1. First understand clearly what concentration
is: “Concentration is taking your
mind off many things and putting it on one thing at a time.”
2. Decide carefully what you want to concentrate
on, for in many subtle and
not-so-subtle ways, you become that which you focus on — that is, you take on
the attributes of your chosen subject of concentration. Have you ever noticed
how couples who have been married for many years start to look like each other,
or how people often come to resemble their pets, their cars, their hobbies, or
their work projects?
3. Generally speaking, everyone has had
experiences in total concentration. Go to a good adventure film at a movie theater. In the middle of
it, stop watching the movie (this might be hard, but do it anyway) and look
around at the people in the theater. What are they doing? They are absolutely
still, eyes barely blinking, and their breath is slower. It would take a really
major distraction to break their attention stream. These physiological signs
may give you a hint about ways to increase your own concentration abilities.
4. Some of the enemies of concentration skills
are constant sensory input,
multi-tasking, trying to do many things all a the same time, loud noises, and
flashing light patterns. The human nervous system is a marvelous thing, but it
is not built to function in the face of these things on a full-time basis.
Attention deficit patterns come, at least to some extent, from the activities
or situations which make concentration difficult to impossible. Then a habit of
non-attention or inability to concentrate deeply is established and difficult
to overcome.
5. Make it a point to put your full
concentration on whatever you are doing. Don’t let anything distract you. It really helps to be in a quiet
place, but you can learn to block out noise if necessary.
6. Understand the essential connection between
concentration and energy. Deep
concentration is a matter of increasing or directing your life-force or
conscious, cosmic energy. The more of this kind of energy you have, the better.
Scattered energy doesn’t help. It must be calm, focused energy. Learn to be
calmly concentrated and be concentratedly calm.
7. Learn and practice some physical and mental
energization techniques. This is an
important first step toward the ability to concentrate deeply.
8. Take breaks. Go outside and breathe deeply or take a
brisk walk. Make yourself do this often and you’ll be able to return to your
task recharged and ready to focus more creatively.
9. Meditation is the most powerful of all
concentration enhancement techniques. Learn a few simple meditation techniques and practice them at
least five minutes daily.
10. A first step in the concentration aspect of
meditation is to focus on watching your breath — not controlling it in any way, but just
observing it. This helps to train yourself in taking your mind off of many
things, and putting it on one thing at a time — in this case the breath. As you
observe your breath, it will calm down, your brain will calm down also (this is
a scientifically well-documented, mind-breath connective function), and you
automatically move into a dynamic, peaceful (but not sleepy) state of being.
Your mind becomes recharged and creatively receptive.
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