Concentration

[Charles]

Hi.

I have a massive concentration problem - I have plenty of interest - I flit through interesting leads in areas that grab my attention. I am fairly good at expressing myself, and at writing but my abilitiy to read or write, something academic which is not of the highest interest, for a sustained period of time is awful. I am easily distracted and not focused. I wonder if anyone has had any past experience with this and its causes they'd like to share with me? or any lifestyle/dietary/medical changes that might increase my ability to focus.

Thanks.

Charles

nb. I should say for clarification Im a young student, Im not 'a party animal', I dont smoke Cannabis.

[Betsy]

I have a massive concentration problem - I have plenty of interest - I flit through interesting leads in areas that grab my attention. I am fairly good at expressing myself, and at writing but my abilitiy to read or write, something academic which is not of the highest interest, for a sustained period of time is awful.

Try to arrange things so that you read and write only what IS of the "highest interest" as much as possible. Motivation is everything.

[Thales]

To add to Betsy's point.

The important thing is to be motivated. You have to be convinced that there is value to what you're doing. Just think of the benefits that will accrue if you study the subject, and think of the benefits you will gain if you gain good studying habits. Contrast it with the down side of having bad studying habits. It's especially important to think of the long range.

Also, try using concentration intervals of a few minutes. I have a technique where I tell myself for the next ten minutes I will concentrate fully on a subject I need to study. I actually look at my watch and give a starting time and ending time.

You can keep on tacking on intervals to go longer and longer. But what this does is give you clear quantifiable intervals, in which you know there is a beginning and and end, so you can achieve the goal.

You have to will yourself for the interval. I see it as akin to priming a pump. Once your mind is primed, you've put yourself in the mood, or at least mode, to study.

I usually find that when I don't want to study, and I have to study, this works to get me in the mood. It usually only takes one interval and I find myself engrossed in what I'm doing. Though sometimes it takes more.

Finally, set up a daily/weekly regime to stick to. The regime should be set up with your long term achievement of some grand goal or goals in mind (built in motivation). You are not also going to want to study, so by having regime it forces you to study when you don't want to.

If you study because it's a duty, you won't be motivated. If you study because it will improve your life long range, you'll have motivation.

Those are a few ideas.

[Bryan]

Hi.

I have a massive concentration problem - I have plenty of interest - I flit through interesting leads in areas that grab my attention. I am fairly good at expressing myself, and at writing but my abilitiy to read or write, something academic which is not of the highest interest, for a sustained period of time is awful. I am easily distracted and not focused

...

This book has been recommended on this forum before and I'm going to recommend it again. Study Methods and Motivation, by Edwin Locke, available through the Ayn Rand Bookstore is an excellent book regarding this very topic. Its only $12 and its a relatively quick read at 183 pages (although if you do the recommended excercises in the first part it takes a little more time to get through). I have benefited a great deal from reading it.

[iouswuoibev]

Here's something a psychologist once recommend that I try. Though this was to try and motivate myself rather than help with my concentration, but I suspect the two are inter-related.

What you do is estimate how long you think you could keep your attention on a particular task. It shouldn't be too long but should be long enough that you can figure out what you're doing and actually achieve something, even if the achivement is very modest. I went with 10 minute when I first tried this.

When you do this it is important you stick to the time allocated, and then when that time is up you have to STOP and not do anymore.

Then simply repeat this (EDIT: The following day). Keep doing it until you feel you can take on a bit more, and again stick to the allocated time. The idea is that you are picking up momentum, to "get the ball rolling", and you'll find that the task you are performing is more interesting than you first realised. At least, that's how it worked for me.

[Charles]

Thankyou for the advice, I shall get the book and I shall try the stunted study thing.

[ANGELSP]

The correct focus it is important to have a good concentration.

I think that the actual forms of writing and reading are not very good for creativity and concentration tasks.

It is logical because one objective of the actual note taking method is to mantain the thoughts in the future and the objective of the actual writing method is not to focus correctly in the topics for a better knowledge.

Edited June 11, 2005 by ANGELSP

[softwareNerd]

Here's something a psychologist once recommend that I try.

... the achivement is very modest.

... Keep doing it until you feel you can take on a bit more, ...

Similar advice works to "de-automatize" other automatized behavior, psychological or otherwise. A co-worker trying to get over a fear of lizards was taken through small steps: pictures of lizards, plastic lizards... last I knew she had a permanent plastic lizard on her desk!

Similarly, someone who doesn't exercise or doesn't diet may start small, and progress gradually.

The methodology has merit. It does have one drawback: if the steps are so small as to not show noticable results, one could lose one's motivation.

Another technique --- relevant to a few types of automatized behavior -- is to "be someone else" in a very specific circumstance. Sometimes, you will be surprised at how much you observe about someone else, and perhaps even admire, but do not emulate. If there is some aspect about yourself that you do not like, and want to change, think about someone you know who is really good in that particular aspect/area. In the relevant circumstance, just "be that person". Just let the little actor inside you take over and play pretend.

Aside: Those who have acted in a play might have experienced how the character you are playing can sometimes linger on for some minutes, even hours, after you're back in the "real world".

(Disclaimer: None of this is second-handedness. Reasoned thinking about what you want to change about yourself is critical; rational motivation is critical. These are just exercises to help practice new behavior.)

[chicken2thigh]

Dear Charles

It is a kind of of serious thing because I have the same problem but I tend to put my mind on other things that I've been going through. If you have it rough then that might just be it. When I was in school I use to daze and and start to daydream, I got very distracted and I couldn't focus on any work. I would want to tell you how to cure it but I've had this problem for years and I still think I'LL HAVE THIS PROBLEM FOR awhile.

( I don't smoke any thing either it's just a problem)

Sincerely [email protected]

[Fixed formatting irregularities. - f]

Edited July 28, 2005 by Felipe