Concentration exercises to stay focused during the holidays

The holidays are just around the corner, and that means that many people are immersing themselves in festive activities: visiting Christmas markets, baking cookies, or throwing a party, you name it! However, for some people, this also means that the ability to concentrate on daily activities, such as work, drops. So, whether you have to study or get through long working days, with the concentration exercises listed below, you ensure that you get your work done.

Focus vs concentration

Before you start with the concentration exercises, it is good to know the difference between focus and concentration.

Being able to focus is about working towards a goal, your focal point. For example, meeting a deadline can be your goal. Also, achieving a sports goal is an excellent and fairly common focal point. Concentration, on the other hand, is about how well you can pay attention to a particular activity that helps you to achieve your goal. If your goal is to win a sports game, you want to concentrate on your training. If your goal is to complete your studies, you want to concentrate on writing that final essay.

As you can see, although people often use both terms interchangeably, being able to focus means something different than being able to concentrate. Therefore, it makes sense that there is a difference between focus exercises and concentration exercises.

Effective concentration exercises during the holidays

That said, let us discuss some concentration exercises to help you get your work done.

Isolate yourself from auditory distractions

Whether you work from home or the office, distractions are everywhere. Maybe your pet needs some attention, or your co-workers keep sharing their Christmas plans that keep you from working. If possible, isolate yourself from these auditory distractions by working in a separate room, like a home office or an empty conference room. If spaces like these are unavailable, noise-canceling headphones playing white noise or productivity music are recommended. Also, such headphones show that you do not want to be disturbed and want to fully concentrate on your work.

Prioritize your to-do list

We understand how tempting it is to do some brief online shopping and look up some fun DIY Christmas decorations, but this does not do good for your productivity. Therefore, make a to-do list including an estimated time per task and prioritize this list. You can, for example, start your day with the most demanding item on your list and end the day with the more pleasant tasks.

Focus on your health

We all tend to eat extra sugary foods and drink more alcoholic beverages during the holidays. However, this will mentally and physically impact your next day at work. Therefore, make sure you take enough time to exercise, such as walking around the block or practicing yoga and get enough sleep. If you do not do this, you probably are going to experience a lack of energy, which can also cause stress.

Practice the Wim Hof Method

The Wim Hof Method also helps to boost your concentration. The combination of meditation, breathing exercises and cold showers ensures that you experience more energy and less stress, which are the most common causes of concentration problems. Getting started with the method is easy! For instance, join our Fundamentals video course and get all the tools you need to develop and maintain a consistent practice that fits your lifestyle.