O nce Swami Vivekananda had remarked that the only difference between an ordinary and extraordinary person is the ability to concentrate. This statement of Swami Vivekananda has found great resonance in the fields of neuroscience and mind management. The key to success in any walk of life is the focused mind. According to the studies the average focus of human minds has dropped down from about twelve to seven seconds. This deterioration has been attributed to multiple factors like social media, faster pace of life, consumerism, materialistic approach, multitasking, etc. This problem has taken the form of a pandemic. Some of the disastrous consequences are poor decision making, unclarity of thoughts, less productivity, poor long and short term memory, irritability, depressive mood, anxiety, etc. Psychologists and experts have studied the issue and suggested multiple methods and tools to improve focus and concentration. The mindful practice of these tools will go a long way in giving a boost to focus. The first and foremost practice is to avoid multitasking.

 

According to neuroscience, the human brain can do one thing at one time only. So after finishing one task one is supposed to proceed for another task. It has been found in the research that some particular time is more conducive to concentrate the mind specially morning hours. Hence the mind will be more focused if some task is performed during those hours. Secondly, places play a big role in the wavering of the mind. Thus choosing a place which is peaceful and free from hustle bustle is better suited to make the mind more focused. Journaling and digital fasting are good tools to enhance the focus of the mind. Neuroscientists have found that a calm mind is more concentrated. So they suggested many somatic and psychological exercises to calm the mind and make it more focused. One of the most effective exercises is deep and diaphragmatic breathing for at least ten minutes. The exercise has been found to have a very soothing impact on the nervous system. Trataka is a Yogic purificatory process which generates a very high degree of concentration. The gaze is focused on a candle or a mirror for a few seconds.

 

The continued practice enables one to keep the gaze on the candle or the mirror for many minutes. In addition to the above practices, meditation has been found to be a highly effective tool to enable the mind to focus. The concepts of Dharana - concentration and Dhyana - meditation have been well defined in our Yogic traditions thousands of years ago. There are many meditative techniques to enhance the concentration power of the mind. Neurogenesis has found that the regular practice of meditation creates strong neural connections in the brain, ensures deep thinking, blocks unnecessary stimuli and nervous arousal, generates mental resilience, lessens wear and tear of the brain and strengthens hippocampus and cerebral cortex responsible respectively for memory and rational thinking. As a result the brain becomes more focused and one pointed. In the words of Abraham Graham BellThe sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus. (The writer is Former DG Police & CG, Homeguards, Maharashtra) ■