7 Tips To Improve Your Concentration

1. Counting backward from 100 to 1. - Try counting 100 to 1 by using your inner voice. By doing this, you are actually training your mind to be more concentrated to your inner voice. Try visualize the number as vivid as possible while you counting it. While doing this, you will feel really bored at first, but after some practice, you will find your mind become more focused while you are thinking about something important.

2. Visual Meditation version 1 - You do it by selecting any geometric shape you found around you, and then focus your eyes on that shape for about 5 to 15 minutes. For example, while you are sitting in a restaurant, waiting for your friend to come, you look at your watch, you notice its round shape(at this point, just ignore anything else, just concentrate on the round shape of the your watch) and look at it without thinking about anything else. You will feel your whole body and even your mind started to calm down and relax. By doing this, you are actually training your visual meditation. Simple yet effective exersize. Anytime, anywhere.

3. Visual Meditation version 2 - This time, you need a piece of paper, and you need to draw a geometric shape, for example a box shape on that paper, and then put the paper about 30 - 60 centimeter in front of you, and then focus your eyes on the box shape for about 5 to 10 minutes. The effect is same like Visual Meditation Version 1. You may want to do this with a table in front of you.

4. Bionic ears - while sitting calmly, try to use your ear to listen carefully to the sound all around you. Try to tell yourself about what you just hear. For example, ile you listening carefully, you heard a fan, then tell yourself "fan", and then when you heard your neighbour's child crying, you said to your self "neighbour's child crying" and so on. Try to identify and differentiate as many sound as possible. By doing this, you are actually training your ear to be more focused. Try it, it will be fun, really.

5. Empty your mind - You can do this while sitting alone in your room with your eyes and ears closed. And then, try push away any thought from your mind. Try to keep this for about 5 to 10 minutes. You may want to use alarm clock to wake you up after 5 to 10 minutes later. By doing this, you are training to control what comes into your mind.

6. Say the alphabet backwards - This is another version of counting backward from 100 to 1 but this time is using alphabet. Try visualize the letter as vivid as possible while saying it. With some practice, your concentration will increase.

7. A candle flame – Sitting in front of a candle and concentrating on nothing but the flame for 5 – 10 minutes will enhance your powers of concentration considerably.


***updated version :P