MAXIMUM FOCUS

How to Be Different

22 authors | 50 revisions | Last updated: May 7, 2012

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There are many people out there who want to be "part of the crowd." If you want to be the leader and stand out from the crowd instead, then this article is for you. It's a wonderful feeling to know that you are original and unique.

Edit Steps

1. 1
   Gather your materials. Don't waste time when you are actually working to find the materials you need. Get all your materials beforehand so when you start working, you won't have to move around. Whether it be a pencil, eraser, calculator, etc., whatever you need just put them at one spot for now.
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2. 2
   Release all stress. Before you start working, do whatever you want to do. Knowing that you will spend the next minutes, hours, or days focusing on work, release the stress by spending 10 minutes doing something else. Taking a shower or exercising is a good way to release the stress before you begin the work.
3. 3
   Sit in a cramped room. When focusing, you want to concentrate on one thing, and only one thing. If you are in a cramped room, there is not much you can do. You will not be tempted to walk around in order to waste as much time as you can. Also, many people do not enjoy working in cramped spaces. If you are working in a cramped space, you will want to work as fast as you can in order to get out of the room. The best place to focus is in the bathroom
4. 4
   Close your window blinds. If you decide to work in your room, you would want to close your window blinds. For some people, it is very tempting to look outside the window to see if a friend walks by. You might also be tempted to do something totally pointless, such as count the number of trees outside.
5. 5
   Stay away from electronics. If you have a computer or television in your room, cover it up with a piece of cloth so that you will not see it and be tempted. Make sure your cell phone is on vibrate or turn it off; this way, if it rings, you do not notice it.
6. 6
   Block out noise. The best way to do this is by putting earplugs on. The only noise you should be hearing is yourself thinking. Do not listen to music when you work, as you might start singing along. Ignore any noise produced outside the room as well.
7. 7
   Warn your family. As you are most likely to lock your door, plug in earplugs, and not make any noise, your family might think that you have died or fainted. Before you begin your work, tell them that you are going to go through a period of hardcore studying/work so you will be unable to answer them. If they are not home, put a sign on the outside of your door saying "DO NOT DISTURB, CURRENTLY WORKING." This way, they will not bother you in anyway.
8. 8
   Stay awake. This is a crucial part in focusing. Many fall asleep cause they get bored so easily. This is a good reason for working in a bathroom; you can just walk up to the sink and splash your face with water. If you are not working in the bathroom, I advise that you get one of those water spray bottles and occasionally spray yourself to stay awake. An alternative is slapping your face.
9. 9
   Eat food. Always have food by your side. Energy bars can help keep you a wake, as well as fill up your stomach. Instead of going back and forth from your room and the kitchen, keep a stash next to you. Water is a good thirst quencher.
10. 10
    Stare at the material. The final and most important step to focusing is staring at whatever you are working on. If you are capable of not have your eyes wandering off, you are fully capable of working quick and efficiently. If you are beginning to feel uncomfortable, look up at the ceiling, but not anywhere that may contain distractions.
Tips
• Give electronics to parents. This way, you won't be tempted to take them out.
• Stay away from your addictions.
• Get used to staying in a cramped environment.
• If your work requires access to the Internet, find a way to block out distracting sites such as YouTube and Facebook. This way, even with electronics, there's much less of a chance to be distracted.
• Use a computer you aren't familiar with. That way, you will only know how to use Microsoft Office applications and be less tempted to go scouring for games.

 Warnings

• If you are claustrophobic, working in a cramped space may cause you to faint.
• Go to the restroom when needed. Do not force yourself to finish up your work before you go.

  How to Focus

  24 authors | 52 revisions | Last updated: July 3, 2012
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  The ability to focus is an essential skill for all students and professionals. It is paramount to academic/work related success.

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  1. 1
     Decide that you are going to study and get down to business immediately. Do not think about anything else that is not study-related. If you are working on a computer, do not surf the Internet to play computer games or watch videos on YouTube. Avoid Facebook and other social networks at all costs.
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  2. 2
     Plan ahead. A plan helps you get back on track. Having a ready planned schedule helps you to stay focused instead of wondering what are you going to do next. Also, do a survey to get an overview of what you need to do. Identify:
     • Which books to read from cover to cover?
     • Which materials to study in detail?
     • Which materials to cover only selected sections or portions?
     • Amongst so many subjects to study, which are priorities and urgent?
     • How much time you have to allocate?
  3. 3
     Identify the reason why you cannot focus. Often it will be things that are simple to remove, for example Facebook, your cell phone, TV, music, the mess on your desktop, etc. But there may as well be psychological reasons for your lack of focus, which can be harder to identify and harder to remove. You can tell your school teacher or your parents about your problem. They will find ways to help you. Common reasons are:
     • Not being prepared to read and study
     • A lack of interest in the material
     • The material is too difficult
     • A lack of motivation
     • A lack of suitable goal
  4. 4
     Get rid of these elements that prevent you from focusing.
  5. 5
     Set dateline and focus on tackling one tasks at a time. This helps you to focus better.
  6. 6
     Eat, drink, or use the bathroom BEFORE you start with work.
  7. 7
     Restrict internet use to relevant topics only (Wikipedia, wikiHow, Ask.com, online journals, etc. - no Facebook, MySpace, blogs or surfing) or better yet get yourself another browser. If you are using Google Chrome you might want to try the Stay Focused app, which restricts the time you can use on any webpage per day. Also delete all the easy access shortcuts, leaving only the one in the start menu --> all programs.
  8. 8
     Study in a well lit area. Trying to read in the dark is not good for you.
  9. 9
     Don't expect that the feeling of being focused will come automatically, just because you've done the above mentioned steps. One key to become focused is to like what you are doing, a feeling of wanting to know more about the subject. So if it's not your favourite subject that you're going to study, you will have to convince yourself that the subject is interesting. You may find it hard at first, but once you learn the value of investing interest in your studies the less you will have to force yourself to focus.
  10. 10
      Studies show that the average person focuses best when holding at 15 minutes after each 45 minutes of studying. So relax and don't press yourself way too hard in the beginning.
  11. 11
      Allocate time to reflect on what is being learnt.

  Tips

  • Exercise often helps improve focus. A 20 minute jog doesn't take very long and can work wonders.
  • Try to make your mind as much relaxed so as not to be thinking or having any tension about anything.

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  Warnings

  • The inability to focus is not always a matter lack of motivation or laziness. Certain medical conditions can physically prevent someone from focusing (e.g. ADHD).
  • Even though medical conditions do exist that prevent people from focusing, don't be too quick to diagnose yourself with ADHD just because you always seem to end up on Facebook before an exam, because in fact more people than you might think have problems focusing, for various other reasons.

How to Concentrate on Studies

61 authors | 226 revisions | Last updated: 9 days ago

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Are you having trouble concentrating? Here are some ways to get your focus back on track!

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Potential Issues With Concentration

1. 1
   Look at what influences concentration. Many issues go far beyond mere laziness into planning and facilitating (making it happen).
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2. 2
   Get a full night of rest. Sleep deprivation can make it very difficult to concentrate for a topic for long periods of time. Make sure you are getting at least eight hours of rest per night.
3. 3
   Remove stress and anxiety producing factors. Worrying about other things, whether they be relationships or friends, can make it difficult to put those issues aside and focus on your studies. You may want to consider removing some of these stresses and tackle them head on. Is your schedule too loaded? Are you dealing with peer pressure? Prioritize your schedule and develop confidence in your relationships.
4. 4
   Adopt a healthier diet. Your body needs good food in order to keep it running well. Poor diets can be linked to low energy and depression, which can make it difficult to concentrate. On the flip side, caffeine can overstimulate you and lead to nervousness.
5. 5
   Avoid symptoms of boredom. Boredom comes from doing something that lacks meaning or motivation to you. Try to find a way to make your studies more interesting, or at least create good rewards for yourself that will make you more motivated to finish -- like get a salad to celebrate.
6. 6
   Sublimate: be vigorous and emotional to succeed using anger or even fear of making a C to motivate practice of skills or study concepts.

Create An Environment For Concentration

1. 1
   Have everything you need to study. Your pencils and pens, highlighters and books should be within your reach so that you are not distracted while studying.
2. 2
   Have a snack nearby. Something simple like crackers or chips will help your mind stay focused. Don't drink coffee, tea, or any other energy drinks. They will eventually lead to crash that makes you feel tired.
3. 3
   Have a timetable. Work for 30-60 minute periods with 5-10 minute breaks in between.
4. 4
   Embrace your learning: Studying or practicing for an hour is like a feast of learning or a workout. Tell yourself why you want to do that.
5. 5
   Find a quiet place to study. You want the room to be silent and free of distractions in order to concentrate. For example, do not study right in front of a TV because you will only do your homework when the advertisements come up. Go to get a "snip" of TV or radio only as a quick break -- exactly as if it's a few moments to go to get a drink of water. Such entertainment is not a festival, not like a picnic; keep it simple and quick.
6. 6
   Make sure your cell phone and other electronic devices are turned off. This will help you avoid temptations to be off task and allow you to stay on your plan.
7. 7
   Consider playing music softly. For some people, music helps them concentrate. For some, it doesn't. Try it out and see what works best for you.

General Tips For Concentration

1. 1
   Do the least pleasant tasks first. While fresh you can sizzle with the highest powers of concentration at your disposal. "Do the most critical understandings and deep background concepts early", before moving on to easier (less challenging) but necessary grinding out of details. If you do the easier tasks first, you will be thinking about/and "stressing-nerves" on the harder ones, the whole time, and feel more tempted to avoid them once you do reach them (at the end of too much busy-work).
2. 2
   Have an objective list. Write out a list of everything you need to accomplish. Check each items off as you finish it.
3. 3
   The "5 More" rule. Tell yourself to do only five more things before quitting. Once you've finished those, do another five. Breaking tasks up into smaller chunks makes things easier for those with shorter concentration spans.
4. 4
   Reward yourself. Offer yourself incentives once you've completed a study task. This will imTips
   • Figure out your study habits, such as re-reading previous notes or pages in a textbook.
   • It helps to think about what you'll be doing if you flunk and get an "F" or under 35 marks. Think about this and it will compel (or "entice") you to do better.
   • It really helps if you drink water because your body needs to stay hydrated.
   • Whenever you feel like studying -- do it. Don't waste your inspiration, but lift it up.
   • Make tasks for each day to see that you complete your work in your given period of time.
   • Never back down or fizzle. Relax for a few minutes; then get back on your study plan.
   • Persistence (keeping on it) is the secret in medium, longer term goals, get some talent (pursue what you want to become good at a higher level: start to do develop your ability; desire it and follow through to shape your talent/or skill).
   prove your motivation and therefore your concentration.

Warnings

• Don't study for too long because your brain cannot concentrate for long periods of time. Eventually you will start to think about other things and won't be able to think about the material you are studying.

Edit Things You'll Need

• Bottle of water
• Good night's sleep
• Your notes and books
• Paper, pens and pencils
• A quiet place
• Fresh mind

Edit Related wikiHows

• How to Get Organized and Concentrate on Your Work
• How to Increase Your Powers of Concentration
• How to Study For Exams
• How to Work and Study at the Same Time
• How to Avoid Thoughts Hampering Your Daily Activities