What Are the Obstacles to Concentration? Why You Cannot Focus?

Do you find it difficult to hold your attention fixed on one subject or thought for longer than a few seconds?

Are you often distracted by other thoughts or sense impressions?

Do you have trouble focusing your attention?

Do you sometimes ask yourself: “Why can’t I focus?” “Why do I have trouble focusing?”

Everyone faces several obstacles to focus and concentration, but these obstacles can be surmounted.

You might have trouble focusing on work, at school, while studying or reading, or when talking with people. You might also have difficulty focusing on your goals.

Lack of attention can sometimes be disturbing and, in certain situations, even dangerous, such as while driving or working with machinery.

• Are you trying to improve your focus but facing obstacles?
• Do you try to meditate, but with no success?
• Do you always do one thing while thinking about something else?

How often does your mind get distracted while studying, working, or reading?

Why You Can’t Focus and What Are the obstacles to concentration?

There are various reasons why you can’t focus:

1. Lack of enough willpower
2. Lack of enough self discipline
3. Impatience
4. Undisciplined mind
5. Too much interest in other thoughts
6. Physical and mental restlessness
7. Lack of understanding of what concentration is
8. Inability to sit still
9. Ill health
10. Lack of motivation
11. Too much stress and lack of enough rest or sleep
12. Too much addiction to the social media

There are other obstacles to concentration, but these are the main ones. All of them can be treated if you are earnest enough to improve your focus.

Both young and adult people share the inability to focus and concentrate, but everyone willing to invest time and effort can strengthen these important skills.

How to Overcome the Inability to Focus and Concentrate

How to overcome your lack of concentration and focus? Is it possible to overcome the lack of focus? Yes, it’s possible, here are a few suggestions:

1. To overcome the inability to concentrate, you need to strengthen your willpower and self-discipline through appropriate exercises.

You can find a few exercises in the article about willpower and self-discipline . If you wish to gain greater inner strength, it would be a good idea to study and practice the exercises in the book Build up Strong Will Power and Self Discipline.

With the help of these exercises, you will be able to discipline your mind and thoughts, gain patience, and overcome restlessness.

2. Often, during the day, think about the benefits of gaining the ability to concentrate and focus your mind. This can help to motivate you to take action and improve this ability.

3. You might also find it useful to repeat affirmations about your desire to improve your focus.

Repeating affirmations, if done earnestly, attentively, and with belief, would strengthen your motivation and desire to improve your focus and help you overcome the obstacles on the way.

Stop telling yourself and repeating in your mind, “I can’t focus, I can’t concentrate”; instead, keep saying and believing that you can.

Accept the fact that focus is a skill you can develop, no matter how weak your focus is now.

Here Are a Few Affirmations:

“I want to improve my concentration, and I am doing something about it.”

“I have the desire and motivation to improve my concentration.”

“I find the time every day to practice focus exercises.”

“Each day, my attention span is getting longer.”

More Tips for fixing the Inability to Focus and Concentrate

4. Practicing some physical exercises during the day will improve your health and ability to overcome physical restlessness.

5. It is important to give yourself some rest during the day and have enough sleep at night.

6. Try to stay calm and relaxed during the day, no matter what happens. You will find it helpful to practice a few relaxation exercises and to stop taking things too personally.

7. Exhibiting some inner detachment would help. Don’t let yourself be too affected by what people say or do. Don’t let external influences affect your moods and state of mind.

If you let people and external events affect your moods and state of mind, how can you focus your mind when you need to? It is true that it might not be easy to get rid of this habit, but if you learn to be aware of this subconscious habit, you will gradually be able to weaken its effect on you.

8. Of course, don’t forget that you also need to find some time every day to practice concentration exercises.

9. Focus on what you are doing. When reading, focus on what you are reading. While eating, focus on the food, its taste, smell, and color. When dressing up, focus on the act of dressing up, and so forth. Don’t do one thing while thinking about something else.

10. Hypnosis or listening to special CDs might help and bring some quick results, but real and lasting results come through gradual work and by developing the mental muscles, not through external means.

Gradual Improvement

Gradual and conscious development produces better and enduring results in the long run. It is like taking hormones and pills to develop physical strength and muscles versus practicing actual physical exercises.

This way might take longer and require some effort, but the rewards are great and worthwhile.

You can overcome the obstacles to concentration if you really desire to do so. They won’t disappear overnight, but eventually, they will. To do so, you need to train your mind to focus.