by livingdharmanow in Uncategorized

So you’re sitting at your computer getting some work done when you remember that you’re waiting on an email. So you open up gmail and look for it.

Maybe you got a message that reminded you of a call you need to make, so you take care of that. Then you open up your RSS feed reader and check new posts from your favorite blogs, and that turns into Facebook and that turns into Twitter, and next thing you know you’re watching videos of cats with their heads stuck in boxes.

Sound familiar?

So here’s are six ways to focus your mind and improve your concentration…WITHOUT resorting to caffeine.

1. Brain Dump/Journaling

I’ve discussed Brain Dumps before, and how helpful they can be

The idea is to take every nagging thought you have and write it down. Getting it on paper gets it out of your head.

It’s like when you were little, and had a nightmare. Even though it was scary, talking about it helped calm your fears and relaxed you enough to fall back asleep.

Brain dumps improve clarity and concentration and give you a tidy list of tasks to tackle for greater stress relief; journaling helps get emotional and day-to-day clutter out of your system.

Read Improve Your Focus and Stress Levels Right Now With a Brain Dump to find out more!

2. Meditate

This is probably an obvious recommendation.

Set a timer for 5 or 10 minutes, step back from your computer, and turn off your cell phone.

Close your eyes and focus on the feeling of your breath entering and leaving your nostrils, or try counting your breaths.

Your mind is probably feeling cluttered, so don’t be alarmed when your thoughts start racing. Don’t try to control your thoughts, just allow them to pass by.

After a few minutes without external stimulation, you should be feeling refreshed and a little more clear-headed.

Read my post How to Breathe for more ideas about how to structure your meditation session.

3. Tackle Nagging Tasks

Even if you don’t have time for a complete brain dump, make a to-do list of the nagging tasks that have been worrying you. Procrastinating on things you don’t want to do can cause more grief than if you commit to getting it done.

Write down every single errand you need to run, every person you need to call or email, every bill you need to pay, and then go down the list and get each one completed.

I promise, you’ll feel better immediately. And when you no longer have these distractions cluttering up your mind and causing stress, you’ll be able to focus on the other things that need to get done.

4. Exercise

Moving your body, even if it’s just for a few minutes, will immediately perk you up.

Stand up, and get away from your desk. Stretch. Walk around the room or up and down some stairs. Do jumping jacks. Take a break to jog to the bathroom.

Regular exercise will improve clarity even more, and give you more energy throughout your day.

5. Eat Something

This isn’t an excuse to eat junk food – quite the opposite. Don’t load up on empty calories, but eat something small for a quick energy pick-me-up. Avoid simple carbohydrates, and go for complex carbs, fiber, and protein.

Some healthy options include:

-carrots

-a handful of nuts (peanuts, cashews, almonds, walnuts, etc)

-an apple or banana with peanut butter

-avocado

-eggs

-yogurt (add some honey to it for even more energy)

6. Drink Water

No, really. You can feel sluggish if you’re dehydrated, and it’s easy to be dehydrated without realizing it or feeling thirsty.

The majority of your daily fluids should come from water, not sweetened drinks or sodas.

So even if you don’t think it’ll help, go grab a tall glass of cool water and slurp that sucker down.

7. Get some sleep!

Whether you need to adjust your sleeping schedule so you’re getting enough hours every night or you just need a nap, getting some shut-eye will definitely help your clarity.

Studies have shown that mid-day naps are extremely beneficial. Naps aren’t just for young children anymore!

So do yourself a favor and go lie down for 20-30 minutes. You’ll feel better when you wake up.

8. Step Away from the Computer Screen

Get yourself away from all technology, right now. Go outside. Feel the sun. Go for a walk. Do something away from everything with a power button.

If you need to get work done, take a notebook and pen and head to a different room in the house or office, or escape to another place like a coffee-shop.

I remember reading an article (unfortunately, I don’t remember where it was) about famous authors’ writing habits. One man gave himself four hours every day to sit down at his writing desk. He could do a couple of things there: stare out the window, daydream, do nothing, or write.

By forcing himself to sit down for a specific amount of time every day in a place where he had very few options but to get his work done, he inevitably always started working.

So turn off everything that might be a source of distraction, sit down, and focus.

Have you tried these? What works for you? What doesn’t? Leave a comment below or email me at livingdharmanow at gmail dot com!