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Anyone who has ever tried to concentrate on a time-consuming, boring task can attest to the fact that sometimes it can be very difficult. Scholars suggest five ways to get together.
Open any book on popular psychology and you will find tips on how to avoid distractions and finish your work faster. But only many of them are difficult to implement. How do you like the idea of spending the whole day wearing headphones? Or turn off the Internet so as not to look at social networks? Maybe you are able to instantly switch and imagine that your work is the most interesting, inspiring and fun? But if the tips do not work, what will help you not to be distracted?
1. Unplug
Can’t concentrate on important work? This may seem absurd, but – then do not try to do this. More and more researchers are coming to the conclusion that we spend a significant part of the day simply daydreaming and fantasizing. But this is not laziness, not a whim, but something necessary that helps the brain to function normally.
Concentration requires the concerted action of different parts of the brain, including the frontal lobe, which is responsible for countering distractions and controlling our natural drive to do more interesting things, among other things. It takes a lot of energy to keep this system running smoothly. So at a certain point we inevitably slow down and our mind starts to wander.
People who can turn off their brains are more successful at complex tasks than those who let their brains tell them when to work and when not to. Manage the process. Decide for yourself when you need maximum concentration, and when you can relax a little and switch off. And do not feel guilty about this – on the contrary, such switching will make work more efficient.
2. Watch a funny video
Cats, videos, funny statuses that are copied and spread over the Web endlessly seem like a distraction to us. But some psychologists believe that such videos, on the contrary, allow us to successfully cope with the work.
In one experiment, people who watched a funny video searched for a solution to a complex problem longer and more thoroughly than subjects from the control group, who were shown relaxing but not funny videos. The researchers concluded that in order for people to work effectively, offices need to create a relaxed, fun atmosphere. Of course, this does not mean that everyone should watch such videos all day long. However, it’s good to break into jokes from time to time, especially when you’re tired.
3. Load yourself up even more
As early as 1955, psychologist Nilli Lavy of University College London proposed a theory she called the Load Theory. According to her, there is a limit to how much information from the outside world our brain can process in a particular period of time. When it is overloaded, the attention system itself begins to choose what to focus on.
Levy’s experiments have shown that we work more efficiently not at empty, clean desks and in complete silence, but in disorder and chaos. “Perhaps this is because when the cells of perception are full, all the energy of the brain is directed to the most important task,” says the scientist. “Everything else just gets cut off.” The problem with implementing this idea is to provide the right amount of distractions and not over-load.
4. Take a break
When something urgently needs to be done, a break is the last thing that comes to mind. Everyone needs a little respite. We can focus on something for a maximum of 90 minutes, after which we need a 15-minute break.
Even a very short pause, lasting only a few seconds, can help – provided that you do not think about the current business. You can look out the window, perform a few simple arithmetic operations. Even better – take a walk, do a little warm-up, meditate.
5. Don’t stress too much.
“Take more breaks!” Joe Degutis and Mike Esterman of the Boston Attention and Learning Lab advise. Through a series of experiments, they found that the best way to stay focused is to work a little and then take a short pause. Those who tried to work without stopping ended up getting more tired and making more mistakes.
Christian Olivers from the Free University of Amsterdam agrees with these conclusions: “If you are in constant stress, work without a break, the ability to concentrate gradually fades away. Load yourself less. And don’t forget to take breaks more often – in the end you will have much more time.