9 science-backed tips to improve concentration

According to the Royal Academy of the Spanish Language, the concentration it is "the action and effect of intensely focusing attention on something."

For our daily life, it is important to learn to concentrate. Having a good capacity for concentration helps us enormously to be more effective when performing any task. The benefits of having a good concentration are many: they increase our memory, our effectiveness in decision making, our precision and our agility in the challenge we have In hands.

Improving concentration with 9 simple techniques

Having a good concentration is closely linked to being able to retain and remember much better. In this sense, concentration is a good virtue to have a memory fluid. If we can develop concentration, our memory will also improve.

The basic strategies to concentrate are linked to two fundamental aspects: avoid external distractors and, on the other hand, have a mental state with an adequate level of activation to be able to stay focused on the task for a certain time.

In order to clarify the aspects and circumstances that allow us to enhance targeting, in today's article We have compiled nine strategies and techniques that can help you improve these useful life skills daily.

• It may interest you: "13 practical strategies to improve memory"

1. Rest enough hours

A basic point: in order to concentrate well we need to be rested. Sleeping enough hours gives us the necessary brain and cognitive recovery to be able to perform perfectly the next day. Sleeping well provides us with a state of alertness while awake.

It is common advice for students: the day before an exam, you have to sleep well. Because if you don't get enough rest, at the time of the exam we will be scattered and we will have less memory. During the hours we sleep, the brain performs a "reset" of certain functions, preparing us so that the next day we can process information and stimuli much better. In addition, sleeping eight hours is also very good for our long-term memory.

It is essential that we sleep the necessary hours, so that our mental state is lucid enough to maintain attention. When we are tired or have slept poorly, the brain suffers and the mental processes associated with memory and focus cannot perform 100%. In addition, lack of sleep can cause temporary eye discomfort and blurred vision, which is a serious inconvenience. Therefore, as the basis of everything, a good rest.

2. Chew gum

It may seem a bit strange, but chewing gum is good for our concentration. This is indicated by different scientific studies: chewing gum helps us remember information in the short term.

In addition, it can be an element that allows us to better concentrate on the task we must perform, especially in exams and tests that require our auditory and visual memory.

3. Write with pen and paper

We are very used to typing things on the computer keyboard. It is an automatic writing method that allows us many positive things, but it is not the best for our concentration or for our memory.

If we write by hand, our brain will make a greater effort to concentrate and will more easily remember the data and notes that come out of our own handwriting, as explained by Lizette Borreli for Medical Daily. Better concentration when we write ideas will support our long-term memory. that you will be able to retrieve that data days and even weeks later.

4. Manage stress

Are you very prone to stress? When we are in a state of tension our ability to focus on something is greatly reduced.

For our mind to be able to carry out a cognitively demanding activity for a while, we need to enjoy a state of mind that is neither excessively relaxed (that we would induce sleep and poor data retention) or overly active (in which case we would be so nervous that we simply would not be able to focus on a single homework).

Some stress management tricks are as simple as clenching your fist or a stress ball for a minute. This act will release our tensions for a while. But, if you suffer a more permanent stress, the optimal thing will be that you get to work to solve the problem. Likewise, it is important that we have good physical health: stay well hydrated, play sports often...

5. Play chess

If we talk about increasing our concentration, chess is the king of sports. This game requires a great capacity for concentration to analyze each situation that occurs on the board, make the right decisions and anticipate the opponent's movements. This has been confirmed by a study published in Science Direct.

It is a perfect activity to develop both capacities, in addition to our ability for logical and strategic reasoning.

6. Avoid distractions and find a suitable place

It's a bit obvious, isn't it? When we try to focus on a task, It is a very good idea that we try to prevent external and unwanted stimuli from distracting us. For example, if you are studying, the ideal is that you do it in silence, with adequate lighting, and of course without the television or other similar distraction in the background.

Has been shown that environmental noise affects our performance if we are performing a task that requires concentration (for example, an exam). The less noisy the environment, the more fit your cognitive skills will be.

If you want to focus 100% on a task, it is a good idea to find a comfortable space without distractions. It is also interesting that the temperature of the space in question is neither too cold nor too hot. About 20º-23º is a temperature in which almost all of us feel comfortable. As for noise, there are people who can maintain concentration when exposed to it, as long as it is not very loud and is monotonous, but it is not usual.

7. Draw while in class

This advice is quite counterintuitive. When we are attending a master class or a conference, it is a good idea to draw small doodles in a notepad or notebook. This is stated by a study published in the Time magazine.

It is not necessary to draw concrete figures, anything goes. This will make us fight boredom and we will better retain what the teacher says.

8. Background music: good or bad idea?

Listening to music in the background when we are focused on a task can be a good idea. But it depends on several factors.

Music has the ability to stimulate our brain and cognitive activity. It is quite positive that, just before we start studying, we listen to some music to stimulate the brain and start it. However, during the course of the task, it is better to be silent, since music can distort the quality with which we retain information. This negative effect of music on our attention span and concentration has been reported in several scientific studies.

9. Plan your routine

There is nothing that affects concentration as negatively as a disorganized and chaotic routine.. It is the ninth point on the list, but it is surely the most important.

You have to plan and order your day-to-day priorities. Without having the necessary time to dedicate to each task, we will avoid stress, haste and inconveniences that may arise, and we will be better able to dedicate a smart and productive effort to the homework. If we know exactly what we have to do and how, the task becomes easier, and our state of focus is best suited to tackle each subtask successfully.

Do these strategies work for children and seniors?

Children, adults and the elderly: are tricks worth the same for everyone? In a generic way, these strategies and tips to improve concentration can be applied to anyone of any age. While this is so , it is also true that each vital stage involves certain elements to take into account.

Concentration in childhood

During childhood, our attention is more dispersedTherefore, instead of emphasizing the aforementioned advice, it will be necessary to accustom the children to acquire the habit (worth the redundancy) of attending, listening and thinking. This means that as children they maintain a higher activation than adults, so it can be difficult for them to sit in front of a book or perform a cognitively demanding task over a period of time considerable.

Little by little, we must stimulate them with suggestive tasks so that their mind can adapt to these demands, without that leads to bad feelings (it can be very counterproductive for the child to feel "forced" or "forced" to focus on a homework). To promote this capacity for attention in childhood, professionals such as educational psychologists, Psychopedagogues or similar can design intervention programs, group or individual, to address these needs.

Elderly: several specific tips to improve your care

With regard to elderly people, in this case it should be noted that, sometimes, there may be symptoms of senile dementia or cognitive impairment associated with some concentration problems, especially in regard to the ability to retain data. In these ages, memory is a faculty that begins to show weaknesses, so it is advisable stimulate the elderly with games and recreational activities that involve, in turn, exercising their attention and memory.

In this sense, the well-known game of dominoes, card games and the like are a highly recommended option. There are also specific programs designed for these people, with the specific objective of strengthening their cognitive abilities. In this case, it will be necessary for a professional in psychogerontology or similar to design and accompany the grandparents in the therapeutic sessions.

Extra tips and conclusions

Our ability to focus on a single task is limited. Now, there are people who are capable of concentrating for several hours without accusing fatigue, while Others, due to lack of training or for other reasons, cannot spend more than a few minutes maintaining a good level of attention. This ability is known as Attention Interval, and each person has their own threshold.

Several studies show that when we are working on a task or studying, we need to take breaks periodical, of about 10 minutes, to clear the mind and to return to "recharge" the batteries of our concentration. There is no single threshold, each person has their own abilities and it is up to them to set exactly what their maximum time is that they can be concentrated on a task.

Regarding the organization of the task, it is important that we select few and well-defined tasks, so that our brain is able to respond adequately to the demand. Avoiding multi-tasking and exercising the muscles every half hour can also keep us in an optimal state of activation for longer.

Do you have other tricks to increase concentration? You can send them to us through the comments section or on our social networks.