Increase your concentration with these 5 easy steps

Because people don't have that much time anymore, they don't bother with some things at all. If you find yourself excited to watch a video, but two minutes into it you close the window, then you have a low attention span. This isn't something you should be afraid of because everyone experiences this at one point or another. Long loading times and repetitive actions can contribute to your boredom. You'd rather do something else.

But what if the activity is important for you? What if you need to watch that video for your term paper? Or perhaps you need to do a task for your career? These questions mean nothing when you have a low attention span. The downside is that your paper or career will be affected. If you want to change how you perform, then here are five techniques that keep you hooked.

Technique #1: Get Enough Rest

People get cranky when they don't get much sleep. They start to scan through important texts and lazily fast forward through videos. They don't have enough time because all they think about is sleep! You want to prevent this if you want to lengthen your attention span. Get adequate rest so when you wake up, you can face the things that you have to do filled with energy. Don't forget to eat breakfast before doing anything else, as well.

Technique #2: Meditate

This popular practice helps you concentrate better. Just relax and focus on only your breathing for a short period of time. This is great if you start to get bored with work. Stop what you're doing and take a breath or two. You will find your mind at peace, ready to take on more work. This will surprisingly bring back your attention on the matter.

Technique #3: False Time

This complex technique will trick your mind into doing things at a lesser time than usual. Your mind starts to work faster once you are near a deadline, so set yourself that time. For example, if you start working at 4:00 pm and plan on finishing at 5:00, then set your watch at 4:15. You may notice that when you just started out, but after a while, you'll be consumed in your work. When you check your watch, you're nearing the deadline! Make sure that you maintain discipline otherwise this is useless.

Technique #4: Planned Breaks

For those who can't stay put for 5 minutes at a page, plan expected breaks in your work. If you have a one-hour session, then divide that into 3 sub-sessions. You could have them at around 19 minutes each. This will provide one minute for relaxation from the workload. As your mind rests in between, you can focus better.

Technique #5: Discipline Yourself with a Reward

Tell yourself that you'll turn on your favorite television program once you're done. This goal in mind makes you brain work actively. Whenever you have a certified path and a destination to reach, your attention span will be lengthened. This is because you discipline yourself with a reward.