Focus vs. Concentration: Use the Differences to Your Advantage
Do you ever find yourself feeling mentally exhausted, even if you’re not sure what it is exactly that’s causing it? It could be that you’ve been trying to focus on too many things at once, or perhaps you’ve been unable to concentrate for the period of time necessary to complete tasks. Distinctions between focus and concentration are both important and subtle, but when you understand how they’re different and how to use them to your advantage, you should be able to get things done a lot better and quicker.
The Basics of Focus and Concentration
Focus and concentration are often discussed as if they’re the same thing, but they’re distinct concepts with their own importance in their own right. Understanding their differences can help you get the most out of them.
What is Focus?
Focus refers to the way that you direct your attention to particular external objects or internal thoughts. It is the ability to channel your attention on a specific objective or task, enabling you to maintain a strong relationship with other objectives or tasks and not being easily distracted by distractions.
What is Concentration?
Concentration is the ability to sustain mental effort over extended periods of time. It’s the ability to be slowly brought back to the task if you become distracted and to keep your attention on the task for the entire period. Concentration is the ability to keep your mental focus trained on one sole thing for an extended period of time, even if the task is dull or repetitive.
Which of Focus and Concentration is More Important?
It can be tempting to say that one of these concepts is more important than the other, but they’re both essential. Each is needed in order to be successful at particular tasks – concentration is important when you’re studying for an exam or reading a book, while focus is key when you’re engaging with people or carrying out physical tasks.
Having the right balance between these two concepts is important to get through a task effectively and can help you to make the most of your time.
Focus vs. Concentration: Which Should You Work on First?
The answer to this question can depend on multiple factors, including the type of task that you’re working on and your personal strengths.
If you’re struggling with specific tasks that require sustained mental effort, then building your concentration skills might be the best place to start.
If you’re having difficulty managing tasks that need to be addressed quickly and efficiently, then focus might be the most appropriate to concentrate on first.
Using Focus and Concentration to Your Advantage
Once you understand their differences, focus and concentration can be used to your advantage in different ways. Here are some tips:
Create Break Times:
When you’re working on a task for an extended period of time, it’s better to have regular breaks. Taking regular breaks, and using them to focus or concentrate on something else, can help you to return to the task with renewed interest.
Make to-do Lists:
Making lists can help you to break down tasks, understand the process involved and schedule the time that they need. This makes it easier to measure their progress because you understand the process at a granular level and you are breaking larger tasks into smaller ones and understanding your progress.
Focus on One Task at a Time:
This is especially important if you find yourself frequently distracted, as multi-tasking can lead to decreased productivity and lower quality of work. Focusing on one task at a time can help you to remain in the flow of your work and get more quality level of work done in less.
Eliminate Distractions:
Cell phones, social media, emails and other distractions can take up a lot of your attention and energy. When you’re trying to focus and concentrate, it’s important to shut these distracting influences out and create a work environment that encourages focus and concentration.
Develop a Scheduling and Goal Setting Approach:
Creating a schedule and set of goals for yourself can help you to prioritize the tasks that need to be done, focus with intent and in a timely manner and direct your thoughts and focus on these goals.
Learn to Manage Stress:
When you’re feeling stressed, it’s difficult to maintain focus and concentration. Adopting methodologies to help you to manage your stress levels and create a sense of equilibrium can help you to remain focused and concentrate for longer periods of time.
Focus and concentration are two distinct psychological states that can be used to your advantage if you understand their differences and how to use them for specific tasks and goals. To use them to your advantage, try breaking tasks down into smaller pieces, eliminating distractions and using focused time slots to concentrate on each task. Learn to take regular breaks, while also understanding the importance of scheduling and goal setting. Ultimately, you can use the differences between focus and concentration to become more productive and efficient.