Online Class: How to Improve Your Concentration

In this course, we will delve into the thought process, and how different circumstances can affect one's ability to focus and concentrate effectively.

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  • 11
    Lessons
  • 13
    Exams &
    Assignments
  • 5,461
    Students
    have taken this course
  • 3
    Hours
    average time
  • 0.3
    CEUs
 
 

Course Description

Course Description: The Science and Art of Concentration

In today's fast-paced, digitally saturated environment, the ability to concentrate effectively is more valuable than ever. Yet, it is also more elusive. Whether you are a student striving for academic excellence, a professional wanting to excel in the workplace, or someone just curious about the intricacies of the human mind, understanding concentration can be immensely beneficial.

While it's common to believe that focus and concentration are synonymous, this course aims to shed light on their distinct characteristics and the underlying cognitive mechanisms. Why is it that some individuals can seamlessly juggle multiple tasks, engrossing themselves in a novel, savoring a piece of music, and reflecting on their day simultaneously? On the contrary, others find utmost clarity when dedicating their cognitive resources to a singular activity. Additionally, how does age influence our concentration prowess? Does our ability to focus intensify or wane as we journey through different life stages?

Spread across eleven meticulously crafted lessons, this course unravels the intricacies of concentration. We will explore the neuroscientific underpinnings, identify factors that can either bolster or impede concentration, and uncover strategies to amplify this essential cognitive ability.

Current research underscores the profound impact of lifestyle choices on cognitive health. For instance, engaging in regular mental exercises can significantly mitigate the risk of Alzheimer's in later stages of life. Additionally, certain dietary choices can act as catalysts, enhancing brain function and, by extension, concentration. But, it's not a one-size-fits-all formula. The ideal conditions for concentration can vary based on the task, individual preferences, and even the time of day. Is your current approach to concentration optimal? Join us on this enlightening journey to discover more!

Course Outline:

Lesson 1: Concentration and the Brain Dive deep into the neural mechanisms that govern concentration. Understand the difference between passive and active concentration and the role of different brain regions in regulating attention.

Lesson 2: An Age-Old Question Discover how age influences concentration. From the malleability of a child's mind to the wisdom that comes with age, learn about the evolution of concentration across the lifespan.

Lesson 3: Concentration Frustration Examine the common barriers to concentration in today's world, from digital distractions to emotional and physiological impediments.

Lesson 4: Exercising Your Brain Just as our muscles require training, so does our brain. Delve into cognitive exercises and habits that can sharpen your focus.

Lesson 5: The Sound of Music Explore the fascinating relationship between music and concentration. How can certain rhythms and genres boost cognitive function, and when might they be a hindrance?

Lesson 6: Food for Thought Nutrition plays a pivotal role in brain health. Discover the foods and nutrients that can act as cognitive enhancers, amplifying your ability to concentrate.

Lesson 7: Sweet Dreams Sleep isn't just for rest; it's crucial for cognitive function. Understand the connection between a good night's sleep and optimal concentration.

Lesson 8: May I Have Your Attention, Please? In a world teeming with stimuli, how do we decide what to focus on? Learn about selective attention and strategies to improve it.

Lesson 9: Concentration Barriers Identify and overcome the myriad barriers that can impede concentration, from environmental factors to cognitive biases.

Lesson 10: Concentration Helpers Uncover tools, techniques, and technologies that can act as catalysts, significantly enhancing your concentration.

Lesson 11: One Size Does Not Fit All Recognize that the path to optimal concentration is personal. Discover how to tailor strategies based on individual needs and preferences.

Equip yourself with the knowledge and skills to harness the power of concentration. Enroll now and step into a world of enhanced productivity, creativity, and mindfulness.

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Course Motivation

The Brain's Ability to Concentrate

Whether you are reading a book, studying for a class, or simply doing your job, concentration plays a major role in how we accomplish those tasks. In the same manner, our concentration allows us to clearly focus on the task at hand. Concentration is simply the mental process of focusing your mind on a single thought or task. In some ways, our brains are very much like computers. We receive data, process the data, somehow compute thoughts, and verbalize the information. Sometimes our concentration doesn't perform the way we expect; we may have a slower-than-normal response and we become frustrated. A person's intelligence level is tied to their ability to concentrate. There is research that suggests the level of intelligence a person has can be traced to heredity -- meaning that you may inherit the smarts of your parents. In theory, if any one person has a high level of concentration, their intelligence level would also likely be high.

The process of concentration is a very important part of what we do on a daily basis. Without the ability to concentrate, thoughts could be lost and memories wasted. Some consider concentration a way of branding our brains to recall things and assist our memory. For example, when studying for an exam, you study by concentrating; you read, focus on the key words, and to the phrases and exercises that will assist you with remembering the details. Famous intellects, such as Einstein, must have mastered this ability quite well. It is easy to assume that highly intelligent people were born with a bigger brain, or larger capacity for learning. However, it is also fair to assume that enhancing the way we think and focus can ultimately produce better concentrating skills. In essence, concentration is an ability we are able to maintain and enhance to better ourselves.

Let's discuss where this function takes place, as it obviously originates in our brain. The brain is made up of billions of nerve cells, commonly called neurons. Neurons basically gather and transmit electrochemical signals that evoke our thoughts and motor functions. The cerebral cortex is the part of the brain that is associated with our memory, thought, attention, awareness, and consciousness. This is also, where concentration comes into play. With everything we do, there is a certain amount of concentration that takes place. If you are eating ice cream, you are most likely thinking or focusing on the taste and texture -- and possibly the fact that you will have more when you are finished. When you are reading the newspaper or your favorite magazine, you are concentrating on the words and details that bring the articles to life, and finish up with a nice crossword puzzle. Just as you read the text for this class, you are stimulating your brain and putting forth an effort to concentrate.

It is interesting in an office setting how different people adapt to the surroundings of their environment in order to do their job. Some people find it very easy to concentrate with background noise, while others find it quite distracting. There are also those who prefer to be locked away silently in order to properly focus. Imagine working in an office consisting of cubicles. There is virtually no privacy, no way to drown out the noise of the day-to-day, such as co-workers' phone calls, or the busy sounds of printers, faxes, and staplers. Yet over and over we hear that people in these settings simply adapt; their minds allow them to drown out things they do not need to hear. It is as if all irrelevant background noises disappear. Haven't you ever been so deep in thought, so deep in concentration that someone speaks to you and you simply do not hear them? So, the second time they ask, you respond with a half-hearted, "Huh? I didn't even hear you." And they are just astounded that you were nearly deaf for that moment. Thousands of thoughts literally cross our minds daily, and with so much activity taking place, it is hard to imagine solidly focusing on one simple task or one thought. For many, it is difficult to concentrate on one task, let alone multitasking. Even as we are performing a physical function, the instruction to do the task is, of course, coming from the brain. If we were puppets, our brains would surely act as the puppeteer of our every move, and in reality, it pretty much seems to work that way.

Attention, focus, thought, and concentration are interrelated. Without one, it would be difficult to utilize the others. In order to concentrate, if you cannot focus, you simply would not be able to pay attention. Concentration, attention, and focus all involve thought, and therefore assist one another in the thought process.

To be able to enhance the way you concentrate means to be able to find the answers to what may be restricting your ability to do so, and what other factors are involved. You may be having a hard time sitting in one place for too long. Or perhaps you just want to brush up on your focus. No matter what your goal, this course will cover what you want and need to know to improve your concentration and enhance your ability to focus.

  • Completely Online
  • Self-Paced
  • Printable Lessons
  • Full HD Video  
  • 6 Months to Complete
  • 24/7 Availability
  • Start Anytime
  • PC & Mac Compatible
  • Android & iOS Friendly
  • Accredited CEUs
Universal Class is an IACET Accredited Provider
 

Course Lessons

Average Lesson Rating:
4.3 / 5 Stars (Average Rating)
"Extraordinarily Helpful"
(3,574 votes)

Lesson 1: Concentration and the Brain

Whether you are reading a book, studying for a class, or simply doing your job, concentration plays a major role in how we accomplish those tasks. 9 Total Points
  • Lesson 1 Video
  • Review Practice Worksheet: optional-WordSearch-Activity-7150.pdf
  • Lesson discussions: Reasons for Taking this Course
  • Complete Assignment: An Introduction
  • Assessment: Lesson 1: Concentration and the Brain

Lesson 2: An Age Old Question...

Children are often compared to sponges that literally soak up everything they see and hear in their immediate surroundings. 9 Total Points
  • Lesson 2 Video
  • Review Practice Worksheet: optional-WordSearch-Activity-7152.pdf
  • Assessment: Lesson 2: An Age Old Question

Lesson 3: Concentration Frustration

How can our minds be so restless, not allowing us to solidify a common focus? Every day we are bombarded with so many things that it can be easy to lose focus on what we want to do, and should be doing. 0 Total Points
  • Lesson 3 Video

Lesson 4: Exercising Your Brain

Keeping our wits about us as we get older is an important facet of aging. A sharp mind can mean more independence as we age, or simply an enhanced point of view in the present. 9 Total Points
  • Lesson 4 Video
  • Review Practice Worksheet: optional-WordSearch-Activity-7153.pdf
  • Assessment: Lesson 4: Exercising Your Brain

Lesson 5: The Sound of Music

Music is an amazing and wonderful gift that always seems to touch us at the right moments and invoke emotions and memories that can last a lifetime. 10 Total Points
  • Lesson 5 Video
  • Assessment: Lesson 5: The Sound of Music

Lesson 6: Food for Thought

Many of us have heard the term "You are what you eat." In some cases, what you eat may help or hinder your ability to think! 10 Total Points
  • Lesson 6 Video
  • Assessment: Lesson 6: Food for Thought

Lesson 7: Sweet Dreams

Being sleep deprived and pumping ourselves full of caffeine can certainly have an effect on the mind, but how does a lack of sleep affect our ability to focus clearly? 10 Total Points
  • Lesson 7 Video
  • Assessment: Lesson 7: Sweet Dreams

Lesson 8: May I Have Your Attention Please?

Concentration is the process of focusing one's thoughts, while "focus" is concentrating on a single thought or activity. 10 Total Points
  • Lesson 8 Video
  • Assessment: Lesson 8: May I Have Your Attention Please?

Lesson 9: Concentration Barriers

Procrastination can be dubbed as a major concentration inhibitor; it is a type of behavior characterized by deferment of actions or tasks to a later time. 9 Total Points
  • Lesson 9 Video
  • Assessment: Lesson 9: Concentration Barriers

Lesson 10: Concentration Helpers

Using our minds more, and challenging ourselves, is probably the most effective way to overcome concentration barriers. 10 Total Points
  • Lesson 10 Video
  • Assessment: Lesson 10: Concentration Helpers

Lesson 11: One Size Does Not Fit All

Deciding the best method and environment for your concentration to be at its peak can be hard, but is not an impossible task. 71 Total Points
  • Lesson 11 Video
  • Lesson discussions: What do you think about this course?; Program Evaluation Follow-up Survey (End of Course); Course Comments
  • Complete: Lesson 11 Assignment: Definition Matching
  • Assessment: Lesson 11: One Size Does Not Fit All
  • Assessment: The Final Exam
157
Total Course Points
 

Learning Outcomes

By successfully completing this course, students will be able to:
  • Describe concentration and the brain.
  • Describe concentration frustration.
  • Describe exercising your brain.
  • Summarize the sound of music and its affects on the brain..
  • Summarize the role of nutrition on concentration.
  • Summarize the role of dreams and sleep on concentration.
  • Define concentration barriers.
  • Describe concentration helpers.
  • Demonstrate mastery of lesson content at levels of 70% or higher.
 

Additional Course Information

Online CEU Certificate
  • Document Your Lifelong Learning Achievements
  • Earn an Official Certificate Documenting Course Hours and CEUs
  • Verify Your Certificate with a Unique Serial Number Online
  • View and Share Your Certificate Online or Download/Print as PDF
  • Display Your Certificate on Your Resume and Promote Your Achievements Using Social Media
Document Your CEUs on Your Resume
 
Course Title: How to Improve Your Concentration
Course Number: 7550156
Lessons Rating: 4.3 / 5 Stars (3,574 votes)
Languages: English - United States, Canada and other English speaking countries
Availability: This course is online and available in all 50 states including: California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, and Washington.
Last Updated: August 2023
Course Type: Self-Paced, Online Class
CEU Value: 0.3 IACET CEUs (Continuing Education Units)
CE Accreditation: Universal Class, Inc. has been accredited as an Authorized Provider by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET).
Grading Policy: Earn a final grade of 70% or higher to receive an online/downloadable CEU Certification documenting CEUs earned.
Assessment Method: Lesson assignments and review exams
Syllabus: View Syllabus
Course Fee: $120.00 U.S. dollars

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Student Testimonials

  • "This course was very helpful. It gave me different techniques to use when feeling stressed and to help me concentrate." -- Demarr T.
  • "I loved the way she explained things. I've only completed two courses so far on here. I feel like this one challenged me a bit more." -- Rubisol A.
  • "This course was very beneficial to me and my job. I now know what can hinder my concentration. I really enjoyed this course." -- Phyllis J.
  • "I realy enjoyed this course and i really liked the instructor." -- Evelyn R.
  • "I believe the instructor did a very good job of explaining this course." -- Carolyn M.
  • "Everything was nicely done. The instructor is awesome." -- Sandra L.
  • "Great course, I look forward to taking more courses." -- Rahama R.
  • "I learned more than I expected from this course!" -- Michele P.
  • "The course was great and my teacher was wonderful." -- Eddie M.
  • "Thank you! This was by far my favorite class!" -- Gabriela M.

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