It’s the thing with almost every second student – I can’t concentrate! As they sit down to study, their mind races from one thing to another and their thoughts get scattered all over the place except for studies. So, what one can do in such a scenario?
Firstly, we all should know that each one of us has the ability to concentrate and we just need to apply the right strategies to unlock our natural capability of concentrating and apply them while studying. If a student does not allow the mind to go haywire, concentration can lead to productive study. For instance, when the rays of the sun are scattered, they do not burn paper, but as soon as these rays are converged at a point using the lens, the paper burns at once. Similarly, if your thoughts converge at one point, see what impact they can have on your mind.
Thus, Chinmaya Vidyalaya Nauni, one of the best residential schools in India, compiled some helpful tips and strategies that can improve your concentration while studying.
How to Concentrate While Studying
1. Create an Environment for Studying
Select a space in your home where you can keep it exclusively for studying and surround yourself only with your study aids. The right place for that will be a quiet place away from radios and TV. Stay away from the places where you can easily fall asleep or become groggy.
2. Create a Schedule
Create a timetable for when and what you are going to study and at what hour of the day. Avoid late-night study sessions. Also, if you think you are tired, don’t study in that phase and take plenty of rest instead before beginning, with long study sessions. When you can no longer concentrate, end the session and retire.
3. Take Ample Sleep
Health specialists say that a human mind needs a minimum of six hours of sleep for relaxation and rejuvenation of the mind. It is easier for a fresh mind to concentrate.
4. Exercise Regularly
Brain functions properly if the right nutrients are supplemented to the mind. One gets these nutrients through regular physical exercise. This enhances the circulation of blood to the brain and it gets rid of waste products. Thus, it is necessary for enhancing concentration.
5. Avoid Multi-tasking While Studying
As you sit back and study, make sure you do not play with something in between or text friends, or keep an eye on the television and the other book. Study one subject at a time.
6. Study with a Free Mind
Memorizing needs a stress-free mind and if you get rid of irrelevant thoughts while studying, you can concentrate better. Stress makes it difficult to concentrate.
7. Fix Priorities
Fixing priorities is among the first things to do before studying. You should be well aware of the things you need to complete first followed by the next. If you do not set priorities, you will be working in a haphazard manner and it is most likely that you will start thinking of other things. These thoughts will not let you study with full concentration. That is why make a timetable and try to incorporate it into your daily life.
8. Take Breaks
As you are studying and you got bored, take short breaks in between. Sip in a coffee or something or have something to munch and return to your study room. This will help in maintaining your concentration.
9. Eat Healthy
There is a popular adage that states –“Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and supper like a pauper!” Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and so it should be laden with high protein and carbohydrates and low sugar content. Also, avoid taking tea or coffee in excess because it may give you strength for some time but will soon make you sluggish.
10. Meditate
Last but not least – meditate! Meditation is an exercise that improves your power of concentration. In this, you look at a round spot on the wall with full attention and concentrate on that point for some minutes daily and see a massive improvement in your concentration level.
