10 WAYS YOU CAN INCREASE MENTAL FOCUS Continued
Previously I listed five ways you can learn how to focus. Here is part two with a further five methods you can use to increase your mental focus.
6. Set a goal for each study session: Each time you sit down to study you should have a goal of what you want to achieve. This might be to review a chapter or identify five key points of the material. If you are learning a new language you might have a goal to review a certain number of words during your study session. It is important to set goals that are achievable. There is no point deciding you are going to read 100 pages in the next half hour (unless you have some amazing speed reading skills). By setting a small goal and achieving it every time you will get in the mindset of achieving goals when you study.
7. Set yourself a time limit: If you are a person who has trouble starting a task, setting yourself a time limit can help you focus and overcome your initial dislike of the task at hand. Knowing you only have to focus for the next 30 minutes makes it seem much more manageable. Also you will find that once you get started, you will often want to keep going after the timer is complete. You can time yourself with any stopwatch but there are also some cool tools that can time you and help you focus such as the Action Machine.
6. Set a goal for each study session: Each time you sit down to study you should have a goal of what you want to achieve. This might be to review a chapter or identify five key points of the material. If you are learning a new language you might have a goal to review a certain number of words during your study session. It is important to set goals that are achievable. There is no point deciding you are going to read 100 pages in the next half hour (unless you have some amazing speed reading skills). By setting a small goal and achieving it every time you will get in the mindset of achieving goals when you study.
7. Set yourself a time limit: If you are a person who has trouble starting a task, setting yourself a time limit can help you focus and overcome your initial dislike of the task at hand. Knowing you only have to focus for the next 30 minutes makes it seem much more manageable. Also you will find that once you get started, you will often want to keep going after the timer is complete. You can time yourself with any stopwatch but there are also some cool tools that can time you and help you focus such as the Action Machine.
8. Take breaks: A lot of places plan their classes for 50 minutes. This means for each 50 minutes of study, you get to take a 10 minute break. One reason for this is that you are more likely to remember what you cover first and last in a study session. A lot of people won’t be able to start with 50 minutes so you may need to build up to that. Perhaps study for 25 minutes and take a 5 minute break.
9. Stay physically fit: Believe it or not being physically fit can help you focus and study. Aside from exercise being a great stress reliever, being aerobically fit supports optimal brain function. Being physically active also helps you sleep better at night so you will be less tired and find it easier to focus. The chemicals released when you exercise will also put you in a better mood.
10. Establish a habit of starting: As mentioned many people find getting started the hardest part of studying or learning a new skill. The most important thing is just to do it – don’t wait untill tomorrow, or for conditions to be perfect or worst of all, for inspiration to strike. Getting started straight away can become a habit if practiced long enough. Getting started can be made easier by breaking your goal down into smaller parts, setting yourself a time limit for the task and setting a routine that you complete before you start studying.
Everything takes practice but if you implement these tips on how to focus regularly you will find they become easier to implement. Sitting around thinking about how much you need to do will drain your energy so now is the time to get on with it.
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