How to improve concentration and focus—our 15 best tips

What is concentration vs. focus? 

How to improve your concentration and focus

Our ability to concentrate is influenced by a number of factors, including time pressure, intellectual challenge, and motivation. It also depends on our individual ability to sustain attention, which can be determined by everything from genetics to lifestyle habits.

This is good news because it means that your capacity to focus and concentrate isn’t fixed—it can be strengthened over time. By adopting a growth mindset and using the right strategies, you can train your brain to sustain attention more effectively. 

For example, you can: 

• Reduce distractions by creating a dedicated workspace and keeping your phone out of sight. 
• Use productivity strategies like the Pomodoro Technique to break large tasks into shorter work sessions with brief breaks in between. 
• Help your brain perform at its best with consistent sleep, regular exercise, and a healthy diet.

Starting with just one small change today can help you stay engaged with work longer, improve your ability to focus, and build a strong foundation for lasting concentration.

15 ways to improve your concentration

There’s no single solution for improving focus, but evidence-based strategies can make a difference. Here are 15 research-backed techniques to help you strengthen your focus and concentration.

1. Eliminate distractions

When you’re bombarded with distractions and stressors, staying focused can feel impossible. The pressure to always be available—responding in minutes to emails, texts, and calls—only adds to the challenge. One effective way to reclaim your attention is time blocking. This time management strategy involves scheduling dedicated time for complete concentration and deep work. 

When you set aside intentional, distraction-free time in your calendar, it allows you to tune out the world and focus without guilt. Silence notifications, close social media apps, and keep your phone hidden. As described in the Harvard Business Review, researchers found that cognitive capacity was significantly better when a smartphone was out of sight.

2. Reduce multitasking

Attempting to perform multiple activities at the same time makes us feel productive. It’s also a recipe for lower focus, poor concentration, and lower productivity. And lower productivity can lead to burnout. Examples of multitasking include listening to a podcast while responding to an email or talking to someone over the phone while writing a report. 

3. Practice mindfulness and meditation

Meditating or practicing mindfulness activities can strengthen well-being and mental fitness and improve focus. During the meditation process, our brain becomes calmer, and our whole body becomes more relaxed. 

When we focus on our breath, we are not distracted by our minds. With practice, we can learn to use our breath to bring our attention back to a particular task. That way, we can learn to work well even when distractions are present. 

4. Get more sleep

Many factors affect your sleep. One of the most common is reading from an electronic device or watching TV just before bedtime. Research has shown that these devices emit light toward the blue end of the spectrum. This light stimulates your eye retina and prevents the secretion of melatonin, which promotes sleep anticipation in the brain. 

Use a filter or "blue light" glasses to minimize blue light, or avoid all electronic devices before bed. Other ways to improve your sleep hygiene include avoiding exercise late in the day, staying hydrated, using journaling or breathing exercises to quiet the mind, and creating a predictable bedtime routine and schedule.

5. Choose to focus on the moment

When your mind is always in the past or worrying about the future, it can create a lot of stress. And if you’re chronically stressed, your attention resources will be depleted, and you’ll find it even more difficult to focus and concentrate. 

By contrast, learning to live in the present moment can boost positive emotions. When you’re less stressed, you’ll be able to focus on what matters most—whether it’s an important work project or a conversation with a loved one. 

6. Take a short break

This might seem counterintuitive, but when you focus on something for a long time, your focus may begin to fade. To improve your mental concentration, take short breaks and refocus your attention elsewhere. 

For example, while working on a big project, take a mental break when you begin to feel stuck. Move around, talk to someone, or even switch to a different type of task. You will come back with a more focused mind to keep your performance high.

7. Connect with nature

Having plants in office spaces helps increase concentration, productivity, workplace satisfaction, and air quality. Finding time to take a walk in the park or appreciating the plants or flowers in your garden can boost your concentration and help you feel refreshed.

8. Train your brain

Research shows that brain training activities can enhance cognitive abilities, like concentration, in adults. Brain training games can also help you develop your working and short-term memory, as well as your processing and problem-solving skills. Consider trying concentration exercises like jigsaw puzzles, Sudoku, or chess. Brain-stimulating video games can also help.

9. Exercise regularly 

Boosting your focus can be as simple as starting your day with exercise and physical activity. According to the May 2013 issue of Harvard Men's Health Watch, regular exercise releases chemicals important to memory, concentration, and mental sharpness. 

Other research found that exercise can boost the brain's dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin levels—all of which affect focus and attention. Individuals who do some form of exercise perform better on cognitive tasks when compared with those who have poor physical health. 

10. Listen to music

Music has been shown to have therapeutic effects on our brains. Light music may help you to concentrate better, but some music may distract you. 

Experts generally agree that classical music and nature sounds, such as water flowing, are good choices for concentration, while music with lyrics and human voices may be distracting. Multiple apps and services offer background music and soundscapes for different types of focus and work needs.

11. Optimize your nutrition

To improve your focus and concentration, eat nutritious foods that moderate blood sugar, maintain energy, and fuel the brain. For example, fruits, vegetables, and high-fiber foods can keep your blood sugar levels stable. By contrast, sugary foods and drinks can cause spikes and dips in your sugar levels and make you feel dizzy or drowsy.

More specifically, a Mediterranean diet is a powerful way to support focus and cognitive function. Packed with whole foods and healthy fats like fish, olive oil, nuts, and leafy greens, this diet provides essential nutrients that can improve memory, mental clarity, and concentration. 

12. Set a daily priority

Write down your daily goals, ideally the night before, and identify a single priority. This will help focus your brain on what matters, tackling the big jobs first and leaving the small stuff till later. Break large tasks into smaller bites so that you will not be overwhelmed. Identifying your true priorities can help relieve distracting anxiety. 

Plus, achieving small daily goals will trigger the release of dopamine, reinforcing motivation and wiring your brain for continued success. Research published in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews explains that dopamine is crucial for reward-motivated behavior, meaning that each small achievement (and the subsequent release of dopamine) strengthens the brain’s drive to pursue and accomplish more goals over time. 

13. Create space for work

Whether you work from home or in the office, you can improve your focus by creating a calm, dedicated space for work. Desk organizers, noise-canceling headphones, an adjustable monitor, and good lighting can go a long way. Clear clutter out of sight, make it as ergonomic and comfortable as possible, and try to keep your space neat and well-ventilated.

14. Use a timer

Train your brain to hyper-focus on a task by using a timer or phone alarm. First, decide what task you want to complete. Set your timer for 25 minutes and concentrate on the task. When the alarm rings, take a short break for 5 minutes. (This is called the Pomodoro Technique, as we mentioned earlier.) During the break, you could take a walk or do some stretching exercises, and then reset the timer and start again. 

15. Switch tasks

Sometimes, we get stuck on a task, and our brain needs something fresh to focus on. Try switching to other tasks or something you love to do. Periodically switching tasks can help you stay alert and productive for a longer period.

Reasons you might be struggling to focus 

If you're still having trouble concentrating after trying the above tips, it may be due to a cognitive, medical, psychological, lifestyle, or environmental cause. 

Here are a few reasons you might be struggling to concentrate: 

• Cognitive issues. Memory problems like forgetting recent events or misplacing items, as well as an overactive mind that constantly jumps between multiple thoughts and concerns.
• Psychological factors. Depression, anxiety, grief, and bereavement can significantly impact your ability to focus on tasks. 
• Medical conditions. Mental and physical health issues like ADHD, diabetes, hormonal imbalances, and anemia can affect our concentration. Certain medications can also cause drowsiness.  
• Environmental challenges. Poor working conditions, shared spaces, and negative workplace dynamics may impair concentration, along with physical factors like heat, noise, and lighting.
• Lifestyle habits. Poor nutrition, dehydration, fatigue, irregular meals, and excNow you know why you need help with concentration. What can help you to focus better? There’s no one answer for how to improve focus, but the following tips can help.

Moving forward with focus

Learning how to improve concentration is not something you can achieve overnight. Professional athletes like golfers, sprinters, and gymnasts take plenty of time to practice (and usually have a coach) so that they can concentrate and achieve excellence.

If you are struggling to meet commitments, constantly sidetracked, or not moving toward your goals, it’s time to get help with concentration so that you can focus on what matters most to you.

By improving your concentration, you can accomplish more of what you personally value and feel better doing it. It’s not just about accomplishing tasks but also about making time for joy and happiness so that you can achieve a meaningful and satisfying life.

If you’re ready to take the next step in your focus journey, BetterUp’s expert Coaches can help you develop personalized strategies to improve your concentration and achieve your goals. Partner with a BetterUp Coach and start harnessing your concentration skills.