5 Ways To Improve Focus, Achieve More

Whether you are a concert guitarist or an amateur drummer; an Olympic Athlete or a beginner at cricket, whether a surgeon, student, teacher, or working professional, whatever your pursuit, your performance and ability to learn new things is dependent on your ability to focus.

We have all had days, perhaps weeks and even months, when we couldn’t seem to focus on anything. It could have been due to the pressures of the workplace or the numerous demands on your time. The one common theme was the end result – you couldn’t focus anymore, and it was taking its toll on your performance and your sense of wellbeing.

Many of us struggle with focus. And there are different reasons why we may face trouble focusing – we’re tired, bored, uninterested, anxious, stressed, and so on. The lack of focus predominantly originates from a scattered and restless mind. So, how do you bring the mind into focus? Research suggests that people use a range of “smart drugs” - from prescribed ones to the illicit, to boost their work or academic performance. Wouldn’t it be safer and healthier to develop focus more naturally by making the mind more restful? There are simple meditation techniques and basic lifestyle activities that can help us. Let’s have a look at some of them:

Meditation 

Several studies have shown that regular practice of meditation can help increase one’s attention span and sustain it. A new study from the University of Wisconsin- Madison shows that participants practicing meditation, proved better at completing tasks.

We often hear that meditation requires concentration. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the founder of the Art of Living Foundation, counters, “Meditation is de-concentration, and alertness and focus of mind are the result of regular meditation practice.”