Hello, Warriors! Clearing SSB and joining the armed forces is the dream come true for all aspiring candidates. Most of the times in conversation with aspirants, I listen from them about not clearing SSB or not being able to clear the written exam itself even though they have prepared and practised for it a lot. They used to practise for hours daily. And on the other hand, I listen from aspirants clearing the examination while they studied for only 3-4 hours daily. The difference, to much surprise was that, if you study for only 2 hours daily (yes, you heard me, only 2 hours), but will full focus and complete concentration, you can crack any exam and believe me, you’ll feel confident and much like further preparing more for it.
To help the aspirants overcoming this difficulty, here I’ve collected some tips based on studies and researchers that proved to be beneficial for increasing concentration and being focused:
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Get Enough Sleep: I stress on two tips always and everywhere- Good listening and good sleeping. A good night’s sleep of minimum 6-8 hours is absolutely essential. You will observe that once you’ve slept well, your mind is more alert and you’re able to focus better on the tasks at hand.
To put in other words “Remember, a lion always sleeps well until he feels hungry”.
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Yoga and Meditation: Well, believe me or not, just deep and focused breathing in silent environment helps a lot. Sit with a high back in an upright position. Press one finger against the right nostril. Now take a long, deep breath, drawing the breath in gently as you count to ten; then expel the breath through the right nostril as you count to ten. Repeat this exercise with the opposite nostril. This exercise should be done at least twenty times at each sitting.
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Take Breaks: Go outside and breathe deeply or take a brisk walk. Make yourself do this often and you’ll be able to return to your task recharged and ready to focus more creatively. Moreover studies show that studying for 40 mins and then taking 10 mins break is the most productive way to concentrate, as a human mind cannot concentrate for more than 40 mins and 10 mins should be utilized for recapping or taking some fresh air. Try this in your school/college. Do take short breaks after every class is over.
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The SQ3R Method: “Survey” the book by skimming for titles, subtitles, captions, and anything else that could be important. “Question” by turning all of the titles and subheadings into study questions to track your reading once you finish a chapter or section. “Read” to find the answers to your study questions then answer any questions at the beginnings or ends of the chapter to make sure you learned what you needed to. “Recite” your questions orally and try to answer them. Use notes from the text but be sure to re-state them in your own words. “Review” the reading afterwards to keep it fresh in your mind for when you need it in school. If you find something you don’t understand, research it further online or in a book to understand it better.
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Always Have a Determined Attitude: Well, yet another quality which I stress the most on is determination. Determination and success go hand in hand. Do not let your own selfish/foolish acts get in the way of your concentration, but have determination to finish what you have started.
As a conclusion think about this basic physics; ‘The rays of the sun, when focused upon an object by means of a sun glass, produce a heat many times greater than the scattered rays of the same source of light and heat.’ This is true of concentration. Scatter it and you get but ordinary results. But center it upon one thing and you secure much better results. When you focus your attention upon an object, your every action, voluntary and involuntary, is in the direction of attaining that object. If you will focus yourselves upon a thing to the exclusion of everything else, you generate the force that can bring you what you want and nothing can stop you from that uniform.
