5 Key Ways to Increase Your Brain’s Focus and Clarity

In today’s world, it is essential to be able to focus. Multiple responsibilities surround us and demand our attention. But the brain’s ability to focus and maintain clarity is a limited resource. We only have so much energy to use, so how can we increase our brain’s ability to concentrate? These 5 key tips will help us achieve more clarity and will greatly increase our ability to focus.

1.Stop Multi-tasking
It is easy to think that by doing several things at the same time you will get more accomplished. This multi-tasking trap has kept many people stagnate in their strive for success. If you want to increase your brain’s ability to focus, it is imperative that you concentrate on one task at a time. Rather than trying to accomplish three different tasks in one hour by working on all of them for the entire hour, it is more productive to aim at one task per 20-minute time slot. In fact, according to The Huffington Post, “multi-tasking can actually make us less productive.” Multi-tasking is the lie we tell ourselves to feel productive while in all actuality accomplishing very little.

2.Enjoy a Hobby
It is tempting to want to focus on accomplishing something so much that our brains run out of the energy required to focus. Abraham Lincoln said, “if you give me six hours to chop down a tree, I will use the first four sharpening the axe.” When you engage in a fun activity, you give your brain the chance to replenish itself which, in turn, increases the ability to concentrate on the next goal at hand, according to Lumonol.

3. Work from a List
Working from a list provides several benefits that help the brain to stay focused. First of all, it helps you to tackle one task at a time. Instead of randomly aiming at one goal and then the next, it almost forces you to see the separate items as individual tasks to complete separately. Additionally, crossing items off a to-do list releases endorphins that motivate you and energize your brain which increases your ability to concentrate on the next task. A list is almost an essential component to helping the brain to focus and concentrate for an extended period of time.

4.Learn Something Challenging Everyday
This tip may not be good to implement at the start of your day as it can tire your brain. However, if at the end of your work day you set aside time to learn a complex skill, it will develop areas in your brain that will help you to focus and concentrate better in the future. Learning to play a musical instrument, studying a foreign language, or even practicing algebra will challenge the brain in ways that will make it grow. But after resting for the night and waking up refreshed in the morning, the neurons developed the previous day while learning the complex task will have a positive impact on the brain’s ability to focus and concentrate on the tasks for the day.

5.Exercise Regularly
We are becoming increasingly more aware that our physical bodies are directly linked to our thoughts and feelings. It may be easy to overlook that what we do with our bodies affects our brains, but exercise is an excellent way to increase focus and concentration. According to Forbes, “physical activity is clearly linked to cognitive function.” Even light exercise can improve brain function. Additionally, the positive effect exercise has on mood also increases the brain’s ability to concentrate. It may be easy to overlook exercise as affecting concentration, but it has a definite effect on brain function.

It is easy to lose concentration with so many things pulling for our attention. But focus is essential to success and productivity. But by refusing to multi-task, enjoying hobbies, working from lists, learning complex skills, and exercising regularly you can greatly increase your ability to stay focused in spite of the many distractions around you.