Chetan Prabhakar
A lot of people say that they lack concentration and this is because they have some kind of disorder. I have heard many doctors saying this to their patients and these patients do start believing and living in such a mindset that they have a disorder. Is that true? Is lack of concentration some kind of disorder?
To answer this, we need to understand what concentration really means. Does concentration mean doing things with full focus? Does concentration mean to concentrate our mind on whatever we are doing? Concertation means if we are reading, we are just reading. Concentration means focus and one-pointedness. Concentration means developing awareness of our activities.
If we are reading and thinking about something else, we are not concentrating. If we are eating and thinking about something else, we are not concentrating. If we are walking and have other things in mind, we are not concentrating. In view of these, if we go by doctors, all the humans race lacks concentration and has a disorder.
The good news is, lack of concentration is not a disorder. It is just that we have not trained our minds to be concentrated as societal conditioning has promoted the concept of multitasking as some kind of intelligence. Because of this, we have been multitasking in everything: we are driving a car and speaking on the phone; eating our food and watching TV or talking; walking on the road but thinking about something else etc. Nobody lacks concentration, on the other hand, the most appropriate way to say is that nobody develops concentration. Concentration, focus and one-pointedness are developed. Some may have this inherent talent but others must develop this.
Also, what is one of the most common reasons for a lack of concentration? It is that most of the time, we are also compelled to do thing/s which we don’t like. We all are different with unique personalities, interests and temperaments, however, due to peer pressure, societal conditioning and demand of old patterns and culture, most of us including kids are compelled to do things that we do not like, that is why we lack concentration as we lack interest in what we are doing. Once try to do a thing which you really love and see how much you can concentrate.
However, now as many of us have really grown up, and may also have started living with the belief that we lack concentration. So, now, if we wish to have the power of concentration which will improve the quality of our life we need to know how to develop and increase our concentration power. There is a concept called Moment to Moment Concertation (MTMC), which means in every moment we are concentrated. Whatever we are doing, we are concentrated and that is the best way to develop concentration, and the best practice to develop moment-to-moment concentration is Mindfulness.
The keyword to develop concentration is one task at a time. Just start doing one thing at a moment, and you will see how focused and concentrated you become. To start with, while eating your food, just see your food for a few seconds, see the texture of the food and then start eating your food slowly and in full awareness. Have the real taste of the food and then see how concentrated you become. When attending a phone call, just take three in and out breaths and then, pick up the phone and as a piece of caution do not drive when talking on the phone. It is important to know that when we are concentrated, focused and mindful while driving we can avoid accidents. The only reason for accidents is that our body drives a car but our mind is somewhere else; in the past, future, home or office.
Lack of concentration is not a disorder as concentration needs to be developed. We have never been taught how to concentrate. No school is teaching concentration, focus and one-pointedness, then, how will we learn concentration. Schools should add concentration practice in the curriculum. You should also stop complaining that you or your kids lack concentration. On the other hand, you should start developing concentration power which shall improve the quality of your life manifold. You will become more productive as with the development of concentration, you will have fewer distractions in the mind.
The practice of right mindfulness helps us to concentrate and when we are concentrated, our mind becomes silent which means the internal chatter or discourse going on and on in our mind stops. And when our mind is silent, we achieve real peace of mind. External world can never be silent, silence is internal and when we develop the power of mindfulness, then we can focus and concentrate even on busy roads full of external noises. This is what mindfulness does; it increases focus, concentration and one-pointedness which in turn silent the chatter going on inside our minds. When our mind becomes silent, there are less distractions, and with less distraction, you will be able to learn more and understand things faster and also meet the challenges of life with ease. Swami Vivekanand has said, ‘the power of concentration, is the only key to the treasure-house of knowledge. Through concentration of mind everything can be accomplished even mountains can be crushed to atoms.’
Practice
Look at a point or object or a light bulb or candlelight for a few seconds without blinking your eyes, then close your eyes and try to see the object in between your eyebrows.
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