One of the most effective strategies for improving productivity and becoming successful is to concentrate on your work and have an excellent memory to retain information. Lack of concentration and great memory leads to mediocre performance, high stress, and a life of quiet desperation. The good news is that you can train your mind to increase concentration, boost your learning abilities, and have a great memory.
If you are looking for easy ways to improve concentration and memory, this article has actionable daily tips to boost your brain power. Daily self-care habits that improve your body and mind, such as having enough sleep, reading, exercising, managing stress, avoiding distractions, and prioritizing, are essential to achieving high performance. Some of these strategies will work better than others. So, browse the list below and stick to what works for you.
Without further ado, here are the best 23 tips to increase concentration and boost your brain power.
1. Eat brain-healthy foods
High concentration and great memories are usually a result of how well you take care of yourself. Eat a well-balanced diet that contains vitamins and nutrients to boost your brain activities. A balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats can increase brain concentration and improve memory.
While discussing eating healthy food, it is also essential to eat enough food. Start with a rich breakfast, also considered the most important meal of the day. Breakfast alone can boost your mental focus and improve concentration throughout the day, as the brain will have enough energy necessary for high performance. Your lunch and dinner should also be protein and nutrient-rich to support all your brain activities and improve concentration.
2. Stay hydrated
Water is the most critical thing that can increase your concentration if you have it or ruin it if you are dehydrated. Your body needs water to function properly, and being hydrated is essential in your brain’s activities. Successful people and those with high concentration and mental focus have a high level of fluid intake.
Always drink adequate water daily, as dehydration will decrease your concentration and cognitive function.
3. Exercise regularly
Do you want to increase concentration and improve memory? If so, start with regular exercise. Exercising improves your physical health and helps you solve problems faster and effortlessly. Physical activity increases blood flow and oxygen to the brain, which helps improve memory and concentration.
4. Meditate, especially in the morning
Did you know that meditation can increase your attention span and enhance memory? That it’s true. Meditating makes you self-aware, lowers your negative feelings, and rests your heart rate, essential for increased concentration. A few minutes of medication per day can significantly increase your memory and concentration, especially if it is done in the morning.
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5. Get adequate sleep
Sleep is a cheap way to cure all hard work fatigue-related. If you are always tired and have low performance and memory capacity, all you need might be a great night’s sleep. Having enough sleep is different than randomly going to be with irregularity. Instead, the best way to sleep well is to go to bed early and have a regular sleep pattern. This way, you allow your body to have enough rest, increasing your concentration and boosting your memory.
6. Practice mindfulness
Being present and engaging fully in the moment can significantly improve your focus and memory. Start by sitting quietly, focusing on your thoughts and breathing to create a harmonic mental focus. If you can’t get your mind to focus in the moment, try using yoga to improve your breathing and increase your concentration.
7. Avoid multitasking
While multitasking is a great way to work on multiple problems and get ahead, taking on too many tasks simultaneously can ruin concentration. This is because the more you juggle through different issues back and forth, the less productive you become. Some of the tasks you work on become distractions. As a result, your concentration and performance decrease.
To increase concentration, try focusing on one task at a time. This keeps you grounded, eliminates distractions, and makes you more productive.
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8. Limit distractions
Distractions are usually the root cause of a lack of concentration. Have you ever been in an office where nothing gets done due to too much talking? You might also get distracted simply because you opened too many computer tabs. Distractions come in many forms, and keeping them out of your workplace can significantly improve your concentration and memory.
Before you work on essential tasks, prepare your workplace and avoid stretching yourself too thin. Keep out unwanted people and items, and always work when at work. Turn off the phone or put it in silence to avoid random notifications. Additionally, keep your workplace quiet and inviting to increase your concentration.
9. Focus on deep work
There is only one formula for increasing concentration. The secret is to work always when you are at work. Never allow random chats and lengthy conversations at work to avoid ruining your performance and concentration. You can always talk to your friends later after achieving your goals, but not before.
To succeed with this concentration strategy, allocate uninterrupted time to dive into a single task or project. Two hours of deep work followed by a 15-minute break is always a great way to improve productivity.
10. Break complex tasks into smaller parts
You probably don’t use the right problem-solving strategies if you lack concentration and have low memory. Taking on complex problems without simplifying them causes a lack of motivation and lowers concentration. Breaking down complex issues into smaller sections is an effective way to boost your brain performance.
Smaller sections of the problem are manageable as they are simple and require less energy. This makes the task less daunting, increases productivity, and boosts concentration.
11. Take brain training activities
Engaging in brain training activities is a great way to increase your brain power, concentration, and memory. There are many brain teaser games, activities, and training you can get involved with, depending on your interest. The most effective activities to improve your concentration are puzzles or memory-boosting games. Here are the most common brain training activities to boost concentration.
- Chess
- Memory games
- Sudoku
- Jigsaw puzzles
- Word scrambles
- Crossword puzzles
Of course, you can focus on what works for you, but the most critical step in improving your performance is to get started. If you don’t like these activities, practice them in a group or during a family gathering. This is a fun way to change your life.
12. Maintain regular routines
We cannot talk about strategies to increase concentration and memory without covering the importance of establishing regular routines. The brain is like a sponge that takes in information and stores it. If we feed information into our brains in disorder without a routine or a strategy, the brain also stores that information the way it was received. Doing things randomly and figuring out what to do as you go causes mental fatigue and a lack of concentration. The brain does not know what is happening or what to expect next. So, your focus decreases, and you get more stressed and easily distracted.
Regular routines can reduce cognitive load, leaving more mental energy for important tasks. For example, you can go to bed at the same time every day, make your bed every morning, eat breakfast at the same time, and work out daily. This routine helps the brain know what is happening and prepare for it, which reduces stress and improves concentration.
13. Practice active reading
Reading is another excellent way to increase concentration and memory, and I found it effective. Before I started reading books, my memory was low, and my concentration was average, just like everyone else’s.
After reading a few books, I discovered that my interest in learning increased, boosting my concentration and memory.
To make it work, focus on books you enjoy reading. Books related to your career focus or interest are great starting points.
You can also engage with the material by taking notes, summarizing the book, and discussing what you have read with people.
14. Implement memory-boosting techniques
If you struggle with retaining information or lack concentration, getting involved with a memory-boosting technique might help improve your concentration. There are many memory-boosting strategies out there, but some are more effective than others.
According to VeryWellMinded, techniques such as mnemonic devices, the Method of Loci, or the Spaced Repetition Technique can boost your memory. These techniques and memory-boosting devices can help you remember numbers, lists of things, or important information about problems you are dealing with.
15. Manage stress
If you have a low memory and can’t concentrate, you are certainly stressed. Stress is a big killer of concentration, and if not managed, it can ruin your life and cause you to lose your job. It is hard to concentrate when your mind is not in the right place due to stress.
To boost your concentration and memory, practice daily stress management strategies. Find healthy coping mechanisms that work for you. Simple daily habits such as meditation, deep breathing, relaxation techniques such as Yoga, exercising, and getting enough sleep can help you lower your stress level and rest your brain. Once your brain is fully rested and recovered, concentration becomes easier.
Read more: 5 best stress management activities for busy people
16. Limit alcohol intake
The love of alcohol might be the reason you struggle with concentration, and your memory is shallow. Your brain needs to be clutter-free to think optimally and help you solve complex problems. Being under the influence, however, automatically impairs your brain capacity and hinders your concentration effort. You cannot think straight or concentrate long enough when your brain is battling alcohol and other mind-bending products.
Excessive alcohol inhibits the brain’s function and can impair memory and concentration. Alcohol does not do you good, especially when you want a complete focus.
17. Avoid caffeine
Similarly to alcohol, caffeine affects your thinking ability and lowers your concentration as it affects your ability to sleep. For example, if you have established a routine to sleep at 9 PM, caffeine might push your sleeping time to 11:00 PM, affecting your sleeping patterns and the following day’s schedule and focus.
If you cannot avoid caffeine altogether, at least be mindful of how much caffeine you consume. Too much caffeine can cause jitters and concentration problems.
Nurture your social relationships to improve your concentration. Social interactions stimulate your brain, improving your mental capacity and focus.
19. Keep learning: 30 minutes of reading is good
There is no greater way to increase your concentration and memory than continuous learning. Learning new things boosts your brain’s ability to capture and retain information. Learning is like exercise for the brain. The more you learn, the better your concentration and memory become. Every bit of information and skill you acquire makes you a better person by building your confidence and increasing your mental focus.
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20. Take regular breaks
Working hard and smart is a great way to get ahead on your project. But you cannot work continuously without taking breaks. Taking regular breaks is one of the fastest ways to improve your concentration.
For optimal performance, take quick breaks every 1.5 to 2 hours. Regular breaks not only reset your brain, but breaks can also boost your creativity and increase your concentration. Taking the time to rest and recharge your brain increases your overall productivity.
21. Reflect on what you’ve learned
While continuous learning can help boost your brain capacity and increase concentration, you should also reflect on what you have learned for maximum effect. Reflecting on what you have learned helps you fully register information in your brain. This is like learning by repetition.
The more you practice what you have learned, the more intelligent you become. Increased levels of intelligence also boost your confidence and concentration. Always take the time to review information or skills you’ve gained to reinforce your memory.
22. Prioritize what’s important
Most people lack concentration due to a lack of goal-setting and prioritization. Instead of planning their days, they start doing whatever comes into their minds. You cannot have a productive day without a plan.
You must prioritize, focus on essential tasks, and delegate less important ones. Whenever you focus on the most critical tasks, you avoid multitasking or wasting energy and resources, which helps increase concentration and memory. Even if you don’t finish everything you had on schedule, at least the most important ones will be completed.
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23. Practice good posture
Physical pain can be one of the biggest reasons people lack concentration. If you sit in an office for 8 hours daily, you might develop back pain that lowers your concentration effort. A good sitting posture helps you concentrate more and improve your memory even if you have suitable chairs or equipment.
No matter what you do, always maintain a good posture to stay comfortable. For example, you can have an office chair that allows you to switch postures by sitting or standing while working. Sitting upright can also increase blood flow and oxygen levels in your brain, enhancing cognitive function and mental focus.
