give me tips for focus, concentration and motivation

[iceprincess]

I have TERRIBLE FOCUS and motivation. I'm going back to school this year after being kicked out for bad grades and I  don't wanna fuck it up again.  I'm gonna start doing old school hatha yoga, apparently surya kriya is brilliant for focus and concentration after you practice it for a few months. I'm also gonna order some modafinil. I'm only gonna take 3 or 4 courses to start with since I'm gonna be on academic probation after getting kicked out. other than that, do you guys have any other effective tips to boost your concentration/motivation? like really effective not just reading some self help book or video. thanks 

[Rasheed]

@iceprincess Regardless what goals you have. Visualise yourself where you want to be, and feel like you are already there, at all times. This is key to ANYTHING in life. You must be FIRST, you must be the person you want to be first, results comes only after that. BE-DO-HAVE.

I gave same advice to a boxer, as to you. Why? Because this is universal and works for everything. Every domain.

For focus and concentration, meditate every single day.

Edited July 24, 2020 by Rasheed

[allislove]

Be easy on yourself.

[Godhead]

23 hours ago, iceprincess said:

I have TERRIBLE FOCUS and motivation.

Step 1. Get rid of that belief

 

Also i'd recommend to have a dedicated study place. Maybe room if possible. Libraries also work great.

Enjoy the process. 

 

[JosephKnecht]

On 7/24/2020 at 10:40 AM, iceprincess said:

I'm gonna start doing old school hatha yoga

Yoga will help you with your concentration. Also, you can start a short meditation practice. 

Start with 10 minutes of guided meditations. After few months, increase to 20 minutes.

[Michael569]

On 24/07/2020 at 9:40 AM, iceprincess said:

I  don't wanna fuck it up again

Get rid of negative extrinsic motivation. Replace the " I don't want to fuck it up" with "I'm gonna give it my absolute best and if something outside of my control interferes, I'm going to accept it". 

Also, I wouldn't suggest starting up with Modafinil unless you suffer from ADHD (probably not even then) you risk becoming overly dependant on it. 

Make sure your diet is spot on. Get a lot of sleep. Hydration is important. Green Tea is great for cognitive performance. Avoid foods that will give you an insulin rollercoaster and look into low GL foods. Exercise couple times a week and allow time for socialisation & loneliness as well. 

And remember that "everything is perfect the way it is and the way it isn't" 

[universe]

Can you focus on other things for a long period of time, like something that's very ineresting to you? Some people have focus problems other people have motivation problems.

For focus I think simple meditation could help.

Also a lot of people in this thread claim that not drinking coffee helps with focus.

If you need caffeine try dark chocolate. It has a lot of brain boosting ingredients and it definitely helps me to stay focused for longer times. Plus it tastes awesome!

[seeking_brilliance]

Count to 20 without losing track. Then 50. Then 100.

Good luck! 

[cnfvm]

being able to focus in random & chaotic situations comes with grounding yourself and experience. not only by practicing & imagining at home. they help little. because every situation is unique and requires experience.

 

 

Edited July 26, 2020 by cnfvm

[How to be wise]

On 24/07/2020 at 9:40 AM, iceprincess said:

I have TERRIBLE FOCUS and motivation. I'm going back to school this year after being kicked out for bad grades and I  don't wanna fuck it up again.  I'm gonna start doing old school hatha yoga, apparently surya kriya is brilliant for focus and concentration after you practice it for a few months. I'm also gonna order some modafinil. I'm only gonna take 3 or 4 courses to start with since I'm gonna be on academic probation after getting kicked out. other than that, do you guys have any other effective tips to boost your concentration/motivation? like really effective not just reading some self help book or video. thanks 

Go to Google, and write down ‘how to improve concentration book’. You’ll find several books specifically solving your problem.

[Ry4n]

You don't need modafinil, nor should you want it. It's too powerful so if you feel like you're struggling with focus and you take it dependency could very well creep in. The caffeine/l-theanine stack is more than enough for most people I think, and it's far more sustainable. Best coupled with running and meditation. Social media is also fucked for your focus; I'm still recovering from that addiction and I can tell you it messes your focus to a profound degree.

[iceprincess]

@Ry4n  I've tried l-theanine, doesn't do anything for me. in Leo's nootropics video he said you don't become addictive or dependant on it. he said he has no problems cycling off of it 

[Snowflake]

2 hours ago, iceprincess said:

@Ry4n  I've tried l-theanine, doesn't do anything for me. in Leo's nootropics video he said you don't become addictive or dependant on it. he said he has no problems cycling off of it 

And that is absolutely horrible advice. The fact that HE has no problems has no relevance for anyone else. Anyone can get addicted to anything, psychoactive substances in particular, and addiction is no joke. Using modafinil when you don´t have a medical need for it is a terrible idea (take it from someone who´s been down the road of addiction. Nothing is worth that risk, trust me on this one).

As for concentration there are few things as powerful as meditation and cardiovascular exercise, there are tons of studies to back this up. That a healthy nutritional diet and good sleeping habits are essential goes without saying. You also need to change your mindset. We live who we believe we are, if you keep telling yourself that you have terrible focus it´s gonna stay that way. People gravely underestimate the power of mindset. The brain registers negative thoughts far stronger than positive ones, and mindset is so powerful it can actually effect your physical health in either direction. Positive thinking is a skill, and it affects everything from health, to happiness, to performance. 

[Vittorio]

1) Don't use any nootropic. They are just surrogate of mental clarity and concentration. Use them only if you reach a good level of concentration and mental clarity

2) Meditate EVERY day for at least 20 minutes

3) Stay as mindful as possible during day. Analize what you do, why you want to do it and look at the urges that arise when you want to distract yourself without judging them. Look at the muscular tension and at the feelings/energy that arise with the distractions

4) Do what for you matter most. If you do something you really love, you don't tend to distract yourself

5) Use to-do-lists. Work with priorities and on one thing at once

Edited July 26, 2020 by Vittorio

[Snowflake]

9 hours ago, Espaim said:

If you're going to take Modafinil make sure to use it to help you to put in place good habits so that you need it less and less.

I find it funny that people here are talking about Modafinil like it's meth.

I find it more funny how a lot of people think a substance has to be a heavy narcotic for enyone to get addicted to it. People who doesn´t know the first thing about addiction should not be giving advice bout this stuff. 

Edited July 27, 2020 by Snowflake

[Espaim]

6 hours ago, Snowflake said:

I find it more funny how a lot of people think a substance has to be a heavy narcotic for enyone to get addicted to it. People who doesn´t know the first thing about addiction should not be giving advice bout this stuff. 

Okay man you're right.

 @iceprincess Go to a doctor and make a general bloodwork. If it seems to be all okay, focus on the lifestyle changes cited above. If not and if your doctor wants to put you on meds choose Modafinil over other options first as it's the lesser evil. Adderall, Vyvanse and Ritalin will be a wreck in your system for sure.

Also, if you're into illegal shit LSD microdosing could also help you. And the best part is not addictive at all. It's actually anti-addictive.

Edited July 27, 2020 by Espaim