How to Concentrate

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Arsal

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I have a secret: I've always been absolutely terrible at mentally concentrating over one topic. This is why I've never been able to excel at school or do anything significant, ever, because I've found it impossible to concentrate on one thing for more than a few minutes. I am constantly multi-tasking and have like 20 windows always open in browser with loud music playing in background while I am watching tv, just so I don't get bored. This is how I function; through dispersion(?)

It hasn't bothered me in the past because I've managed to get by regardless, however, it seems to be progressively (retrogressively?) getting worse (better?). I have my finals in a week roughly and I absolutely cannot bring myself to study. However, if I do not study, I will fail, and that is something I very much fear.

What are some good ways of improving one's ability to mentally concentrate?
 
Get rid of the distractions. In order to process, you must focus.

Relax. Tell yourself you only need to read 5 pages right now, or work for x many minutes. Smaller, more manageable goals will help you push past your limit. If you can't do it all right now, that's okay. Do what you can. Break it up in sections by whatever means make the most sense to you. Don't expect yourself to do it all in one go.

Reward yourself when you reach your goals rather than procrastinating. You'll enjoy your free time much more than worrying about everything you have yet to do and eliminate your guilt for not doing it.

Write down a list of other things that you have to do that thinking of may cause you to be distracted. In this way your mind is free to "forget " about them and focus on what you are doing.

Hope this helps. :)
 
Hmm. Have you ever considered just incorporating studying in your multitasking? TV, internet, music, studying. Maybe that's how your brain works, nothing wrong with it. Just study while your doing other stuff. I've done it before when I've felt like multitasking. Some say you don't get a lot done while multitasking, but I don't believe that at all. I usually get A LOT done opposed to focusing my energy into chunks.
 
log out from infjforums and open a book


(serious advice: there are mental concentration exercises online i think, and one thing you can do to try to get better is to try to think very deeply about something slightly boring (and that subject only) and push out any other thoughts that come in and try to take over your thought process. i've tried this and it is difficult because it does not take long until something new and unrelated pops into my head. also, if you're studying for finals, you are supposed to be bored and easily distracted. it's the natural reaction to boring things.)
 
donkeybals said:
Hmm. Have you ever considered just incorporating studying in your multitasking? TV, internet, music, studying. Maybe that's how your brain works, nothing wrong with it. Just study while your doing other stuff. I've done it before when I've felt like multitasking. Some say you don't get a lot done while multitasking, but I don't believe that at all. I usually get A LOT done opposed to focusing my energy into chunks.
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I think a person can multitask efficiently when it comes to doing things, but I think it's different when it comes to studying, as it pertains to memorizing.

The real point is, if something isn't working for you, try doing it differently. Change up your routine. Sometimes you just have to make yourself do it.

I know I am easily distracted, and try to do too much at once, so I must eliminate distractions. When I apply intense focus to one thing, I tend to do it better.

However, I do know people who do well when they have some background things going on. It's about what makes you comfortable and puts you in the frame of mind most conducive to learning. But if you are focused too much on all these other things, you might not feel like you've accomplished much, or retained what you need to.

So experiment. Incorporate new strategies. Set aside a certain time of day to work. Ask yourself questions as you go along to better retain knowledge. Take breaks. Switch to another subject when you feel you can't go on with the one you're doing. Set small, manageable goals.

Good luck! :)
 
Meditation and yoga will help center the mind.

Also play those online "find the hidden object games" or "Find the difference". Those will gradually increase your concentration.
 
dream echo said:
Get rid of the distractions. In order to process, you must focus.

Relax. Tell yourself you only need to read 5 pages right now, or work for x many minutes. Smaller, more manageable goals will help you push past your limit. If you can't do it all right now, that's okay. Do what you can. Break it up in sections by whatever means make the most sense to you. Don't expect yourself to do it all in one go.

Reward yourself when you reach your goals rather than procrastinating. You'll enjoy your free time much more than worrying about everything you have yet to do and eliminate your guilt for not doing it.

Write down a list of other things that you have to do that thinking of may cause you to be distracted. In this way your mind is free to "forget " about them and focus on what you are doing.

Hope this helps. :)
Click to expand...

I couldn't concentrate long enough to read this post. @_@ I suck.

Thank you for those tips! Those should be helpful. I think I'll try incorporating the list thing, as well as small-task thing into my routine tomorrow. I also need to log out of these forums [MENTION=3615]aerosol[/MENTION], that will probably help.

donkeybals said:
Hmm. Have you ever considered just incorporating studying in your multitasking? TV, internet, music, studying. Maybe that's how your brain works, nothing wrong with it. Just study while your doing other stuff. I've done it before when I've felt like multitasking. Some say you don't get a lot done while multitasking, but I don't believe that at all. I usually get A LOT done opposed to focusing my energy into chunks.
Click to expand...

I do this already, but I tend to accomplish very little of actual studying through this method. It works for understanding "big picture", conceptual sort of things, but it's not efficient for detailed, specific sort of study, which really only requires concentration.
 
Arsal said:
I have a secret: I've always been absolutely terrible at mentally concentrating over one topic. This is why I've never been able to excel at school or do anything significant, ever, because I've found it impossible to concentrate on one thing for more than a few minutes. I am constantly multi-tasking and have like 20 windows always open in browser with loud music playing in background while I am watching tv, just so I don't get bored. This is how I function; through dispersion(?)

It hasn't bothered me in the past because I've managed to get by regardless, however, it seems to be progressively (retrogressively?) getting worse (better?). I have my finals in a week roughly and I absolutely cannot bring myself to study. However, if I do not study, I will fail, and that is something I very much fear.

What are some good ways of improving one's ability to mentally concentrate?
Click to expand...

Just curious, how long are you able to concentrate on the topic of MBTI?

I'm, of course, the same way. I can't force my mind to focus on anything which it isn't interested in.
However, once I find something I genuinely am interested in, I become obsessed. If you can understand
what genuinely interests you, then you can use this to control what you concentrate on.

On the other hand, use dispersion to your advantage, every now and again doing just a biiit of study,
if you do this over a long period of time, consolidation will act, and you will gain a very nice understanding,
and perhaps automatically notice elements of the topic which are conceptually interesting for you.

A third thing I'll point out, is that oftentimes when someone else doesn't understand the material, then
your mind will quite easily flow into the topic on behalf of that person, so that you may help them understand
and in the process, increase your own understanding to the point that it is in a concrete form.

Also, there is the phenomenon of inspiration. Every now and again, you will come across something,
perhaps a person speaking on a particular topic, perhaps an a-ha! moment as you notice the connections
between one area and another or have some other insight, and this will naturally convert your attention.

Do not despair over how your mind works; understand it, and use it to your advantage.
 
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[MENTION=3538]Arsal[/MENTION];
It would depend on whether you lack the skills needed to concentrate or if there are deeper things at play like a desire to not excel. Only you can figure out what the block is. I agree with Serenity regarding the games that boost concentration. My sister does both to improve memory and such after her brain surgery.
 
[MENTION=1678]Norton[/MENTION]; keep your scrip pad to yerself....
 
Personally, I think that being P-dom means you're naturally not going to be able to concentrate easily*,
since deliberately attending your thoughts to something is a judgement style process. What you have to do,
is to set things up so that your perception will automatically follow the train of thought that you want it to.

* of course, the relation between functions and concentration is much more complicated than this
 
I too would like to know the secret to this.

At the current moment I have a billion statements to run and I'm posting on INFJ's, and I don't even have the concentration to focus on reading the thread.
 
88chaz88 said:
I too would like to know the secret to this.

At the current moment I have a billion statements to run and I'm posting on INFJ's, and I don't even have the concentration to focus on reading the thread.
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I always recommend that we boil the water off before we indulge in important business. Otherwise people just can't focus.

:m051:
 
Start slow. With no distractions.

5 minutes; 3 pages; a sentence.

Then take a rest for some time. 5, 10 minutes.

Rinse and repeat.

Then after you're used to the pace, increase the amount.
 
Put yourself in a position where you can't do anything but focus on the task at hand. Go somewhere away from people and away from the internet to get your studying done.
 
I don't know if it is going to be of any help, but when I was reading your post, Arsal, a thought came to me about trying to watch the flame of a candle. first time for a minute of so and then longer. also, it could be helpful to watch the second hand of a clock at least for one minute/one revolution. these are little exercises that can increase the level of your concentration, provided that you do them more than once.
 
*breaking my lurking for this*

Break your subject into various semi-divergent themes/aspects. You can then flip between this aspects quickly, while advancing in your subject. Good luck.

*returns to lurking*
 
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