It’s very common to find yourself unable to concentrate, daydreaming or easily distracted by your environment, and therefore unable to work effectively.
This can be a big problem for students when it happens during personal work or revision. Fortunately, there are a number of tips which, if applied, can help improve concentration and concentration time.
The first step is to set up a favorable working environment. It’s better to find a place where you’re comfortable, calm and quiet, so as not to be disturbed by noise. In the case of personal work, for example, a bedroom or library will be fine. If you’re working in a group, offices, study rooms or open-access meeting rooms (often available in schools, universities or libraries) are best.
Once you’ve found the ideal place to work, it’s a good idea to stick to it and return regularly to create habits and a routine. This way, you won’t be thrown off balance by an unfamiliar environment, and you’ll find it easier to concentrate.
A recurring problem linked to lack of concentration is the ease with which we can be distracted by our surroundings. Apart from the noise mentioned in the previous paragraph, many other objects can be sources of distraction: the telephone, television, a person, an animal, etc. We therefore recommend that you isolate yourself alone or in a small group, and switch off (or set to “do not disturb” mode) all nearby connected objects.
In the golden age of social networking, the smartphone can be the worst enemy when it comes to studying. Indeed, what may start out as a “simple reply to a message” can easily turn into 20 minutes of scrolling through Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.
Since the primary aim of these platforms is to keep the user in front of the screen for as long as possible, it makes sense that they are so detrimental when it comes to working. As mentioned above, the best way to avoid being tempted is to turn them off.
Although the aim is to stay focused for as long as possible, everyone eventually loses concentration through exhaustion. The brain is like a muscle: when stimulated, it tires until it needs to rest. Some people manage to stay focused for 15, 30, 40 or even 50 minutes on the same subject, but everyone needs to take breaks in order to remain effective. If you’re feeling like you’re daydreaming, needing to reread the same sentence over and over again, and not moving at the same pace, it’s probably a good time to take a break. It can be anything from 2 to 10 minutes, depending on how long you’ve been working, but the most important thing is that you don’t do anything that requires you to concentrate during this break. Drinking a glass of water, getting some fresh air or stretching your legs are all good ways to relax. For some people, this is a waste of time, but it’s always better to work 3 times 30 minutes with breaks than 1 hour 30 minutes without a break, but with moments of absence and lack of concentration.
These breaks are just as important as the work itself.
An individual’s ability to concentrate also depends on his or her lifestyle. To avoid excessive fatigue and/or headaches, it’s important to pay attention to these physical aspects:
Lack of sleep impairs your ability to concentrate, as you can see after a shorter night’s sleep. Make sure you get enough sleep (on average 8-11 hours for children and 7-9 hours for adults), in the right conditions and at the right time of day.
Concentrating takes a lot of energy. To think properly, you need to eat plenty of sugar and a balanced diet, both during revision and throughout the year. Avoid quick meals at lunchtime, as a full meal is not necessarily a waste of time. And don’t forget to drink enough throughout the day (we need 1.5 liters of water a day).
Being fit also depends on physical activity. A sedentary lifestyle can be very harmful to your health, and it’s essential to take part in physical activity and sport on a weekly basis.
En améliorant ces différents aspects de votre hygiène de vie, vous parviendrez à améliorer votre capacité de concentration au quotidien.
Finally, once you’ve acquired good work habits, as well as improving your concentration, you’ll become more efficient. Repetition will enable you not to work more, but to work better. These results will boost your confidence and improve your ability to concentrate. Taking a proactive approach to work is the best way to succeed in whatever you do.
