Concentration is the act of focusing one’s attention. When you concentrate, you focus your mental effort on one subject, though, or object. While doing so, you exclude any unrelated feelings, thoughts, ideas, or sensations. Learning how to concentrate at work is essential for succeeding in your career.

Benefits of concentrating at work

Because concentration is the ability to apply your undivided attention to any single task, subject, thought, or object, the ability to maintain concentration will enable you to perform any work-related task or responsibility more successfully. You will be able to reach a decision or solution more quickly and accomplish tasks effectively and efficiently. Some other benefits of the ability to concentrate at work are:

 

You are faster. You can complete tasks more quickly and with greater creativity, increasing your overall productivity.

Produce higher quality work. You can complete tasks with fewer mistakes and come up with more creative ideas.

• Less stress.

Eliminating distractions from your work means you reduce the likelihood of falling behind and thereby have less stress in your day. You’re also able to better see which responsibilities should be delegated or outsourced rather than taking it all on yourself.
 

How to improve your concentration and memory

Regular exercise strengthens the body, but the mind also benefits from purposeful mental exercise that improves memory and concentration. Here are several steps to take:

• Meditate

Meditation is beneficial for many reasons. It reduces stress, helps you feel calm, and can boost your attention span. Research even shows it increases gray matter in the brain, which benefits your memory and cognition.

To reap the benefits of meditation at work, start your morning with a quick meditation session. The meditation can be as simple as sitting up straight in bed and focusing on your breathing for a few minutes. If you feel like you need more, try a guided meditation video.  If you feel your focus slipping at work, close your eyes for a few moments and take a deep breath to bring your attention back to your duties.

•  Exercise

Exercise helps boost your brain’s ability to ignore distractions. Maintaining your weight is also a great way to keep your memory in top condition. 

Try to work out regularly or implement short bursts of activity during your workday to help give your brain a boost. A brisk walk around the parking lot during your lunch hour every day could be enough to improve your concentration and amplify your productivity. You could also develop a routine of visiting a gym before or after work. 

• Develop willpower

To better hone your willpower, focus on one goal at a time. Be specific and clear about your goals and commit to them. Some of the previous tips naturally help strengthen willpower, such as meditation or setting a timer so you are only focused on a single task. The more you can develop your willpower and resist temptation, the more focused you will likely be.

•  Work on memorization

Memorization is not only great for retaining information, but it also exercises your memory muscles. Memorization can lead to increased vocabulary and improved writing. It can also help you stay focused on important tasks because you are used to working out your brain. Aim to memorize a poem, quote, verse, or piece of trivia each week to help train your brain.

•  Read more

Even though access to reading material has increased exponentially with the rise of the digital age, the amount of time most people spend reading said material has not. More so, online scrolling habits tend to make people less engaged with written content.

Challenge yourself to read an actual book more often. In addition to reading and analyzing a book, try to read a couple of long articles each week. Concentrating on a longer book or article challenges your reading comprehension and forces you to pay attention. Over time, you will find yourself better able to focus on other tasks such as work assignments and even conversations.

•  Be more attentive

Practicing attentive listening is an essential interpersonal skill you will need in the workplace. Start being more attentive in the conversations you have with loved ones and coworkers. For instance, you could make it a point not to check your phone while you’re eating lunch with a colleague. Active listening involves listening with all the senses. You should use both verbal and nonverbal cues to convey your attentiveness to the speaker, including nodding your head, agreeing, and maintaining eye contact.