⇑Memletics Manual » State » Mental state » Attention & concentration

Attention and concentration

Attention and concentration are fundamental to learning and memorizing. If you don’t pay attention when you first encounter a particular fact, it’s unlikely it even makes it into your memory. If it isn’t in there, you don’t have much chance of recalling it.

Nearly all the other good state principles influence your attention and concentration. For example, a distracting environment affects your concentration. Not eating well or failing to follow natural body rhythms also negatively impacts concentration. You may also find it hard to concentrate if you don’t believe the material you are studying contributes to your overall goals.

If you find your concentration wandering or staying attentive is difficult, scan through all the state layers and see if there is an obvious problem somewhere.

You may also want to try some specific concentration techniques during study, or try some longer-term exercises to improve your overall concentration. Let’s look at these two in more detail.

Concentration techniques during study

Some specific techniques can help you stay focused on your material. These include:

• “Be here now.” Every time you find yourself distracted, say “Be Here Now.” Say it aloud if possible, otherwise just repeat it in your mind. Then bring your attention back to your task. In the beginning, you may find that you do this a lot. Over time, you gain more focus and your mind stays where you want it.
• The spider approach. If you hold a vibrating tuning fork next to a spider web, the spider usually comes to see what’s happening, thinking it may be an insect. Do it a few times and the spider eventually chooses to ignore the distraction. You too can train yourself to ignore distractions. The sensations from your ears and eyes are simply sensations you can choose whether to react to or not.
• Paragraph marking. If you are reading a book or article, tick each paragraph as you read it. Use a pencil in case you want to re-read parts of it later.
• Keep a distraction log. Every time you find yourself distracted, draw a tick or write the current time on a separate piece of paper. This is your distraction log. Initially the number of distractions may surprise you. By highlighting your distractions, you can begin to control and reduce them.
• Write down distractions. If something important comes up as a distraction, simply write it down so you can deal with it later. Better yet, set a distraction time. Agree with yourself to take a break and deal with those distractions at that time.
• Switch topics. Rather than spending a long time on one particular topic, switch between various unrelated topics if possible. The brain loves variety and rewards you with better concentration.
• Make it interactive. If studying with others, plan some time to get together and discuss the material you are learning. Even if you are not at the same stage in the course, simply agree to spend ten minutes listening to one another talk about their current study topic.

Longer-term improvement of concentration

The previous techniques are good for keeping up concentration while you study. Some longer-term techniques can improve your overall concentration as well. These include:

• Games. The old card game of “Concentration” is still effective in improving concentration. If you have not come across it, the basic idea is to lay down a set of playing cards in a grid, all face-down. You then turn over a pair of cards. If they match number and color (if using playing cards), then you take them out of the grid. If they don’t match, you place them back face down and pick another pair. Better concentration, through practice, results in a shorter time to clear the grid. You can also play with a friend for competition. The one with the most pairs at the end of the game wins!

Many expensive software packages claiming to improve concentration still use this principle in many guises, often with pictures instead of playing cards. There are also free computer games, based on Concentration, available on the Internet. Using these and some notes in a spreadsheet to track progress can be just as effective as the more expensive packages. ^ý

• Meditation. Meditation is an effective way of improving your concentration. See my comments in “Mental Relaxation” for more comments on meditation.
• Other exercises. Many other exercises can help you increase your concentration. From simply staring at a fixed point or candle, to martial arts, these can all help improve your overall concentration.

Environment and concentration

When possible, choose a place for learning that is relatively free from external distractions. This helps attention and concentration. Let family, friends, or colleagues know that you are studying and would prefer no interruptions for a while. Use a do not disturb sign—but don’t overuse it!

Be aware of unwanted noise in your environment, including noise from overhead lights or electrical equipment. Consider using light background music to mask this noise if you are unable to control it.

Also, be aware of visual distractions, even if they are only in your peripheral vision. For example, while in a library sit facing a wall in a secluded area, rather than near a passageway or door.

Even in the best-planned environment, you may still have interruptions. Train yourself to pause for a moment before responding to an interruption. During that pause make a note, mentally or on paper, of where you are. It’s then easier to regain your concentration when you return. How do you train yourself? An idea is to ask someone to help you. Role-play the interruption and your action!