A Simple Exercise to Improve Concentration

Being spoilt for choice, with 24/7 exposure to multiple screens that are increasingly personalized, individually owned and operated, is afflicting us all. Continuously looking for instant gratification, beckoned by the notification alarms, we are all falling prey to low attention spans and reduced concentration power. Not being able to focus completely on the task at hand is particularly difficult for school children and college students seriously affecting their capacity to learn and perform well academically.

Let me share a simple strategy to help improve concentration.

A constant and continuous sound in our homes that more often than not goes unnoticed for days and months on end is the one made by wall clocks. Engrossed in our daily business, we hardly ever take note of it. During the day time it gets lost in ambient noise. Sometimes, at night, especially during winters when there are no fans, coolers or air-conditioners running, one can hear the faint sound of the clock. On the other hand, there are instances when, unable to sleep, we not only hear the tick-tock of the second hand, we are very much annoyed by it. It sounds like a huge bell ringing nonstop right in our ears not allowing us to rest, unless finally sleep overcomes us and it faintly recedes into the background.

We obviously are aware that the decibel level of the clock remains the same whether it is day or night, summer or winter. Our perception of it is guided by whether we are actively seeking out the sound, if not, we are bound to miss it.

The interesting thing is that if we listen intently, we can become aware of the ticking over and above other loud noises. Try this sometime — disregard all other sounds, filter them one by one until you are able to make out the ticking of the clock in your room. Slowly but surely, you will be able to drown out the distractions and hear it loud and clear. Practice this every time your attention is wavering. It will definitely help you focus, improving your concentration power.

Taking this a step further — remove all other sounds besides the one you are looking for and then train yourself to silence even this one sound — you will reach a state of complete silence. At this stage you can begin to meditate in peace.

Go ahead and harness the power of heightened concentration.

Good luck.