Girl doing yoga for inner peace

3 Ways Meditation Aids Concentration In Students And Professionals

Students and professionals around the world need their focus to perform their duties. Students have assignments, quizzes, presentations, and theses to complete. All of the activities require quality focus and self-discipline. Professionals in any organization need good concentration to have effective communication, engage with the team, and be productive throughout their day. The consequences of poor attention are serious. For example, low self-efficacy, high stress, low mental clarity, and poor judgment. 

What is Meditation All About?

Meditation is critically important for boosting the quality of focus. It has the potential to benefit anyone. According to research published in Springer Link, it was found that mindfulness meditation enhanced the ability to learn new things. The effect was seen in all three experiments conducted during the study. In research published in APA PsycNet, it was concluded that mindfulness meditation improved the focus and concentration of the respondents. The positive impact was seen with only a 6-week meditation intervention. Consequently, meditation helps individuals train their concentration. 

There are online courses conveniently accessible on the platform of Meedyo that can help students and professionals train their focus. For instance, “14 Day Meditation Course!”. 

Importance of Meditation For Students and Professionals

Meditation is important because it has the power to connect us to the energy in the universe. It nurtures positive emotions and we know that emotions are contagious. In accordance with the research published in the Journal of Business Research, it was concluded that all kinds of emotions are contagious i.e. both pleasant and unpleasant. In this context, meditation connects all human beings on an emotional level. Therefore, it is an extremely powerful way to develop inner strength. 

 

The inner strength allows individuals to reach their goals, build stronger relationships and tackle fear like a pro. The following meditation techniques can help in achieving the desired goal.

Be Present At The Moment

It is the main focus of any meditation exercise. It means to help practitioners stay in the present moment. The students and professionals are encouraged to bring back their focus to the present moment whenever their mind wanders somewhere else. Some of them might have the misconception that to stay in the present moment they need to empty their mind completely. It is not true at all. Another false belief that beginners can have is that meditation gets rid of all the unpleasant feelings and they never come back. In fact, meditation helps in effectively dealing with unpleasant thoughts and feelings. They do not go away, and the person becomes stronger than before. According to the research published in NCBI, it was concluded that being present at the moment predicted positive health and psychological well-being. The researchers used three markers of psychological well-being: symptoms of depression, satisfaction with life, and mental well-being. Therefore, being present in the moment plays a critical role in boosting concentration and focus. 

Do Slow Physical Activity

It can seem like a surprise and a question can pop up in mind, “How can meditation involve physical movement?” in reality, it can. For example, yoga exercises are comprised of slow bodily movements that help the person stay calm and relaxed. In this way, slow body movements can aid in enhancing concentration. According to the research published in NCBI, it was found that exercise significantly boosts cognitive health. Our cognitive health influences memory, attention, executive function, and problem-solving ability. For experiencing the benefits of exercise, one only needs to exercise for at least 20 minutes per day. We know that exercise improves blood circulation and blood easily flows to the brain. In the brain, it nourishes the cells and promotes their growth. 

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Enhance Gratitude And Self-Acceptance

Being present in the moment can help in tackling unpleasant thoughts and feelings but it is not enough. So, gratitude and acceptance are absolutely necessary for your purpose. There are times when unpleasant thoughts are about the lack of stuff in a person’s life or people can have self-sabotaging thoughts and feelings. In such situations, gratitude and self-acceptance play important roles. They not only clear the mind but also bring other benefits e.g. personal confidence. According to the research published in the Frontiers of Psychology, the relationship between gratitude and life satisfaction was studied and it was concluded that gratitude has the potential to boost life satisfaction, personal well-being, and the frequency of positive emotions.

Multiple Benefits of Meditation that Aid Better Concentration

  1. Boosts self-awareness 
  2. Promotes resilience
  3. Nurtures emotional intelligence
  4. Improves creativity
  5. Strengthens relationships
  6. Increases productivity
  7. Reduces stress
  8. Improves self-confidence
  9. Deepens inner peace

Simple Guided Meditation For Concentration

Following is an easy-to-follow meditation script for improved concentration.

  1. Sit in a comfortable position. You should lie straight on the floor. The purpose is to keep the spinal cord straight. You can keep your eyes open or close them.
  2. Take a few deep breaths and focus on their flow. Notice how the flow of breath influences the movement of the abdomen. The motion of the diaphragm inside the abdomen impacts the cortisol levels in the body.
  3. We know that high-stress levels cloud the mind whereas low-stress levels bring relaxation and clarity of mind for the individual. 
  4. Whenever your thoughts drift away, do not be hard on yourself. Kindly bring your attention back to the present moment. Next, pay attention to different parts of your body and scan them. 
  5. You can do the body scan from top to bottom (head to toe) or from bottom to top (toe to head). It will not only improve focus but also enhance self-awareness. End the meditation with a deep breath with the last exhale longer. 

Conclusion

Improving concentration has several benefits for students and professionals. It enhances their productivity, self-efficacy, and decision-making ability. Different ways that they can use to enhance their attention levels are paying attention to the present moment, doing slow physical activity, and enhancing gratitude and self-acceptance. There are courses accessible on the platform of Meedyo that can support one in developing a sharper focus.

Read More: How Meditation Makes You Smarter

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