How do I Improve my Focus?

I decided to try again and write about the things that personally helped me overcome distractions, or in other words, contributed to improving my state from a person lacking focus to a much better level. Before I start, I know that some people might not like my ideas, and that’s okay because each person has their own way of doing things. You have to try what suits you, but the important thing is to start trying.

This was a journey that took me years and months to achieve satisfactory results for myself.

I had been suffering from a lack of focus my entire life, but none of my parents could notice it. My father was always busy or traveling, so how could he know about the problem I was struggling with? As for my mother, she considered me healthy and saw this feeling as just an illusion that I should overcome.

This lack of focus made me a distracted girl, unable to control the course of my life like the rest of my friends. Although I was studying a difficult major in university that required high focus, I never had that ability. Sometimes, I would not understand anything from the professor’s lecture, as if I were blind or deaf.

Even in romantic relationships, this issue affected me to the point where I couldn’t focus on choosing a life partner. I was lost.

To improve all this, you need to focus on solutions because your subconscious mind won’t easily accept this idea.
It’s important to understand that in your journey to find solutions, you will experience a lot of anger and constant anxiety because you are looking for quick fixes, but the issue requires time and great effort. Sometimes, you will fail at accomplishing a task, but don’t give up and try again.

The solutions I will share with you are simple, and I’m still discovering new ones with my mind.

Eliminating phone usage before sleep:
I never use my phone while in bed because I train my mind that the bed is only for sleep. This helped me avoid staying up late watching TikTok videos, which were only wasting my time and energy.
Early sleep and waking up early:
I started waking up at 5 AM because waking up early gives me a great sense of peace. But waking up early is difficult, so to train my mind, here’s the method I used: I would trick my mind by telling myself I was just going to the bathroom and would return to sleep, but once I get out of bed, I never go back.
Healthy eating:
I completely stopped eating fast food. I now prepare my meals myself. This has helped me get rid of digestive issues that used to cause me a lot of pain and anxiety most of the time.
I also started taking natural herbs rich in Omega-3 like chia seeds and flax seeds. I use them by heating a glass of water until it’s warm, then I put the chia or flax seeds in it for half an hour before consuming. You can add them to your breakfast or even on top of your lunch.
Exercising:
Exercise is crucial for improving your mental state. Whether it’s walking or running, exercise helps increase blood flow to the brain. Personally, I started going to the gym and doing many exercises, and this has helped me a lot.
Daily reading:
Reading helps calm your mind. I read for at least 30 minutes a day, and this encourages me to continue practicing it regularly. In my opinion, reading scientific books is more beneficial than reading novels.
Writing:
Writing helps relieve stress and get rid of the stored emotions in your heart and mind. Whether you’re writing your feelings or thoughts, this helps you think more clearly and overcome painful emotions.
The “Pomodoro” Technique:
I use the “Pomodoro” technique to organize my time: work for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break. During the break, I reward myself by listening to music that I love.
Creating a healthy work environment:
A clean, distraction-free work environment plays a major role in increasing focus. You need to turn off notifications, remove clutter, and designate a quiet place to work.

Throughout this journey, you won’t achieve anything easily, but you must try. You might find something that helps you because everyone has a different capacity to handle things. Don’t expect that these steps will be easy or that your mind will easily accept them. You will need to try many times and always keep trying.

Never underestimate the importance of writing or reading books, as both are activities that, if practiced well, can improve a large part of your mind. Up until now, I’m still searching for other solutions to improve my focus.

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This post was previously published on medium.com.

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