Reading emails, checking social media, chatting here and there: Many people find it difficult to concentrate for a long time. A few simple tricks help you to work (more) focused.
Everyone knows the feeling when you suddenly manage to complete a task with your full attention. And just as everyone knows what it’s like to constantly lose the thread of your thoughts – whether in the open-plan office or at home with the family, whether in the midst of numerous other things that distract you. However, if you heed a few tips, you will usually be able to concentrate better.
1. Clean up and eliminate chaos
Albert Einstein was still of the opinion that genius rules chaos. But between stacks of unpaid bills and dirty dishes, there is no room for thoughts: «Any distraction should be eliminated,» says Margit Ahrens from the Federal Memory Training Association. And it helps if the surroundings – such as the desk – are tidy.
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2. Do difficult tasks in the morning
Even if the way out of bed is not necessarily the most beautiful, you should still dare to do it relatively early in the day. Because the time is also important: According to Ahrens, most people can concentrate best in the morning. «Never leave difficult tasks or conversations after lunch.»
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3. Start with the most important
We tend to work through supposedly smaller tasks first – but they often turn out to be time wasters and we don’t manage to do what we set out to do for the day. Therefore: When you come into the office in the morning, start with the most important task right away.
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4. Eat right
If the stomach growls, it only distracts. That’s why the head needs brain food from time to time, namely: nuts, wholemeal bread or fruit. Nuts provide omega-3 fatty acids, which play an important role in brain function. Wholemeal bread provides complex carbohydrates that provide the head with energy over a longer period of time – which in turn increases concentration. Vitamins, trace elements and minerals in fruit also help with thinking. It is best to drink water or tea with it. The liquid ensures that our body and brain are well supplied with blood.
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5. Use the Pomodoro technique for time management
Staying focused is the big challenge for anyone who keeps slipping their time management. In order not to be constantly distracted by Whatsapp messages, Facebook and emails popping up, scientists have developed a time management method that works with intervals and is intended to make many people more productive. In the so-called Pomodoro method (the developer used an egg timer for his technique) you set a timer for 25 minutes. During this time you don’t read any emails (it’s best to close the program), don’t check any social media accounts (unsubscribe from everyone!), don’t chat, just work on a project. When the alarm clock rings, a five-minute break is announced. In this interval it goes on and on. Effect: You have the feeling that you don’t have to work long on something – and at the same time you train yourself not to get distracted.
6. Provide regular fresh air
«Many have frozen to death, but no one has drowned.» With wisdom like this, teachers who are sensitive to the cold like to keep their students from opening the windows in winter. It would be just the right thing to get the pubescent pack to learn. Because the mind needs oxygen. If you ventilate regularly, you can concentrate better. If possible: get some fresh air and combine it with a brisk walk.
7. Move
Regular exercise – whether it’s a walk or short mobilization exercises at work – helps to avoid tensing up in stressful situations and to relieve tension. A short movement unit can also help to sort your thoughts again – in order to be able to concentrate better on the task you are currently working on.