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Tips to improve your concentration power and productivity
Distractions might cause you to lose focus
One approach to improving work productivity is the ability to focus on the topic at hand. Distractions can hinder job growth and decrease the quality of the work.
You can work to improve your capacity to concentrate if you are aware of how focusing might impact your job. This article shares some tips to improve concentration power.
Do one task at a time and develop strong willpower
By exercising strong willpower, you can avoid temptations that would otherwise divert your attention. Making definite, detailed goals, committing to them, and focusing on one thing at a time will help you strengthen your willpower.
Having a schedule, setting time aside for work completion, and reminding yourself daily of why your goals are important will also help you develop willpower.
Meditate
Meditate for at least 15 minutes in the morning to stop your racing thoughts, reduce depression and anxiety, and get an insight into yourself before you start the day. Sitting upright, closing your eyes, inhaling deeply, and concentrating on breathing can help.
Additionally, you can employ quick meditation sessions throughout the day when you feel your concentration slipping. In addition to helping you focus again on your work, meditation can enhance your memory, increase your alertness and awareness, and lower your stress levels.
Workout
Your energy will increase, your memory will improve, and your brain’s ability to ignore distractions will improve. You are maintaining a healthy weight and improving mental and physical activity.
Possible benefits of maintaining potential benefits of physical activity. Brisk walks, running up and down stairs, yoga, working in your garden, or any other type of exercise that works for you are all acceptable options.
Sleep properly
Lack of sleep can quickly impair memory, attention, and other cognitive processes, including focus. Occasionally, not getting enough sleep might not be too bad for you. However, consistently not getting enough sleep might impact your attitude and productivity at work.
Over exertion can even impair reflexes and impair your ability to drive or perform other daily duties. It might be challenging to obtain enough sleep occasionally due to a busy schedule, health concerns, and other circumstances. However, adults should strive for seven to eight hours of sleep per night, according to many experts.
The following advice will help you get a better night’s sleep:
An hour before going to bed, switch off the television and put away screens.
- Maintain a pleasant, cozy temperature in your space.
- Relax before bed with calming music, a hot bath, or a good book.
- Even on weekends, try to sleep and wake up at around the same hour every day.
- Regular exercise is essential, but avoid a strenuous activity right before night.
Pay attention
A smart technique to increase your focus is to pay deliberate attention to your environment, the people you contact, and your work activities. Making it a point to notice specifics in your daily life will help you develop your attention span.
You might take note of the names of the stores you pass on your way to work, the names of the bus stops and parks, the design of your office complex, the arrangement of the office furniture, and what your coworkers are wearing to work, for example.
Use verbal and nonverbal indicators to show others that you are paying attention when interacting with them, whether at work or elsewhere. These cues include speaking, smiling, and making eye contact. When someone is speaking to you, refrain from looking at your phone or around.
Eliminate distractions
Distractions might cause you to lose focus on your work and squander time. Distractions might not be completely avoidable, but you can try to minimise them. Find out what distracts you frequently by watching yourself, then deliberately avoid those things.
For instance, you might have a routine of frequently checking your email, texts, Instagram, or news. The five or 10 minutes you spend looking these up can pile up and waste a lot of time that could be used to do meaningful work.
Consider disabling your phone’s notifications, putting it away while you work, and refraining from unnecessary computer and phone internet browsing to reduce distractions.
Set a timer
You can focus more on important things by keeping track of your time, which will help you understand how you spend your working hours. Set a timer for 30 or 60 minutes, and throughout that period, focus solely on your work.
Practice with shorter time blocks of 10 or twenty minutes if you find it challenging to stay focused. This method of making the most use of your time can increase productivity and be helpful for job advancement.
Conclusion
Your weight, food habits, and degree of physical exercise affect how well you operate and concentrate. For instance, if you skip breakfast, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to work effectively at noon because of hunger.
Taking care of your health, staying active, and consuming foods promoting concentration can improve concentration. You might wish to include avocados, and chocolate in your diet to improve your capacity for concentration. — pickthebrain.com
Conflict at work is more common than you might think. According to 2022 research by The Myers-Briggs Company, more than a third of the workforce reports dealing with conflict often, very often, or all the time in the workplace. The same report found that managers spend an average of four hours per week dealing with conflict, and nearly 25 per cent of people think their managers handle conflict poorly or very poorly.
Addressing a dispute might feel tense or awkward, but resolving the conflict is typically well worth it in the long run. Whether you’re trying to mediate conflict between colleagues or are directly involved, here are seven steps you can take to manage workplace conflict.
1. Don’t put it off
Facing conflict head-on is hard. However, waiting too long to address it can negatively impact your emotional well-being, focus, and the entire office environment. If you’re feeling angry, letting that emotion fester can also escalate it over time. This can make you less responsive to other points of view and make it harder to resolve the issue.
The sooner you can address the conflict, the better it will be for you, the person you disagree with, and your entire team.
2. Learn all you can about the problem
It’s important to determine the type of conflict you’re dealing with. Begin by considering the cause of the conflict. For example, ask yourself whether someone said something that upset you or if you have emotions of anger and resentment that stemmed from something that happened.
Then try to identify if it’s a task, relationship, value, or team conflict. Once you know what type of conflict it is, you can work to resolve it with specific tactics for that situation.
If you skip this step, you may waste time or escalate the situation further by trying to address issues irrelevant to the real conflict.
3. Actively listen
Listen attentively when people share their side of the story. Active listening is one of the most valuable professional skills you can possess. This type of listening involves not only hearing what the other person is saying but also listening to understand their point of view.
No matter your role in conflict, it’s easy to begin sharing your opinion with little regard for the other people involved. However, it’s important to learn about all sides of a disagreement to make well-informed decisions before drawing conclusions.
To reach a resolution, you must step back and prioritize listening over talking. Ultimately, that will encourage the other person to do the same when it’s your turn to speak. –source: betterup.com
Today, I focus on the Temple Of Praise Ministries International (TOP Church) in Helsinki, as I continue my description of personalities or institutions and their accomplishments as members of the Ghanaian Diaspora in Finland.
The TOP Church in Finland has seen significant strides and accomplishments that must be made known to the public. 
Some history
The Church was established in Finland in September 2016. Since its inception, it has steadily grown both spiritually and numerically, by the grace of God, as disclosed to me by Mr Matthew Anini Twumasi, the Presiding Elder of TOP’s branch in Finland. The TOP Church has other branches across Africa, Europe, and America.
The Church in Finland was founded with a vision to create a welcoming and dynamic community where people could experience God’s love and grace (see, www.topchurchfinland.org). According to Presiding Elder Matthew, the TOP Church operates within a unique environment where Christianity coexists with what is seen as a largely secular society.
Despite this, he submits, there are significant opportunities for outreach, unity, and demonstrating the love of Christ through service and community engagement.
Activities
Church services at the TOP Church are typically held on Sundays for the main worship. In addition, there are mid-week prayer sessions, Saturday prayer services, and a half-night service held on the last Friday of every month. “We also organise quarterly programs”, Elder Matthew added.
His impression of the Church so far has been positive. “It is a vibrant and welcoming community where members are committed to worship, fellowship, and supporting one another in faith”, he stated.
In sum, Elder Matthew said the Church continues to grow by God’s grace. “We remain hopeful and committed to spreading the Gospel, strengthening the faith of our members, and making a positive impact in society”, he continued.
Achievements
The TOP Church has a number of achievements and achievements. Some of the strengths include strong community bonds, cultural diversity, and deep commitment to spiritual growth.
I also remember that during the COVID-19 period, I heard that the TOP Church was one such bodies that hugely supported its members and others to cope with the situation.
According to Elder Matthew, the challenges facing the church include “adapting to cultural differences, engaging the younger generation, expanding outreach in a secular society, and securing a permanent place of worship”.
Role in the Ghanaian community in Finland
The TOP Church plays a prominent role as a religious group that serves Ghanaian migrants and others in the Finnish society.
Thus, the TOP Church is a religious body for Ghanaian migrants in Finland and other nationalities who want to worship with them for diversity and better intercultural and multicultural understanding.
The Church also has mechanisms in place to support its members who are bereaved as a way to commiserate with them in times of death and funerals.
The Ghanaian community has played a vital role in the growth of the Church. Their strong sense of fellowship, dedication to worship, and active participation have helped build a solid foundation and attract others to the ministry, according to Elder Matthew.
Integration
By its activities, the TOP Church is helping to ensure integration of its members well into the Finish society.
This is important since social interaction and citizens’ well-being are an important part of the integration process.
The role of migrant associations and groups such as TOP Church acting as bridge-builders for the integration and inclusion of migrants through participation in the decision making process and by acting as a representative voice is highly appreciated in Finland. Thank you!
GHANA MATTERS column appears fortnightly. Written in simple, layman’s terms, it concentrates on matters about Ghana and beyond. It focuses on everyday life issues relating to the social, cultural, economic, religious, political, health, sports, youth, gender, etc. It strives to remind us all that Ghana comes first. The column also takes a candid look at the meanings and repercussions of our actions, especially those things we take for granted or even ignore. There are key Ghanaian values we should uphold rather than disregard with impunity. We should not overlook the obvious. We need to search for the hidden or deeply embedded values and try to project them.
With Dr Perpetual Crentsil
