Make a List

We often have trouble paying attention to one thing because our brains want to drift off to think about something else. When youre supposed to be writing your history paper， for example， your brain may want to start worrying about a math test thats coming up. You should get into the habit of making a daily task list. Then prioritize1 your list， in the order that you prefer. By writing down all the things you need to do， you gain a sense of control of your day.

制定計(jì)劃

我們常常很難專注于一件事，因?yàn)槲覀兊拇竽X會(huì)神游到另一件事上。比如，有時(shí)你要寫歷史論文而你的大腦會(huì)開始擔(dān)心臨近的數(shù)學(xué)考試。你應(yīng)該養(yǎng)成制定每日計(jì)劃的習(xí)慣，然后再按照你喜歡的順序排出先后。通過寫下你該完成的所有事情，你會(huì)獲得一種能自我控制的感覺。

Meditate2

If you think about it， meditation might seem like the opposite of paying attention. One purpose of meditation is to clear the mind， the other is to find inward peace. This means that the act of meditating is actually the act of training the brain to avoid distractions3. And remember， you dont have to become an expert or obsessive meditator. Just take some time every day to go through a brief meditation exercise.

冥想

細(xì)細(xì)一想，冥想似乎與集中注意力背道而馳。冥想的一個(gè)目的是使大腦思維清晰，另一個(gè)目的則是尋求內(nèi)心的平靜。這就意味著冥想事實(shí)上是為了避免大腦的注意力被分散。但要記住，你不必成為一個(gè)冥想專家，也不必過度癡迷于冥想。只需要每天花上一點(diǎn)時(shí)間進(jìn)行一個(gè)簡單的冥想練習(xí)。

Sleep More

Studies show that people who sleep fewer than eight hours a night for a long period of time have slower response systems and more difficulty recalling information. In fact， even minor restrictions in your sleep patterns can affect your study in a bad way.

睡眠充足

研究表明長期處于每晚睡眠時(shí)間少于8小時(shí)的人反應(yīng)較遲鈍，記憶力也會(huì)受損。實(shí)際上，即使是少睡一點(diǎn)點(diǎn)也能給你的學(xué)習(xí)帶來負(fù)面影響。

Eat Healthier Foods

Foods that are high in fat and sugar might give you a temporary4 burst of energy， but that energy is soon followed by a crash. Once your body burns up the foods， you will start to feel sleepy.

健康飲食

高脂高糖的食物可能暫時(shí)會(huì)為你補(bǔ)充大量能量，但是這些能量會(huì)很快被消耗完。一旦你的身體消化了這些食物，你就會(huì)昏昏欲睡。

Reduce Screen Time

Scientists are just beginning to study the relationship between attention spans and screen times， but one thing is certain： Many researchers and education specialists advise parents to limit screen time while they gain a fuller understanding of the effects of bright lights and electronic screens.

減少“屏幕時(shí)間”

盡管科學(xué)家才開始初步研究注意力持續(xù)時(shí)間與面對(duì)屏幕時(shí)間的關(guān)系，但是有一點(diǎn)可以確定：許多研究者和教育專家在他們更清楚地了解到強(qiáng)光與電子屏幕所產(chǎn)生的影響后都建議家長控制孩子接觸電子屏幕的時(shí)間。

Join a Team

At least one study has shown that concentration and learning skills improve for students who join in team sports. It could be that being active is helpful in the same way that meditation works. Joining in a sport trains your brain to concentrate on specific tasks， and shut out thoughts that interfere with your performance.

加入團(tuán)體活動(dòng)

有不止一項(xiàng)研究顯示參與團(tuán)隊(duì)體育活動(dòng)的學(xué)生在注意力和學(xué)習(xí)技能上都有進(jìn)步。很可能保持活躍與冥想起著同樣有益的作用。參加體育活動(dòng)可以鍛煉你的大腦，使其專注于某項(xiàng)活動(dòng)，并屏蔽掉會(huì)影響你表現(xiàn)的想法。

Just Be Active

There are also studies that show any amount of physical activity can improve concentration. Simply walking for twenty minutes before reading a book may boost your ability to pay attention longer. This may be a result of relaxing your brain in preparation for the task at hand.

保持活躍

也有研究表明任何程度的體力活動(dòng)都會(huì)改善你的注意力。僅僅是閱讀前步行20分鐘也有可能讓你的注意力集中更長時(shí)間。這個(gè)結(jié)果可能是因?yàn)榇竽X得到放松，能為手邊的任務(wù)做準(zhǔn)備。

Practice Paying Attention

With practice， you can teach your mind a little discipline. One thing you should try to determine is what is really distracting you. Pick a passage to read that you normally would not read （unless forced）. It could be anything from a political report or an instruction manual. Start the stopwatch and begin reading. Try to concentrate， but stop yourself as soon as you feel your mind beginning to wander. Write down what it was that distracted you. Do this five times and analyze the results. Do you see a pattern？

練習(xí)保持注意力

通過練習(xí)，你可能讓你的頭腦學(xué)會(huì)“紀(jì)律”。你應(yīng)該判斷出到底是什么使你分神。找一篇你平常只有被強(qiáng)迫時(shí)才會(huì)看的文章，可以是任何東西，像是政治報(bào)告或者指導(dǎo)手冊(cè)。按下秒表，開始閱讀。試著集中注意力，一旦感到自己開始神游，立刻停止閱讀，寫下到底是什么使你分神。這樣反復(fù)5次并分析結(jié)果。你是不是已經(jīng)看出什么端倪了？