The ability to concentrate depends strongly on the environmental conditions. It can be promoted through training. However, it is much more strongly influenced by general conditions such as distractions in the home learning environment, emotional stress, negative attitudes toward school or the subject matter.
The basic emotional mood: If the mood is negative, concentration decreases. For this really good reason, situations in which concentration is required, such as studying or doing homework, should not be characterized by anger, rage, aggression or the like. Students who approach the subject matter and the tasks set openly, positively, with genuine interest and curiosity have a better chance of success.
The physical condition: It is obvious that the physical condition has an impact on the ability to concentrate. Efforts such as sports tire the body. Illnesses can also affect performance. In these cases, it is more beneficial to tackle the tasks at hand only after the body has recovered after a period of rest and regained its strength.
Environmental conditions: Distractions, such as music, should be largely avoided when studying or completing other tasks that require concentration. The greater the distraction, the higher the error rate. This is because attention is a process that mainly takes place in our working memory. And it can only absorb a certain amount of impressions. If it is overloaded, the incoming information can no longer be processed appropriately.
Nutrition also plays an important role: If the diet contains too many saturated fatty acids, too many empty carbohydrates and at the same time too few vitamins and high-quality amino acids, the ability to concentrate suffers. Regular rest periods also have a positive effect.