while, and that you will attend to them after you finish what you are doing.

If this does not help you, then write down on a piece of paper what problems you have to think about or solve. This will, to some extent, temporarily remove the problems and the distractions they are causing from your mind.

5. Do one thing at a time.
Jumping from one thing to another will only teach your mind to be inattentive and lose attention quickly. This kind of mental restlessness can be tiring in the long run.

6. Relax your body.
When you need to carry out a task that requires sustained focus, sit down, and try to relax your body for a few moments.

7. Take a few deep breaths.
If you feel stress and tension while studying, working, or doing anything that requires attention, stop for a few moments, and take a few deep breaths. This will relax your body and mind.

8. Drink water.
Drinking some water helps your mind to be less tense and restless.

9. Be attentive and bring your mind back to what you are doing.
When you focus your attention on anything, be alert, and when you find yourself thinking on something else, try to stay patient, and bring your mind back to the subject again and again.

10. Focus on what you are doing.
Often, when you remember, try to fix your attention on whatever you happen to be doing at the moment. While eating, focus on the food your eating. When exercising, focus on the movements of your body. When talking, focus on the conversation, and when working, focus on your work.

The above are simple first aid tips, which you can use in your everyday life.

The American business author and former management professor at the University of New Orleans, Michael Leboeuf, said:
“When you write down your ideas you automatically focus your full attention on them. Few if any of us can write one thought and think another at the same time. Thus, a pencil and paper make excellent concentration tools.”

This is a good advice to adopt.

“I think the one lesson I have learned is that there is no substitute for paying attention.”
– Diane Sawyer

“Excellence is in the details. Give attention to the details and excellence will come.”
– Perry Paxton

“The power of concentration is the only key to the treasure-house of knowledge.”
– Swami Vivekananda