Reading requires a level of concentration that is not always easy to attain. You can improve your focus by finding a good place to read, energizing your body and mind. Learning how to focus on reading is pretty much important.
Learning to focus better will also help you become more productive in your professional or academic career. Addicting technology is so embedded in our daily lives that we have become accustomed to having the information we want available within few seconds on our fingerprints. We constantly switch between apps, and when we get a notification, we drop what whatever we are doing and check it out.
These habits are impairing our concentration and making it difficult for us to focus on tasks like reading that require sustained focus.
How to improve your reading instantly:
It doesn’t matter what your reading material is: textbooks, online articles, Kindle, or a novel. If you are having trouble focusing, we are trying to avoid it. But then you would also have to figure out how to stop procrastinating. You can use the word of the day app in order to improve your vocabulary
Screen Time and Your Attention:
Excessive screen time and incessant notifications may also contribute to your mental health. Early research on this topic links symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and heavy screen use. Prioritizing quiet time when we can focus on hobbies and tasks that require sustained attention is a great way to improve your concentration, spending hours every day staring at a screen will be disruptive.
Try some basic concentration exercises:
A few minutes of meditation each morning can be beneficial for your overall mental health, but if you would rather try something a little more active, a “moving” meditation practice might be a better fit. For example, leaving your phone at home and taking a walk with the intention of being mindful, focusing on your breath.
Eliminate Distractions:
If you find yourself easily distracted when you read, then you need to figure which distractions can be eliminated. For example, if your phone starts ringing while you’re reading, this is a distraction that is in your control and you can eliminate it. Just turn your phone off for the time that you’ll be reading. If you have the constant urge to check your email or Facebook while you read, then try turning your computer off while reading.
Improve your Nutrition for better Concentration:
What you eat and drink affects your concentration. The simplest change is to have less sugar and more protein in your diet. Foods that are good for your body and energy levels generally help the brain too.
Focus on the Motivation for Reading:
If you’re bored by something, there’s probably a reason you are trying to read it anyway. Use that to your advantage. It could be getting a good grade in a class, doing your job well, or learning a new skill. Making it through the boring words is a step in that direction.
Distance yourself from your phone:
Studies have shown that smartphones are a great distraction, and that the absence of one when completing a task can make you more than 25% more productive.
Get more sleep:
Studies have shown that getting a sufficient amount of sleep is key for good concentration and memory. Sleepiness can slow down thought processes, increase irritability, and disrupt learning, thereby interfering with your ability to focus on a book. Try to get between 7-9 hours of sleep a night, as is recommended for most adults.
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