How to improve your concentration

[matthyaouw]

This is a place full to the brim with academics, so maybe you can help me out here. What do you do when you have work to do, but you just can't seem to get on with it?
My concentration is terrible at times, and today is no exception unfortunately... Surely some of you have had this problem before?

 

[omicron]

Take breaks. And make sure you are well rested. I'm not to sure about this one but it can depend on the food you eat

 

[check]

Turn off the TV, close the web browser, put on your favourite band and just give'r. The harder part is getting started, but after that, it's pretty easy.

 

[Moonbear]

You've got a bad case of inertia there, huh? (That's what I call it when you just can't motivate yourself to start a project.) Usually that happens when it's something I really just don't want to do, so easily find other things to do by way of procrastination. The best way to combat it is to figure out what the absolute easiest part of it is to do, and just do that to get you started, then once you're into it, it's easier to keep the momentum going. For example, on a homework set, look for the easiest problem, or just review the class notes before starting, on a lab report, write up the methods, those are always the easiest because you know what you did, on an essay or other report, maybe the easiest is to take a walk to the library and start gathering the reference books you'll need, and worry about really reading them later.

I find working in a place with no distractions (disconnect the internet, turn off the TV and phone, and use earphones for music...not radio where they interrupt to talk and you might start paying attention to that...does a good job for creating the right environment for me).

And, sometimes you just have to buckle down and do it. Last minute panic is a fantastic motivator when all else fails, but it's best not to have to resort to that too often.

 

[jimmy p]

I know its the wrong time to do work, but usually first thing in the morning when you are fresh and ready is better to do work and concentrate than in the evening. Some of my best homework was done before lessons started at school/college.

 

[Moses]

haha, great! I post two threads in the acdemics forums to help me in this problem, but they were no re-plies.

General discussion is the best for this issues, I might even start posting my physics questions here

ohhh...i do not know if this post is useful or no...but i was desperate to psot it since i long time, URrrrrrrrrrgh those people who ignored my thread there...

 

[mattmns]

One word: Prozac.

Thats the one right?

 

[Moonbear]

One word: Prozac.

Thats the one right?

Nope, Ritalin. But not being able to make yourself sit down and do a project that seems a bit difficult or uninteresting doesn't mean you have ADD. If, even in the last minute flurry of panic a day before the deadline, you still find yourself unable to keep focused on task, then you might want to see if you have other symptoms. I think it's more rare for someone to always keep ahead of deadlines than for people to encounter cases of inertia.

 

[BobG]

This is a place full to the brim with academics, so maybe you can help me out here. What do you do when you have work to do, but you just can't seem to get on with it?
My concentration is terrible at times, and today is no exception unfortunately... Surely some of you have had this problem before?

I have a screen saver on my work computer just for those occasions. It goes searching for large documents and outputs them on my screen one character at a time, complete with sound effects that sound like typing. Since I sit with my back to the door, no ones knows the difference (except when they start wondering how I ever became so proficient at typing with my nose).

 

[brewnog]

Tea is accepted amongst many circles to be one of the most productivity enhancing substances on earth. Works for me!

 

[Smurf]

I have a screen saver on my work computer just for those occasions. It goes searching for large documents and outputs them on my screen one character at a time, complete with sound effects that sound like typing. Since I sit with my back to the door, no ones knows the difference (except when they start wondering how I ever became so proficient at typing with my nose).

I ABSOLUTELY MUST GET THAT! You have to help me! I may die of anxiety if you don't

 

[Moonbear]

I have a screen saver on my work computer just for those occasions. It goes searching for large documents and outputs them on my screen one character at a time, complete with sound effects that sound like typing. Since I sit with my back to the door, no ones knows the difference (except when they start wondering how I ever became so proficient at typing with my nose).

LOL! I want one of those! Oh, wait, nobody comes into check on me, that's my job to see that everyone is working...darn. Still, sounds cool!

In the Dilbert heyday, their website had a button on it that said, "The boss is coming!" and if you clicked on it, the screen went to an image of an excel spreadsheet. I loved that!

 

[the number 42]

Tea is accepted amongst many circles to be one of the most productivity enhancing substances on earth. Works for me!

Teabag!

 

[franznietzsche]

I have a screen saver on my work computer just for those occasions. It goes searching for large documents and outputs them on my screen one character at a time, complete with sound effects that sound like typing. Since I sit with my back to the door, no ones knows the difference (except when they start wondering how I ever became so proficient at typing with my nose).

Ok bob, now you have everyone asking for it, where can we get this? PLEASE!

 

[BobG]

Actually, it was a basic program I wrote back in the old Z-100 days. Wordstar, Peachtext, etc., all had black backgrounds with white letters, so it was easy to do. I don't think I could model Word (why doesn't someone sell a screen saver like this?)