Your attention is under attack. A 2019 study found that rates of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder have gone up over ten years.

Many people don’t have a disorder, yet they struggle to focus on basic things and important tasks. But if you can hone several different attention to detail skills, you can start focusing on the things that matter most to you.

How can you improve your concentration and memory? How should you handle stress and assign responsibilities? What little things can you do to make it easier to focus?

Answer these questions and you can start improving your attention in no time. Here is your quick guide.

Improve Your Concentration

Your concentration allows you to stay focused and notice the little details in things. When you’re thinking about a bunch of different tasks, your concentration will go down.

Clear your mind before you start to tackle a problem. Take a deep breath and remove all thoughts from your mind. If you need to close your eyes or listen to relaxing music for a few minutes, you can do so.

Then turn to the task at hand. When your mind starts to wander, take note that your mind is wandering, but don’t become frustrated or distracted. Return to your task as soon as possible.

When you have a little free time, you should try meditating. Sit down, close your eyes, and focus on your breath. The longer you meditate, the longer you can focus on your breathing and any tasks in front of you.

Be Calm

When you are panicking, your attentiveness drops significantly. You can prevent panic by planning out your day in advance. You should keep a schedule or checklist on you and go through the events of the day one at a time.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, you should ask someone to take care of a responsibility for you. They can also give you advice on what to do next.

Try to do your tasks at a slower pace. Review anything you create multiple times. Enjoy the slower moments of your day like eating and reading, and leave yourself time to slow down and relax at the end of the day.

Play Memory Games

Memory games can help your brain develop focusing skills over time. You can find free games on the internet, and you can buy games and play them at your kitchen table.

A basic memory game is card matching. Cards with different images lie facedown, and you flip over one card at a time. Once you’ve flipped over two cards, you must put them facedown again.

The object of the game is to make matching pairs of images. You must remember where the images are and keep your attention on the task at hand.

If you prefer a more dynamic game, you can try sudoku. You must put the numbers 1 through 9 in each row, column, and square. The puzzle creator gives you a few numbers at the beginning, and you can use these numbers to complete the rest of the grid.

Manage Your Time Better

You can complete everything you need to do while paying attention to the details of each task. The key is to improve your time management skills. Creating a calendar or checklist will help you understand what you need to do, and you can decide how much time you need for each activity.

Make decisions quickly. You should get all the information you need to make a decision, but then you should decide on something as soon as possible.

Try Listening

Active listening will help you gather a lot of details that you can’t get otherwise. While someone is speaking, make eye contact with them. Nod when they say something you agree with and use short verbal cues to encourage them to speak more.

You can take notes on what someone is saying, but don’t let your writing distract you. Jot down a couple of bullet points while you are continuing to make eye contact with the person speaking.

When it is time for you to speak, you should paraphrase what was told to you. This lets the person you are listening to feel validated, and it lets you process what was just said.

Organize Yourself

You should develop a few different organizational skills. When you take notes, you should avoid writing in full sentences. Write down key concepts and examples of each concept in your own words.

Keep your papers and digitized documents in folders. Give a name to each folder and attach a brightly-colored label to it so you can spot it from a distance.

Take all of the clutter off your desk so your eyes are not wandering from one object to another. When you are reading a text, you should hold the text with both hands and position it toward the middle of your body.

Get Help With Attention Problems

If you are struggling to develop attention to detail skills, you should get help. ADHD is a serious disorder, and you should get a diagnosis of it as soon as possible. You can take medication and receive therapy to manage your symptoms and increase your focus.

Autism spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder, and learning disabilities can also cause inattention. You should go to your doctor if you have prominent symptoms and get a diagnosis of any of these conditions.

Hone Your Attention to Detail Skills

You can develop your attention to detail skills in no time. Improve your concentration and stay calm by meditating. If you want a fun way to improve your focus, you can try memory games.

Create a checklist to organize your day and manage your time a little better. Listen to someone while making eye contact so you remember the details they give you. If you’re struggling with your attention, go to your doctor for help because you may have ADHD.

Improve your mind however you can. Read more mental wellness guides by following our coverage.