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Training our brain to focus

Our brain is an amazing organ, whilst it isn’t an actual muscle we’re told to treat it like one and exercise it, along with the rest of our body, to keep it healthy and functioning at its best.  So, what can we do to train our brain to focus?

Set a clear plan, clarify what it is you want to achieve.  We get lost in the midst of lots of thoughts otherwise and it’s hard to focus on the end result.

Plan your mood and environment to enable you to focus on the task in hand.  As soon as I enter the dojo to train karate my mood changes, I’m there for a reason and nothing else matters at that time.  By the time I’ve put my gi (suit) on, I’m ready to train, it’s not the clothing you’d wear to watch the telly in believe me!

Multi-tasking, we all like to think we’re good at this, however it often means we don’t actually complete anything.  When I scroll through my phone whilst the tv is on I can guarantee I’ll be rewinding the programme as I’ve then got no idea what’s going on.

Avoid distractions where possible.  Create an environment where you can concentrate on the task at hand.  In a work environment it may be finding a quiet office, or setting aside an hour a day where you’re not interrupted unless absolutely necessary.  Setting boundaries for the people around you, with their support you’ll then be able to concentrate and complete it that much quicker. 

Build positive habits.  In karate we learn kata’s, a set series of moves, which we learn by rote. Think Karate Kid and the ‘wax on, wax off’. By repeating the moves we create a habit, which allows us to perform a task, execute a technique without having to think about every nuance of it.

Practise mindfulness.  Often thought of as a luxury in our busy days, however by being mindful will improve our productivity.  Schedule breaks in your day, take 5 minutes every hour.  Get up, walk around, look out the window, stretch to get oxygen in and around your body, talk to someone.  I used to find a quiet space and practise a few karate moves, it shifted my mind from the task to being present and aware.  When I got back to the task at hand I often found the solution I’d been looking for staring me in the face.

I hope these tips and suggestions enable you to find the correct methods to train your mind to focus.

If you've enjoyed reading my blog please click here to read 'Benefits-of-Karate-Training'