Gratitude And Concentration

Continuing from the past 2 days of posting on Gratitude & Concentration, I will wrap up the topic with this last post. Today’s post will deal with some other steps to improve concentration which will lead to increased gratitude.

1. Whenever possible, minimize external distractions. Your restless mind is probably the greatest distraction, but a controlled environment can help. Turn off your phone and wait until later to check your email. Keep your desk free of clutter and any work that is not important right now. If you can’t find a quiet spot, consider using white noise recordings, instrumental music, or earplugs to cancel out the unwanted noise.

2. Ano
ther step to improve your concentration is to get fully engaged in what you’re doing. It’s easier to focus when you’re actively involved. You will see how you can well you can feel gratitude when you are focused. Take notes in class. Highlight passages while you read. Think about questions you want to ask a speaker. Invent ways to improve a routine household chore. I am guilty of multi-tasking and not always immersing myself in what I am doing.

3. In order to concentrate more, try to vary your activities. While you’re increasing your attention span, it may be helpful to switch from one activity to another to remain alert. So if you feel stuck writing a report, go return some phone calls for a while – you’ll feel rejuvenated when you come back to the report. You will still be focused on one task at a time, but you can chunk down the pieces and take a mini break on one thing when you work on another.

4. Speaking of mini-breaks, you should also plan re
gular breaks. Taking breaks can improve your performance. Chat with your co-workers or walk around the block. Reward yourself with an activity you enjoy after completing a difficult project. Just standing up from time to time is refreshing because it helps your brain get more oxygen.

5. A major stumbling block for me that I am currently working on is that I am trying to avoid overloading your schedule. Budgeting your time realistically can make it easier to concentrate. You’ll be less likely to get distracted by worries about getting everything done. If you’re chronically overloaded, you may need to adjust your priorities. When you have a very full schedule, you wlll not feel the love, joy, and gratitude that you want to feel.

6. Last but not least, you must remember to take care of your health. Your physical health affects all your mental functioning. Get adequate sleep and rest. Maintain a healthy weight by eating a nutritious diet and getting daily
exercise. Never take your health for granted (and taking anything for granted is the opposite of gratitude!)

Your ability to focus will improve with practice. As you learn to concentrate more fully, you’ll enjoy greater peace of mind and productivity.

Be Well.
Paul.
The Gratitude Guru