How to practice mindfulness to improve focus

“Gloria Mark (University of California) has shown that average people switch their attention once every 47 seconds.”

”It takes about 23 minutes to return to work after a complete distraction.

This adds to about 2 to 2.5 hours of productive time lost daily.”

Maintaining attention is a daily challenge, even for high achievers. Mindfulness is also essential to staying focused on the task at hand.

A Harvard University study (2010) states,

“Practicing mindfulness reduces these distractions and makes people more focused.”

With consistent practice, mindfulness will help your brain reduce distractions and increase sustained attention. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a busy parent, or an office worker, this article will show you how to practice mindfulness to improve focus and productivity naturally.

Wake up in the morning

Waking up in the morning is the best mindfulness practice to improve attention. You will wake up at 5 am regularly. Benefits of waking up at 5 am,

Dawn is the calmest, most focused, and creative time of the day.

Successful people use this time for their physical and mental development. (“The 5 am Club”)

As soon as you wake up, take three deep breaths before getting out of bed. Some of these benefits are: It calms your mind and increases oxygen in your brain to get you out of bed.

Exercise

Exercise is essential to improving attention. It can also be a mindfulness practice. Physical exercise increases heart rate and delivers more blood and oxygen to the brain. This activates the work of neurons, resulting in increased attention and thinking power.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH),

”Yoga and mindfulness-based practices increase attention span and increase mental awareness.”

If you wake up regularly in the morning and do yoga, mindfulness exercises, walking, running, swimming, etc., you will get more focus on your work.

Single-task practice

You choose one task every day. You will post a blog at a particular time every day. While doing this, notice when your mind deviates from the work, see it, and bring your mind back to the work. Single-tasking trains your brain to focus completely on one thing, which is a key component of mindfulness.

Mindful listening

 

Whenever you talk to someone, listen carefully to what they are saying. It has been seen that your boss is talking about an essential topic in your office, you will listen carefully. Make eye contact with your boss and nod your head to his words, making your boss feel more important to you.

According to the University of Illinois (2013):

”Practice mindful listening increases working memory and attention span.”

When you are at home, listen to your wife attentively. When she speaks, put the phone aside and make eye contact. Mindful listening strengthens attention and builds a deeper connection.

Mindfulness meditation for attention

Take a short break from work and practice mindfulness meditation. This will force you to focus on your work and eliminate any fatigue you may be experiencing.

“Remember, mindfulness is being right where you are.” — Jon Kabat-Zinn

Daily practice rejuvenates your brain for better attention and stress tolerance.

Mindful eating

Mindful eating is important. Most of the time, we eat very quickly, which is harmful to our bodies. Due to the irregularity of food, various kinds of problems can occur. You should eat at a specific time every day. Never eat completely; keep your stomach somewhat empty.

Listen to music

When you are tired while working, you can listen to music. This will help you increase your focus. Listening to some relaxing music is a great way to focus on yourself. Listen to your favorite song at a low volume for a while. This will keep your mind happy, and you will be focused on your work.

By increasing your attention through consistent practice, these small changes will make significant changes in your work, relationships, and life. So take a breath, choose an exercise, and start. When you practice mindfulness, your mind is not easily distracted.

“A study by Harvard University has shown that mindfulness meditation can increase attention by up to 43%.”