Life desk :
At a time when the city is experiencing a fabulous weather, the mere thought of chilling at home with a book and a cup of coffee sounds absolutely enticing. But, while bookworms find it easy to concentrate while reading, the not-so-often readers might find it difficult to focus and finish large paragraphs in a short time. Here are a few tips that will help you concentrate well while poring over those tomes you always wanted to read:
1. Select a calm environment: Choose a corner in your house that is away from the noise of traffic outside. This helps your mind progress along the pages clutter-free and register what you are reading.
2. Keep your electronic devices away: Be it your mobile phone or your laptop, keep them at bay when you are trying to read. Chat or email notifications distract the mind a lot. They make it really hard for your brain to concentrate. Hence, it becomes extremely hard to proceed at a normal speed and understand what you are reading, at the same time.
3. Don’t stretch your reading time: Instead of procrastinating it unnecessarily, divide it into short time periods of say, 30 minutes each. Keep yourself thoroughly focussed on what you are reading for these 30 minutes and then take a break. If you force yourself to sit through prolonged time periods of reading, it will tire out your mind and body. You will also lose interest in the book real quick.
4. Playing music at the same time may not be a good idea: This is especially true if you have a short attention span. Your mind will find it difficult to concentrate if you make it do two things at the same time. Reading demands a lot of concentration and focus. So, when you play music, no matter how light it is, you brain subconsciously tries to listen to it, and follow the tunes. Avoid using both, earphones and playing loud music, while reading if you have shorter attention span and feel you cannot handle reading as you listen to the music.
5. Set small-term goals for yourself: Be realistic while doing so. Don’t aim too high. Don’t plan on starting with a thick, fat book. Also, take a few chapters or pages at a time and try to finish them within a stipulated period of time before moving on. Reward yourself each time you finish a book within the time you set for yourself. Last but not the least, pick books that you think will hold your interest.
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