Concentration techniques.

Having the ability to concentrate and focus, being able to shut noises and other distractions out, is a vital skill that can set you apart from others.

Concentration is a skill, which can be trained to a high level and then maintained. At some point, we all have to concentrate, so possessing the competence to do so, is an excellent way to promote personal productivity.

What is concentration?

Concentration as a whole, could be described as: A working state of mind in which exclusive attention to one object or line of thought is given, applying close mental application.

Concentration is closely related to self-discipline, having to have the mental will power and stamina to keep at it. In fact concentration relies on a few different factors:

• Commitment (self-discipline). - We need to put in some level of commitment to carry out any task. If we want to carry out the assignment to a lofty standard, a high volume of dedication is needed. This is likewise with concentration.
• Enthusiasm for the task. - If you really hate what you're doing and are bored stiff, your concentration levels aren't going to be great. When you really dislike something, your sub-conscience mind will convince you that it is worse than it really is. On the flip side however, if you truly enjoy what you're doing, then concentration and commitment will come naturally.
• Ability to do the task. - Having the confidence to do something puts our mind at ease, helping in our focus on the job in hand.
• Emotional state. - If our emotions are a bit wild and we are overwhelmed with stress, concentrating will become nearly impossible.
• Health. - If we feel ill or under the weather, chances are, we won't want to concentrate on anything...except getting better.
• Our environment. - If our surroundings are full of noises and disturbances, our concentration levels are going to plummet, and if we have nice quiet surrounding, our concentration levels are going to sky-rocket!

Concentration techniques to use.

Having regular intervals away from your task is a brilliant simple technique you can use. Although quantity is good, quality is better. You'll be much more likely to produce quality work with a higher level of concentration, when having frequent breaks to allow your mind to recharge and think clearly about what you're doing. 

If you are finding that you're able to focus for hours, or once you start you get on a role, then feel free to continue, taking breaks when you notice concentration levels dipping.

Einstein's method of concentrating, requires patience and work, but is well worth it. First, get yourself a timer and set it for two minutes. Decide what you're going to concentrate on (this could be anything from writing to reading etc.), when starting the chosen project, start the timer. 

Every time you're distracted, stop the timer and mark down on some paper a line. Once you've done that, continue with the task, starting the timer from where you had stopped it before. Each time you're distracted, repeat the process of marking it down on paper and stopping the timer. 

When your time is up, count how many times you'd allowed yourself to be disturbed. Repeat the whole procedure again and again, until you have not been sidetracked at all. 

On achievement of this, you can set a larger amount of time...say, five minutes. Take a long break each time you manage not to get distracted, regardless of the set amount of time.

This is a hard technique to master, but is certainly the most effective. It is said that Einstein could focus on anything 100%, whatever his environment because of use of this technique!

Regular practice. With anything you learn, effort on your behalf is needed. This rule is no exception with concentration either. The more you practice, the better you will become.

This can utilised as part of regular practice. Whatever job you do (including mundane tasks), try to remain completely focused throughout. This is a great way of practising, not having to set aside special time periods out of your schedule, to practice.   

Remember to remain positive. Going into something with a positive mindset rather than a negative one, has a much greater affect on the outcome of the job! Normally when having a positive outlook, you finish jobs to a superior standard, than that when thinking negatively.

Conclusion

When using any of these methods to improve concentration, commitment and positiveness is needed, as-well as correct performance. If you are serious about  building focus, then approaching half-heatedly isn't going to work. 

Stick with it, even if improvements aren't noticeable at first. 

I wish you all the best for the future.