During school life, students face several challenges. The most common among them is being able to concentrate. The majority of students claim to have difficulty in focusing on their studies. Teenagers make the most of this majority. They have numerous distractions and wandering minds, which makes concentrating quite a task for them. Not only teen students but also their parents and teachers have the same concern.

Consequences of Lack of Concentration

The teen’s struggle in concentrating is real and can cost a lot. First and foremost, the student will need more time to complete a particular portion of the studies. This will make him/her waste more time on the same thing. It can also lead to demotivation and incompletion of work at times. And this overall thing, for sure, affects the grades of the individual. He/she will carry this difficulty even in his professional life, and it will create more stress on him for giving the desired performance. 

Does this seem dreadful? No worries. We can always work on improving concentration power. To make things turn out better and avoid all the repercussions, here are some basic strategies that can help you build up your concentration.

1. Energize your body and refresh your brain

Choose a time of the days wherein you are naturally energized. Do some exercise before sitting to study. Just a regular stretching or basic aerobics would be sufficient. Stay hydrated as dehydration can lead to a lack of concentration. Keep a jug or bottle filled with water beside you and have it at certain intervals. Know your attention span. If it is 30 minutes a stretch, take a short break to recharge yourself every 30 minutes. Mind it; the gap should be short!

2. Minimize external distractions

The first thing to do is to recognize your distractions. If it is your phone that keeps buzzing and makes you lose your track or breaks the line, turn it silent, restrict internet access, or use the latest digital wellbeing feature that comes in almost every smartphone. You can also use applications that are designed to help you focus and manage your time wisely. If there is too much noise, change the place of studying and switch to a place where there is the least amount of noise. If you like listening to various types of music that help you concentrate, go for it. 

3. Minimize covert distractions

Numerous thoughts keep racing simultaneously in teenagers wandering minds while they sit for studies. You cannot get rid of them, but you can, for sure, divert them for that particular period. Take a notepad. Write down everything that comes to your mind except studies. Write in bold letters, “NOT TO DO RIGHT NOW.” After doing this, make a commitment to yourself by having little self-talk. “I am studying right now. The other matters can be dealt with later on in the future time. Doing it now will ruin my schedule and studying period”.

4. Make that damn task easy

Due to the very fact that you are not able to concentrate, there are chances that it might take a lot of effort on your part to just get started. Set small, achievable goals. For example- Open the book. Once done, set another small goal-Read a paragraph. And go on. This is known as shrinking your work down. 

5. Increase motivation

Negotiate with yourself. You know what your weaknesses are, and you know what you badly want to do. Use them as your rewards or incentives. Commit yourself. After every chapter, you will allow yourself to watch 1 episode of your favorite series or have your favorite ice cream or use your phone. Keep it as per your wish. Also, keep track of time and set deadlines. Accomplishing goals in deadlines will keep you motivated and challenged. 

Conclusion

Not being able to concentrate can be a problem. But venting about it won’t help you any further. Doing something about it surely will. So get going. Use all the strategies mentioned above to increase your concentration. You can always make some strategies of your own as you know what best works for you. Happy reading!