Is concentrating during the day somewhat difficult for you? Do you find yourself struggling to stay focused? Perhaps you’ve heard that meditation can help you work on your concentration and you are wondering how true this is. Fortunately, it is true; you can make focusing on the task at hand easier by practicing some meditation techniques. This is why, in this article, you will learn how to meditate to improve concentration.
Make sure that you read this article to the end.
This way, you will benefit from all that will be talked about.
What is Meditation – How to Meditate to Improve Concentration
Meditation simply put is the habitual conditioning of your mind to focus.
It involves using a technique (like focusing one’s mind on a certain thought or object) to attain a mentally and emotionally clear and balanced state.
This practice has been in existence for several thousand years.
And has grown to become a medium through which people reduce stress by relaxing their minds and focusing their attention on a particular thing.
Meditation does not just have several health benefits, but it can also help increase a person’s concentration level.
This practice keeps growing in popularity as more and more people keep finding out about the many benefits it offers.
Benefits of Meditation – How to Meditate to Improve Concentration
Meditation offers several benefits both to our physical and mental health; due to this, a lot of people are turning to this practice.
Knowing these benefits will help you better understand the need to engage in this practice.
As a business owner or leader, meditation will help you concentrate better because of the following benefits it offers:
It Reduces Stress
A very common reason people meditate is that it helps reduce their stress levels.
Business owners and leaders have a lot of responsibilities; so, you might get stressed quite often.
When you are stressed at work, focusing on your daily tasks and projects might begin to feel overwhelming.
This is because, stress is known to cause several issues like anxiety, depression, fatigue, high blood pressure, and reduced thinking ability.
However, studies and research have shown that meditation can help reduce stress symptoms in people with high-stress levels.
Once your stress symptoms are removed, your ability to think clearly and concentrate on your job will increase.
Improves Self-awareness – How to Meditate to Improve Concentration
You can become a better version of yourself by trying out some types of meditation.
Some meditation techniques can help you to understand yourself better.
Whereas, others can help you identify thoughts that are negative or potentially self-defeating.
Attaining a greater level of self-awareness typically should make your thoughts pattern more constructive.
One thing about running a business is that you need to be as confident as possible with every decision you make.
If you leave room for second-guessing and doubt, you may end up not pushing on with otherwise great plans.
Meditating can help you channel your thoughts better and eliminate doubt, as well as, negative, self-defeating thoughts.
Reduce Anxiety
There’s an additional advantage that comes with reducing or eliminating stress.
When you eliminate your stress via meditation, your anxiety levels may also significantly reduce.
Anxiety is a problem that you may likely be battling as a business owner or leader due to all the responsibilities and decisions you are saddled with.
When you are anxious, your ability to concentrate will be greatly affected.
But if you can reduce your anxiety via meditation, concentration may not be so difficult for you.
Increases Your Attention Span – How to Meditate to Improve Concentration
Meditation can do for a person’s attention span what weight lifting can do for their body.
You can increase your attention endurance and strength to a high degree by taking up meditation.
A study has shown that those who listen to meditation tapes often have longer attention and better accuracy when carrying out a task than people who don’t listen to meditation tapes.
So, if paying attention for a long time is somewhat of a struggle for you, then you stand to benefit a lot from meditating.
It Could Reduce Memory Loss Associated with Age
As you get older, your brain may not function the way it once used to.
You may not remember things the way you used to, or you may forget things easily.
But meditation could help reduce this memory loss.
This is because it’ll help you think clearly and also improve your attention span.
Accessibility – How to Meditate to Improve Concentration
Perhaps, one of the biggest perks of meditation is its accessibility.
Typically, you do not have to be in a certain space or need special equipment to practice most types of meditation.
You simply need to dedicate a few minutes of your day to practice.
This could be at home, as you commute to work, or even when at work (possibly during your break).
Forms of Meditation – How to Meditate to Improve Concentration
The practice of meditating can take on several forms.
All of these forms are channelled towards helping us attain a deeper relaxed mind state.
However, each form has its specific purpose.
For you to fully understand how to meditate to improve concentration, you need to be aware of the different forms of meditation.
You also need to know which forms can help you achieve concentration.
Therefore, we will now take a look at the different methods to meditate.
Mantra Meditation
Mantra meditation is a common form of meditation people practice.
You might have been practicing this for a while without knowing what you were doing.
With mantra meditation, you simply need to repeatedly say calming phrase, thought, or even just a word.
Doing this will help you remove distracting thoughts from your mind.
So, all the times you whisper “I am enough” over and over to yourself, you are practicing mantra meditation.
Guided Meditation – How to Meditate to Improve Concentration
Guided meditation is often otherwise called guided visualization or imagery.
To practice this form of meditation, you might need a teacher or guide.
This method involves creating an image of situations or places that are relaxing and calming in your mind.
You are meant to use different senses like sounds, sights, and smells when doing this method.
When done before the start of the day, it naturally should get you calm and relaxed enough to concentrate throughout the day.
Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness meditation involves being mindful and having a higher understanding as well as acceptance of present living.
With this method, the awareness of your consciousness gets broadened.
You will need to direct your focus towards what you feel while meditating, for instance, your breath and how it flows.
You can also observe your emotions and thoughts.
However, ensure you do this without passing judgment on them.
Transcendental Meditation – How to Meditate to Improve Concentration
This method of meditating is somewhat similar to mantra meditation.
Just like with mantra meditation, you have to repeat a phrase, sound, or word.
However, with transcendental meditation, the phrase, sound, or word has to be repeated silently and in a particular way.
This meditation method is quite simple and natural and often doesn’t require the use of effort or concentration.
Yet, you can use this technique to let your body reach a deep resting state while your mind attains a deep inner peace state.
Tai Chi
Tai chi (pronounced Tie-Chee) is a type of martial arts practiced in China.
To practice this, you will carry out some movements and postures slowly and gracefully.
While performing the movements and postures, you’d also practice deep breathing.
Yoga – How to Meditate to Improve Concentration
Here, just like with tai chi, some postures will be performed all the while practicing some breathing exercises.
Yoga can help promote a relaxed mind and a flexible body.
You typically will have to perform poses that need not just balance, but also concentration.
Therefore, you will be encouraged to take your mind off the day’s needs and concentrate on the technique.
Forms of Meditation that Improves Concentration – How to Meditate to Improve Concentration
Now that you know some common forms of meditation, let’s now look at some methods that are known to aid concentration.
Since improving concentration is a major reason you are considering meditation, then you most likely would benefit better by employing these methods.
Zen Meditation
Another commonly used name for Zen meditation is Zazen.
This meditation technique takes its core from Buddhist psychology.
When practicing this method, you’d sit while crossing your legs and then channel your attention inward.
Some people who practice this technique say that they need to count their breaths (usually from 1 to 10) for them to properly channel their attention.
But other practitioners do not share this belief.
Typically, Zazen’s goal is to help people regulate their attention.
Due to this, it is a reliable technique to help improve concentration.
Many studies have shown that Zazen can help improve concentration.
Giuseppe Pagnoni who is an Italian neuroscientist is one of the people to have carried out one of these studies.
In his study, Pagnoni made a comparison between people who have been practicing Zazen for a long time and those who do not practice meditation.
Pagnoni’s study discovered that those who had been practicing Zazen long-term had a more stable mind and could focus significantly better than those who do not meditate.
Mindfulness – How to Meditate to Improve Concentration
Mindfulness is among the best methods you can employ to improve your concentration.
And the good thing about this technique, just like with most other forms of meditation is its accessibility.
You can practice mindfulness anytime, anywhere without the need for a guide or special equipment.
Almost every task needs your undivided attention as a business owner or leader; mindfulness can help you easily achieve this.
This is because it allows you to pour all your concentration on a particular task or thought by ensuring your mind stays in the moment.
You can free your mind from distractions and other unnecessary thoughts while focusing on the task at hand.
You’d also find yourself being more productive at work when you concentrate on a given task rather than juggling several at a go.
With mindfulness meditation, you won’t turn your attention to every single thought that creeps up in your mind.
Being mindful when you want to be will naturally increase your concentration ability.
Counting Breath Cycles – How to Meditate to Improve Concentration
According to a study, deep breathing often has a deep positive effect on the bodies of people who practice it.
This is because it helps people handle stress skillfully.
Due to this, several innovative companies as a way to help their employees handle stress at work encourage meditation.
They do this by having medication spaces where their employees can take some time off work and unwind while focusing on breathing.
Counting breath cycles involves inhaling, exhaling, and then counting.
This technique boosts concentration since it takes a lot of focus to count one’s breath cycles.
When you start practicing this technique, your mind might keep wandering even before you count to four.
However, if you keep at it, you’d notice your concentration level increasing as you’d start counting higher than you used to.
Tips on How to Meditate to Improve Concentration
From what you have read so far, you now know that there are several benefits you stand to gain if you meditate.
But even though you know the benefits and the forms that will help you build your concentration level just knowing these aren’t useful unless you know how to use them.
Therefore, you need to learn some tips that will show you how to meditate to improve concentration.
1. Focus
Take your seat.
You have to make sure that you are alert and relaxed.
Make sure that your posture is upright but at the same time not rigid.
Either look downward or keep your eyes closed so that your vision won’t distract you.
Now, begin to become aware of how you draw in air and exhale it, you have to focus on the whole breathing cycle; inhale-exhale, exhale-inhale.
As someone new to meditation, your mind might wander.
Most beginners face this challenge and that is normal because meditation takes practice.
Therefore, do not give up or be harsh on yourself because of this challenge.
Rather realize that you’ve gone off course, and then gently redirect your focus to your breathing.
2. Freeze Frame – How to Meditate to Improve Concentration
Freeze frame involves ensuring you maintain a still posture all through the session.
As a beginner, this can be quite a challenge.
To be attentive to the posture you take before you start meditating often requires skills that you most likely won’t possess at the get-go.
But you have to keep trying, with time, you will know how to get the proper meditation posture.
3. Try Guided Meditation
You might find yourself struggling with staying focused during your sessions as someone new to meditation.
But this is completely normal and you should outgrow it with time.
However, if it is proving too difficult, then you might find guided meditation to be useful.
Guided meditation involves listening to a teacher or guide as they guide you through the session.
You do not necessarily need to have the teacher present; meditation apps can help you with this.
4. Take a Walk
You can meditate while sitting.
However, this is not the only way to meditate.
You can choose to try walking meditation by simply taking a stroll.
While walking, focus on the movement of your legs and feet.
Just as with mindful breathing, mindful walking can help you build your concentration by channeling your focus to one activity.
5. Recite Mantras – How to Meditate to Improve Concentration
One popular meditation technique is mantra meditation, it is so popular that people even practice it without being totally aware of what they are doing.
Reciting mantras is a sure way to build positivity and make you more focused on the task at hand.
Imagine you have a project with a looming deadline and your mind keeps wandering to how you can’t meet up with the deadline, this negative thought will surely affect your concentration.
Reciting a mantra as simple as “I can and I will” will not just boost your positivity, but it will also help you stay focused on the project so that you can complete it.
How to Build Meditation Skills
You might struggle to keep your mind from wandering as a beginner to meditation.
This is normal and you shouldn’t worry or beat yourself up about it because it takes practice.
But you can always work towards building your skills.
For instance, simply take your focus back to what you were focusing on rather than becoming frustrated and beating yourself up when your mind wanders during your session.
Try out options and figure out which technique better suits you and helps you stay focused.
Keep in mind that there isn’t a wrong or right way of meditating.
If your concentration is improving, then you are getting the desired result.
This means that you are doing everything right.
Conclusion on How to Meditate to Improve Concentration
Meditation is a practice where a person focuses their mind on a certain thought or object to attain a mentally and emotionally clear and balanced state.
This practice offers several other benefits including reducing stress and anxiety and improving self-awareness.
People who have a hard time concentrating can use meditation to improve their concentration just as you have seen in this article.
There are several forms of meditation; however, some are better suited to help improve concentration.
Mindfulness, counting breath cycles, and Zen meditation are some forms of meditation that have been proven to improve concentration.
For you you to get the most out of these meditation techniques you have to practice the tips which have been shared in this article.
You can also come up with other tips that will make meditation easier for you.
Remember, it is natural to have a hard time maintaining focus as a beginner, so do not beat yourself up about this.
Rather, keep at it, and the problem of maintaining focus will become a distant memory.
