Team Typed

  • November 18, 2021
  • Productivity

The Real Way to Improve Concentration and Focus in Writing

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Improving concentration and focus through behavioral, tool-based, and environmental methods.

Humans are naturally creative beings, striving to create and develop new ideas for the purpose of achieving their respective goals. Whether one is a scientist, artist, politician, or businessperson, the ability to express oneself through words is an immensely essential skill to possess. Writing is the most systematic method of establishing one’s ideas and organizing arguments into a comprehensive layout that is easily comprehensible by the intended audience. Yet good writing does not come easily – it needs practice and conscious development. Today, where there exists an abundance of quality information and data that is easily accessible, the core skill remains in the ability to communicate the rich ideas clearly.

“Successes are revised mistakes” hypermoat hypermoat

Unlike writing in the pre-internet era in which significant amount of time, effort, and resources were required to find the right information, writing in the information era is more about:

  • Reducing noise : Finding and filtering the right, relevant information
  • Synthesizing information : Aggregating information through discovering meaningful connections and distinctions between resources
  • Continuous Development : Improving upon shorter feedback loops enabled by collaboration and sharing

Abundance of information and data is definitely a blessing, yet as mentioned in our whitepaper , the process of a) Reducing noise and b) Synthesizing information is becoming more difficult – the paradox of choice (Schwartz, 2004).

Through multiple iterations of practice, one becomes more fluent in terms of effectively communicating their ideas through writing.

‘You are what you pay attention to” hypermoat hypermoat

The importance of concentration and focus as a writer is apparent. Here are some useful methods of improving your concentration in both the short and long run.

Behavior Based Methods

Before we get started, I would like to recommend you to listen to Dr. Andrew Huberman’s organized session on ADHD & How Anyone Can Improve Their Focus .  Dr. Huberman starts off by defining some of the key vocabulary (i.e. attention, impulsion, and hyperfocus) which are essential to understand the fundamentals of improving focus and concentration as a modern day thinker. All the interesting facts and studies aside (e.g. the biological basis of creating focus), Dr. Huberman introduces a method “to enhance your ability to focus in theory forever” in a single session. By carrying out a 17-minute interoception (a.k.a. meditation), one can significantly reduce the number of ‘attentional blinks’ in a near permanent way without any additional training.

Attentional blinks, by definition, is a “phenomenon that reflects temporal limitations in the ability to deploy visual attention” (Goldman & Davidson, 2017). As people age and their working memory  and ability to focus get worse, the number of attentional blinks they carry out goes up. The practice of reducing the amount of visual information coming in helps you reduce the number of attentional blinks and hence improve general focus. This 17-minute session is not difficult to carry out – quietly sit somewhere comfortable and pay attention to your internal state, registering your breathing and senses.

Once your 17-minute session is over, now it’s time to get to work. There are two key elements that are crucial to take care of before and while you are writing: time and space . Starting off with time, I enjoy the habit of thinking in shorter time intervals (e.g. in batches of 15 minutes as opposed to 30 minutes, etc.). This way, I have much more control over these ‘mini-sprints’ that I allocate for maximum focus and for resting. Many people refer to this technique as the pomodoro timer technique – conventionally 25 minutes of distraction-less, highly focused session of work, followed by 5 minutes of break.

Tool Based Methods to Improve Focus

Once you get used to the behavioral methods of improving your focus as a writer, now you’re ready to multiply that level of concentration with relevant tools. Being overwhelmed with the amount of information being taken in during the research  stage even before writing the actual document is a common situation knowledge writers experience. (Read more about this here ) This leads to longer periods of time spent on preparing to write rather than writing itself. In fact, rather than unnecessary visual or cognitive disturbances caused by so many tabs and applications , the biggest burden on paperwork comes from psychological barriers. The amount of information accessible leads to difficulty filtering necessary information from  unnecessary information, causing the user to think that everything is important. This leads the research to become an endless unproductive web surfing and despite spending hours on work, the actual document is left as a blank white paper with only a few sentences.

Typed is a digital workspace designed to ensure that users do not feel the need to leave their workspace. The process of finding, collecting, reading, analyzing resources , as well as locating documents or projects , and editing the documents, are actions that can be done within a single interface. It is immensely helpful for writers who want to maintain concentration, looking for a method to “search Less, write more”. Data and information collected within Typed can be viewed through a Split Viewer simultaneously while writing, without having to use a separate viewer application. Typed’s Split Viewer currently supports pdf, doc, ppt, and excel formats, as well as web URLs, and will continue to support more formats, including image files. The Split Viewer enables the user to make seamless transitions between resources, filter collected  resources, and ultimately utilize the resources to produce high quality writing without having to leave the main workspace. Typed’s workspace with a split viewer interface is a simple, but effective approach that allows the knowledge worker to transition through numerous resources while staying fully focused on the current document’s context.

Creating Flow for Concentration

  • When exhaling (out of breath) people go into fight or flight mode – learning to focus through the panic is how you achieve flow
  • This enables your brain to make connections and recognize patterns (interdisciplinary) – giving the basic necessities

As a writer, the ability to maintain focus is the single most important skill to possess in order to generate new ideas and eventually synthesize them in a manner that is effective and organized. By establishing a general habit through behavioral methods of improving focus, you will not only enjoy the benefits of better writing but clear thinking. Reducing the number of attentional blinks and preventing cognitive decline by decreasing the amount of visual information intake will help you maintain clarity of thought and boosted levels of concentration. On top of that, consciously managing the time and space you use to write effectively will significantly increase the chances of pure concentration, which we call the state of flow. Finally, once you are prepared to take action, digital tools like Typed will enable you to amplify the focus and productivity that you’ve established as a writer. By reducing the inefficiency of context switching and enhancing the experience of information collection and application, you are now more than prepared to write your masterpiece.

Now go on, and write that masterpiece of yours.

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How to concentrate on writing

Concentration: 22 ways to help you focus on writing

Embed these 22 tips on how to focus on writing into your life and watch your productivity soar. We cover how to concentrate and achieve flow.

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How I focus on writing 

To be a great writer, you have to be able to concentrate. It’s not the only thing you’ll need, but it’s certainly a good start!

It sounds simple enough, but a lot of us (myself included) often struggle to stay on-task.

I’m writing this post to share some of the habits and techniques that have (sometimes) helped me to improve my own concentration. And yes, I know that some of them are contradictory. That’s the ‘sometimes’.

In any case, I hope you find the following 22 tips useful, especially if you're gearing up for a big writing push, like for the annual  NaNoWriMo  (or the  poetry equivalent ). That's a whole lot of concentrating! 

Without further ado, here are my secrets to staying focused:

1. Get in the flow

Psychologists describe a powerful form of concentration called ' flow '. It happens when someone concentrates and is fully engaged with what they are doing. (See the Wikipedia  definition .) When you’re writing like this, writing fluently comes naturally.

We all recognise this state. “Time flies when you’re having fun” is one version. Meditation is, perhaps, another version. If you play sports or video games and you find yourself ‘at one’ with what you’re doing, that’s another. All these mental states require concentration.

2. Multitasking doesn't work

Conversely, failure to concentrate can be very unproductive. In fact,  multitasking makes us stupid . People who think they are good at multitasking aren’t, according to  researchers at Stanford University. That’s you and me, dear reader.

3. Accept your distractions

You will get distracted. Your mind will wander. You won’t want to get started. Accept it. The trick is to stand back and notice your brain doing these things. When it happens, stand back from yourself. Notice the distraction. Name the monster. Gently remind yourself that you’re trying to concentrate, and it will be easier to return your focus to your work.

4. Use a concentration timer

I like using meditation timers when I write. A little bell every five minutes helps remind me to put my focus back onto my writing if my mind has wandered.

5. Go somewhere else

Do you write a bit more neatly when you get a new pen? Change can be beneficial, even if the effect is temporary. Sometimes a change of location (go to the park, Starbucks, the Kitchen – anywhere but here) or a change of method (use a quill, a pencil, a typewriter, a different word processor, Linux, smoke signals) can help.

6. Stay where you are

I’m always getting up and going somewhere to get something or do something. To counter this tendency, I keep scrap paper (recycled A4 printer paper cut in half) by my desk and scribble reminders. Then back to the writing.

7. Write at a different time

I write best if I get up early. (See ‘ How I trained myself to get up earlier in the morning ’ for more on that.) Just changing your routine can be helpful, so try waking up a little earlier. It also feels more virtuous than staying up late with work.

8. Write to a schedule

When I have a busy week laden with deadlines, I block out time for my work in Microsoft Outlook. This helps me allocate time and measure progress on longer-term projects and ensure that I have enough time to do all the work I planned. Other people find it helpful to determine their most productive writing-time and stick to it.

9. Morning pages

I have to admit that I haven’t tried Julia Cameron’s technique for unblocking your creativity, but other people – including my wife – swear by it. It involves writing in a stream of consciousness first thing every day.

10. Switch off distractions

Turn off your radio, TV, shut the door, close your email program, put your phone on mute, close unnecessary tabs (stop working on your own blog!) and use a  distraction-free word processor . Full-screen your writing software. The more you can do to stop distractions before they happen and allow you to focus on writing, the better.

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11. Tame your muse

Your muse works for you, not the other way around. Think of it as a recalcitrant employee. Give it deadlines, tell it to show up for work at a fixed time every day, give it feedback and praise, and define what you expect from it.

12. Seek inspiration

Lots of people praise walking or running as a source of inspiration. The best advice I ever had was from my history tutor at Oxford – keep a notebook with you at all times, because you never know when you will have a good idea.

13. Quantify

Use word count to set goals – 500 words and then a break, for example. Track writing output over time in a spreadsheet. Use a platform like  Joe’s Goals to keep track of habits in the long term. Some people, like me, are highly motivated by a sense of progress.

14. Silence

External noise can break your concentration. Try noise cancelling headphones (I use Bose), music (see ‘ Music for working ’), silent PC (see ‘ Tools for writing: Silent PCs ’) or ear plugs.

15. Meditate to develop concentration and calmness

I find it helpful to meditate a little before I start work. It’s not easy for me, but when I do it I find it really helps. I sit cross-legged in a quiet room and count my breaths.  The Headspace app  or Calm may be a helpful place to start. (See our post on apps for mental wellbeing for more)

I like tea (See ‘ Tools for writing: A nice cup of tea ’). Other people prefer cigarettes, Jaffa cakes - whatever. I would just be wary of too many sugary treats, because they could cause a sugar crash later on – you end up borrowing energy from yourself. Try healthier snacks like fruit or nuts to keep your energy levels steady throughout the day.

17. Punishment

Try  Write or Die if you really want to light a fire under yourself. If you don’t keep writing, it starts deleting what you have already written! This is brilliant for writing to deadlines, but potentially painful.

18. Shame and greed

Instead of running a 26-mile marathon, aim to write 26,000 words and get your friends to sponsor you for charity. If you fail to do it, you won’t raise any money and you’ll feel bad. Nothing like social pressure to keep you at the keyboard. Alternatively (and if it applies to you) remind yourself that you’re getting paid for what you write, might not get paid again if it’s late.

19. Buddy writing

Working with a friend, even over an open Skype line, can encourage concentration, providing you both have the same work habits. Somehow the peer pressure keeps you both working hard. It’s also an antidote to the potential loneliness of the long-distance writer.

20. Chunking

Write for 45 minutes, take a 15-minute break. Repeat. That's how you go from nothing to  starting a blog  AND finishing it. The Pomodoro Timer is a good place to start for this approach to productivity.

21. Don’t worry

Editing is not writing. Don’t let your mental self-editor get in the way of the super-productive copywriter in you. Learning how to write well is accepting that your first draft might not be perfect. Leave notes to yourself in your text – fact-check, tidy up, rewrite, condense. The important thing is to keep writing now and edit later.

This is a special case of ‘Don’t worry.’ If there’s something you don’t know, don’t stop to look it up. Just put TK in the text. It means ‘to come [later]’. For example, ‘When Neil Armstrong landed on the moon in TK DATE, he didn’t expect to meet little green men.’ Fill in the blanks later. TK is easy to search for because it doesn’t occur often in everyday writing. (There are a few exceptions, such as the band Outkast.)

Bonus: Rock and river

Water is soft and rocks are hard, but a river can defeat a rock with patience and constant effort over time. I think it’s the same with writing. A little every day beats a lot once a year. If you keep this in mind, concentrating for a short period every day becomes easier.

Leave a hook to get you started

When you  finish writing each day , try to leave a few notes in your text to help you get started the next day. This will make it easier to overcome inertia and re-engage with the work.

I hope you've enjoyed these tips, and that they help you on your way to writing stardom. Don’t forget us when you’re a famous author.

Like anything, concentration comes down to preparation. If you can set yourself up to enter a concentrated mindset, you'll be able to concentrate. As the Scouts say, 'always be prepared'.

[Originally published in 2009, this has been updated in 2020]

Picture of Matthew Stibbe

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Writing Strategies

8 proven ways to stay focused in essay writing.

write an essay on concentration method

Writing an essay can be difficult, especially when there are outside distractions that make it difficult to concentrate. Maintaining focus is essential for writing excellent essays that clearly communicate your ideas and points of contention.

These are some of the eight proven strategies to help you stay focused during the essay writing process.

By incorporating these techniques into your routine, you can boost your productivity and achieve outstanding results.

Establish a Distraction-Free Atmosphere

Setting up a distraction-free atmosphere is one of the most crucial steps in staying focused when writing an essay. Locate a place that is peaceful and conducive to uninterrupted concentration. To avoid accessing social media or other distracting websites, turn off the notifications on your phone and computer, and think about using internet blockers. You may totally commit to writing your essay by removing any outside distractions.

Set Specific Goals and Deadlines

Setting specific goals and deadlines is crucial for maintaining focus while writing an essay. Divide up your essay into manageable assignments and give each section a certain amount of time. By using this strategy, you may stay organized and avoid being disorganized. Additionally, as you complete each objective, you feel a sense of accomplishment that drives you even harder to continue.

Create a Structured Writing Plan

A structured writing plan can help you stay focused while writing your essay. Outline your major points and supporting evidence first, then arrange them logically. This strategy serves as a road map, directing you as you write and ensuring that your essay has a logical flow. The assignment will be easier to complete if you have a clear structure in place because you can concentrate on each section separately.

Practice Mindfulness and Deep Breathing

Exercises that promote mindfulness and deep breathing can greatly improve your focus when you are writing an essay. Before beginning, take a few seconds to gather your thoughts. You should close your eyes, take a deep breath, and concentrate on the present. Your focus will improve, and your stress levels will go down, thanks to this practice. You will find it simpler to maintain concentration and engagement if you incorporate mindfulness into your writing process.

Break Up Writing Sessions

Prolonged writing might result in mental weariness and loss of concentration. Instead, divide your writing sessions into shorter, easier-to-handle segments. Set a timer for 25 to 30 minutes and write exclusively during that period. Take a little pause after the session to refuel and clear your head. The “Pomodoro Technique,” as it is often known, aids in maintaining focus and averts burnout.

Use Powerful Research Techniques

While research is a necessary component of essay writing, it may also serve as a possible source of distraction. Develop efficient research tactics to maintain attention. Make a list of the precise information you require and choose credible sources in advance. This method saves you time and keeps you from idly perusing the web for the right information. You can reduce time spent on research and improve the caliber of your essay by concentrating on pertinent sources.

Find Your Optimal Working Time

Discovering your optimal working time can significantly improve your focus during essay writing. Pay attention to when you feel most alert and productive, whether it is early in the morning or late at night. Schedule your writing sessions during this period to take advantage of your peak concentration levels. By aligning your work with your natural rhythm, you can optimize your focus and produce your best work.

Seek Professional Assistance

Despite your best efforts, it can occasionally be difficult to stay focused while writing an essay. If you are having trouble, think about getting help from a professional. Expert writers are available through services like https://canadaessaywriting.com/write-my-essay to help you get beyond writer’s block and stay on track. With their advice, you can finish your essay successfully while lowering your stress level and sharpening your attention.

Wrapping it up

For great work when writing an essay, concentration is key. You may eliminate interruptions, establish specific goals, and construct a disciplined writing schedule by using these eight tried-and-true techniques. Additionally, practicing mindfulness, breaking down writing sessions, using efficient research techniques, figuring out your best working hours, and getting expert help can all help you stay focused and meet your essay-writing objectives. Remember, maintaining concentration is a talent that can be developed with effort and practice. So, use these strategies and set out on your essay-writing adventure with newfound productivity and confidence.

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How to Focus on Writing an Essay (Ultimate Guide)

By: Author Paul Jenkins

Posted on Published: February 19, 2022  - Last updated: March 25, 2022

Categories Education , Self Improvement , Writing

One of the main problems students face when writing an essay is a lack of concentration. There is nothing worse than a lack of concentration during a school exam – it can be equally difficult to write an essay when you are already behind and feeling the pressure. Before you start academic writing, whether for school or for college, it is important to find a way to focus on the task at hand. The following tips will help any student focus in order to write a good essay.

Why We Lose Focus

Believe it or not, our minds are programmed by evolution to lose focus because it is a mechanism essential for survival. After processing something we have paid attention to, our brain notices things that are either dangerous or desirable.

In our hunter-gatherer days, when we saw a wild animal, our brain focused on that dangerous animal. When something tasty grew in the forest, our brain focused on that tasty plant.

In the modern world, our brains still try to do their job when we try to write a school paper. But instead of focusing on wild animals, they focus on social media sites, Facebook, and anything else that is considered desirable.

As a result, we pay a high price: It takes anywhere from 5 minutes to 15 minutes or more before we can focus again. Distractions are poison for long periods of concentrated work.

Nor are all distractions external. The opposite is true. About 40 percent of all distractions are internal thought processes. We can get lost in a sea of thoughts that take up all of our attention, which can cause us to stop paying attention to what we should be doing.

This makes it all the more important to find ways to focus on writing the essay, as this helps to keep our thoughts in the right place. And to make sure we write the essays the right way!

7 Ways to Focus While Writing Essays

Essays are an essential writing skill for all students – whether at the level of a college essay or in school. There are a number of things that help us stay focused.

The most important thing is not to wait until the moment before writing to decide what you actually want to say. When writing an essay, you should have a good idea of what you want to say, how you want to say it, and how you want to support your thesis.

If you follow a specific outline when writing your essay, you are much less likely to suffer from writer’s block. You will also be better able to present your arguments clearly and engage in good writing practices, that will serve you well whether you need to tackle an essay or even a research paper.

1. Understand the Esssay Process

It will help you to have a clear idea of the whole process of essay (and non-fiction) writing.

The process is:

  • Research : sift through existing arguments and background information relevant to the essay prompt.
  • Ideas : Formulate your own arguments and ideas about the essay topic. The main idea will go in your thesis statement, and usually will appear in the Introduction of your essay.
  • Outline : create an outline of your main arguments to guide your writing, including citations and references.
  • Writing : Write your essay with as much clarity as possible. From the essay introduction all the way down to your final conclusion.
  • Revising : Review and edit your essay, getting each body paragraph to flow well and progress your overall argument.

Anyone who has ever written an essay can probably recite these steps in their sleep. But it’s not enough to memorize the process.

2. Avoid Research Recursion Syndrome

Cal Newton, in his book How to Become a Straight-A Student , describes a phenomenon that can lead to endlessly searching for research sources, either out of fear of not having enough – or out of a desire to constantly improve one’s work.

When you do not complete the research process, you embark on a search for sources that consume too much time and energy, which is detrimental to the rest of the essay writing process.

The best way to avoid getting into endless research loops is to be clear about how much research is actually required for the various points you make in your essay.

For critical points, you may need two or more citations; for less important ones, only one source.

Take a broad research approach first: find a readable general source on the topic first, perhaps use an AI summary tool to get an overview (see the “Tools” section later in this article), and search the bibliography for interesting specific sources to consult.

You can use the Internet to your advantage, but you should avoid citing it unless absolutely necessary. For academic papers, you are usually better served by citing academic books and papers that are referenced and perhaps even peer-reviewed. Google Scholar is a tool you can use to help find these sources.

3. Be Clear About the Topic of the Essay

Nothing undermines your efforts to focus on the topic more than writing a bunch of stuff only to find that you do not quite address the essay question!

The first thing you should do is take the time to digest FULLY the essay question or topic. What exactly does it mean? What angle is best suited to answer the question? Do you already have initial ideas about how to bring the topic to life? Think about all of this – and jot it down in bullet points – before you start researching, outlining, and writing.

For a complex sentence, it can be helpful to break down the sections in parentheses – and then represent them visually, e.g., as a drawing, mind map, Venn diagram, doodle… The point is that you have used an active technique to take the sentence apart and see how one part relates to the other. A kind of theme analysis.

It’s also important to keep your focus on the topic while researching and writing.

It’s amazing how quickly you can lose sight of the topic if you do not make sure it’s always at the forefront of your mind while writing.

The best way to keep the prompt in front of you is to keep it in front of you! I personally use a notebook, but you can also use a PostIt on your screen, a whiteboard, or other ways to have a simple statement and maybe 3-5 bullet points that you really want to address.

4. Be Clear About the Type of Essay You Want to Write

There are a number of different terms associated with an academic essay, and it’s a good idea to know them in order to write the best response.

  • Expository Essay : requires the student to investigate an idea, evaluate evidence, expound on the idea and set forth an argument.
  • Descriptive Essay : requires the student to describe something, in order to develop the student’s written accounts of particular experiences.
  • Narrative Essay : requires the student to tell a story – whether anecdotal, personal, or experiential. Often requires creative writing.
  • Timed Essay : require a writing sample within a limited time period.
  • Persuasive Essay : requires the student to attempt to get the reader to agree with his or her point of view.
  • Argumentative Essay : requires the student to establish a position on the essay topic.

5. Use Essay Structure to Help You Focus

Some back and forth examinations of arguments are useful in academic papers to show that you know the different sides of an argument. However, you usually choose one side or the other and support it with evidence and arguments.

If you structure your essay clearly and have a clear line of argument, you will work better overall and be able to concentrate more easily. This is where a clear and detailed outline and perhaps the use of mind mapping (as I do) can help.

As an example, take a look at the mind map and outline I created before writing this article.

Essay Outline

The rough ideas were brainstormed before I did more detailed research and recorded the subtopics. The subtopics, by the way, are not strictly in the order I wrote them – but my first draft follows the order of the main topics as I laid them out in the mind map.

The trick to developing a good, clear structure is to first capture the main line in an essay outline, and then start fleshing out that outline.

6. Include Source Material Directly in Your Outline

Make sure you can easily move blocks around to get a clearer overall line through your essay.

A clear outline will also help you get your essay to the right length: Know how many words you need for each section, so you can make sure you do not write one section too much and another too little. This way, you’ll have a balanced essay that covers the different points well.

Think of quotes and citations as blocks that you can insert into the structure of your essay – set aside a source and incorporate it when it makes sense to you. Do not be afraid to swap them out if you find a better quote.

7. Some Additional Structure Tips for Essay Focus

Effective structuring will make the difference between a good essay and a great essay. It’ll help you deliver a successful essay that will win you points, and boost your confidence.

Write clearly and simply. Use an active tense. Use quality sources.

Look for surprises and really interesting points – chances are, if they surprise and stimulate you, they will do the same for others when you write about them!

Write the introductory paragraph and conclusion last!

Learn to Sift Through Ideas and Concepts Quickly

The following advice is very useful not only for essay writing but also for learning in general.

Chunking is a very valuable concept when it comes to gathering research material, sorting it into buckets, using it, and writing with it.

Think of it as large pieces and small pieces.

A whole section of an essay can be one big chunk into which you insert a whole series of smaller chunks.

In nonfiction writing, which includes essay writing, you can think of a small section as a specific idea expressed in a few sentences at most.

Breaking your ideas down into individual paragraphs (even if you group them later) can do wonders for gaining clarity of thought flow and connections.

Nonlinear Work

Working non-linearly is important: It’s a fact that we can not write down all of our ideas one by one in one sitting; at least, most of us do not.

If we have a system for putting ideas and evidence we encounter in the right place in our essay structure, we make our lives much easier.

Broadly speaking, it will help you to stick roughly to the following work structure:

1. Define the objective

2. Research

I say “roughly” because in practice there will be some overlap with other areas. But if you have a rough flow, you can better manage your overall process and energy.

As a general rule, it’s a good idea to write first drafts before tweaking grammar, spelling, structure, etc. The faster you can get an overview of your essay, the more motivated and original your work is likely to be.

Quick Questions to Keep Asking as You Write

In journalism, there are classic questions that are asked at every stage of research and writing: Who, What, When, How, and Why.

These questions are also very useful in essay writing because if you remember to ask (and answer) the “how” and the “why” at each stage of your essay, you will bring your essay to life.

These simple questions will help you focus on your argument and the evidence you have to support it.

Sometimes it can be easy to get lost in details and not see the forest for the trees.

A good solution to this is to step back from writing. Literally, stop for a few moments or minutes and remember K.I.S.S.: Keep It Super Simple (in the original it’s Keep It Simple Stupid – but I prefer my wording!).

Ask yourself: does the basic argument make sense? What is the main point you want to make? What is the main point that is missing? What is the most important thing the essay needs now to make it work better?

If you can not find the answer to any of these questions, ask yourself, “ How can I figure this out quickly? ” – let your mind find a solution.

If THAT does not work, you can try saying to yourself, “ If I had the answer to this question, what would it be? ” Basically, this is a psychological trick to enable yourself (and your mind) to find the right connections and name them.

Methods to Help You Focus Better When Studying and Writing Essays

There are a number of things you can do to help your overall concentration, which will also help you when writing your essays.

The Pomodoro Technique

You can use the ” Pomodoro Technique” to complete short, focused periods of work (sprints) each day that will help you get into the right frame of mind.

The basic idea is that you set a timer for 25 minutes and then work during that time without distractions. There are free and paid apps available on various mobile device stores to act as timers. During those 25 minutes, do not check email, Twitter, Facebook, or other websites.

Once the 25 minutes are up, take a 5-minute break. Repeat this process four times and then take a 15-minute break.

The reason is that it’s very hard to concentrate for more than 25 minutes – but after that, you have a nice break before starting a new 25-minute burst. You’ll find that you can get a lot more done in those 25-minute periods than you normally would. This gets you into the flow.

It also increases the total amount of work you get done over multiple sprints, making you much more productive. The short concentration phases make it easier for you to focus.

Although 25 minutes is the default setting, some people find that other time intervals work better for them; I personally tend to set mine to 45 minutes with a 5-minute break. Otherwise, it’s too short for me to be able to write sufficiently.

This technique is especially helpful for those of us who are easily distracted.

It’s not just about concentration. The Pomodoro technique has the added benefit of giving you a physical break from the screen and keyboard, allowing your muscles to rest and your body to stretch.

The v for Victory Technique

Posture is very important when learning and writing. Firstly for general health, and secondly for writing efficiency.

But that’s not all.

Did you know that you can literally program your mind for success by using a body language hack?

Try this: Stand up and stretch your arms above your head in a V shape. Hold them for a few seconds and breathe normally. Bonus points if you close your eyes and imagine success.

Now go back to doing what you were doing before. Do you feel better? Do you feel more positive?

This is a great technique for all kinds of situations.

Eliminate Auditory Distractions

As we learned above, any kind of distraction can seriously disrupt your work. It’s important to learn how to study peacefully.

Related: Where Can I Study Peacefully

Auditory distractions are especially troublesome because, while they may not be loud, they can be intrusive when you are trying to concentrate hard.

There are several obvious solutions: Close doors and windows, work in a room away from the source of the noise and ask the person making the noise to stop.

Less obvious, perhaps, is the use of noise-canceling headphones. Especially if you combine them with focused music or sound effects like forest rain or wind. I personally use YouTube Premium, which has several Focus playlists built-in. You can also try using the headphones without music, but with noise cancelation turned on.

Some people also report great success with binaural beats. If you search for “binaural beats focus,” you’ll find many options, including hour-long soundtracks.

These binaural tracks have the advantage of not only eliminating the source of the interference but also programming your brain’s waves to help you focus and write better.

Once you find a soundtrack or playlist that works for you, add it to your favorites and repeat if that helps.

Eliminate Visual Distractions

Ideally, remove all visual distractions from your workspace and leave only what is actually relevant to the work in front of you. In most cases, a tidy desk means a tidy mind.

In practice, it’s not always that simple. What you can do, however, is move the unimportant things to the edge of your desk and keep the area directly in front of you clear so you do not have a connection to the keyboard and screen.

It’s worth thinking about the overall placement and ergonomics of your workspace. For me, a good amount of natural daylight falling on the desk is helpful. I make sure it comes from the side and not the front.

I also use a small blue light on the desk when I am working, which helps me think positively and focus.

If you have the space, you might want to try putting your desk in the middle of the room. I first noticed this when I visited the home of Charles Darwin, the famous English naturalist. The first thing I noticed in his study was that the desk was right in the middle of the room. The same was true of Churchill’s desk in the attic of his country residence.

The point is that regardless of your particular circumstances, you can have a considerable amount of control over your visual environment. I would advise you to try different configurations and find one that works best for you. You may also find that changing the configuration of your room from time to time helps your motivation and concentration.

Screen Arrangement

I find that the arrangement of windows and applications on the screen I use for studying and writing is very important for efficiency when working and writing.

Right now, I have a 27-inch iMac right in front of me with two windows on it: On the left side of the screen is my mind map and outline, and on the right side is the writing surface where I am currently writing this article. To the right of the iMac is a laptop on which I have the mind map of this article at a glance.

Although I have experimented with 3 and even 4 screens, I personally find that two screens are sufficient for my particular needs. With more than 2 screens, I feel distracted. Of course, you should experiment and find out what works best for you.

I find that having the most important data immediately in view makes it all the better. I like to avoid switching back and forth between different applications and windows as much as possible.

I also find that having a clear visual memory system (a bit like muscle memory for the mind) helps a lot with writing. That’s why I always have the writing surface on the right side of the iMac screen, while the various research windows are always on the left.

Movement and Posture

What writers and students sometimes forget is the importance of posture and movement while working.

It is very important for motivation and health to move around during a workday, especially to protect your back.

I use a sit-stand desk for this purpose. This allows me to use different types of stands, chairs, and standing positions throughout the day to vary my posture and the angle at which my back moves throughout the day. This allows me to write for long periods of time without harming my body.

If you use the Pomodoro technique described above, you could use the 15-minute breaks for sprints to do a short exercise session. This could be a few short stretches combined with some push-ups, planks, sit-ups, or something similar.

Cold Therapy

It may sound like a terrible cliché, but the value of cold showers is incredible. I had the privilege of going to a British private school called Stonyhurst College when I was young. Stonyhurst has, I believe, the very first school swimming pool, which in my day was nicknamed The Plunge . When I was at Stonyhurst, the pool was surrounded by scary-looking showers and enormous baths with invariably cold water.

What I did not know then, but know now, is the value of cold water for overall mood, health, and learning performance. You may have heard of Wim Hof, the Iceman, who advocates cold therapy for health. If not, check out his videos on YouTube. They are incredible.

The way I practice it is not by jumping straight into the cold shower in the morning, although that’s probably the best method, but by washing with warm water for a few minutes and then turning the water to cold for 1 or 2 minutes. This always makes me feel more invigorated and better prepared for the morning’s work.

All I can say is: try it!

One technique that I think really contributes to efficiency in writing is dictation.

I personally use the app VoiceIn for this, but there’s also a free alternative from Google that I describe later in the “Tools” section of this article.

I either handwrite or type out the outline for the essays and articles I write and then I use a combination of typing and dictation when I write the article or essay.

I find that the decision whether I dictate or not is psychological. Sometimes I feel like dictating the article, sometimes I find it better to type it. Often I have found it helpful to start writing and then move to dictate when I am in the flow.

It’s a matter of trial and error, and I encourage you to keep a regular journal of what works and does not work for you personally to discover the best methods for you.

If you find that dictation is helpful, my advice is to get a good microphone on a stand that you can swivel in and out, and position the microphone very close to your mouth for much better results with the dictation software or app.

Finding Flow When Writing Essays

The ideal state when writing – including essay writing – is a flow state. This is the state where everything comes easily to you and you feel like you are doing your best while fully concentrating on what you are doing.

There are some things that can help you achieve this state:

Awareness of Resistance

Resistance is the enemy of flow. Resistance is anything that distracts you from your work and causes you to turn your attention away from what you are doing. The more you are aware of it, the more you can avoid it.

I think it’s important not to give up too soon when resistance comes in the form of procrastination or motivation. In the short term, it’s worse to give in to resistance and procrastinate, so you need to be prepared for it.

I find the easiest way to deal with resistance is to acknowledge it, then just ignore it and get on with the task.

Forming Habits

To make learning and writing a habit, which then makes everything easier, it’s good to understand how habits can be formed.

Habits are formed through three steps:

  • the routine

The best way to form a habit is to choose a cue that is so repetitive that you can not help but do the routine every time you encounter the cue. The best cue is often a place, time, person, or feeling. For example, if I write in the same place at the same time in the morning and I feel a certain way, I can not help but do it, and so a habit loop is formed.

So if you want to make it a habit to write in the morning, you have to find a cue that you can not ignore. Perhaps the moment you finish breakfast.

However, make sure you have a reward at the end of the routine that you look forward to. This will make it easier for you to motivate yourself to do the routine, and encourage the formation of a new habit.

Learn Keyboard Shortcuts

One of the best favors you can do for yourself as a writer is to learn keyboard shortcuts.

If you do not know them yet, you should figure them out and use them. You’ll be amazed at how easy it all is.

Sleep, Diet and Hydration

This may sound familiar, but it’s worth reiterating how important it is to eat right, get enough sleep, and drink enough water.

When you are in optimal condition, you can make better use of the time you have.

A good tip is to darken the room where you sleep as much as possible. You will then have a deeper and more restful sleep.

Use Mental Management Techniques

Top athletes and their coaches use mental management and visualization techniques for a reason. It works.

If you spend a little time visualizing the feeling of success, what it will bring you and how you will get there, the actual process will be easier for you.

Instead of racking your brain over the steps, you’ll have them pre-programmed in your head – and you’ll just do them.

An important part of mental management is to NOT focus on failures, but instead focus on and celebrate when you do something well. This has the effect of anchoring in your mind the practices that lead to success, while not anchoring those that lead to failure.

Tools and Apps That Help With Essay Writing

When writing nonfiction, I use a number of apps on a daily basis that helps me immensely with my work.

This is a powerful research database app (unfortunately only for Mac) that uses AI to find useful snippets of information.

Related: Is DEVONThink Worth It

This is an amazing app that allows you to review and edit text very quickly and adapt to any tone of voice you want.

Related: What Is InstaText

This is the mind mapping and thought development app I use to brainstorm and outline my non-fiction writing. In fact, all my writing.

A very useful AI summary app that gives you a useful snapshot of a PDF file or book.

A reliable dictation extension that lets me dictate directly into my writing canvas. Or you can use the free Google Docs tool.

Something of a secret among writers. It is one of the best, if not the best AI GPT -3 app.

Related: What Is Sudowrite

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Stress-Free Essay Writing: 11 Techniques to Overcome Stress and Improve Your Writing

Adela B.

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You have (yet) another essay to write, and you feel like you’re losing your mind. There's so much on your plate that you don’t know how or where to start. What’s worse is that the pressure keeps building up!

Writing essays can make you feel like you’re on a hamster wheel – it’s never-ending.

Many students tend to feel anxious and stressed by essays, which impacts their writing quality. However, with a few clever techniques, you can write excellent essays while feeling relaxed and stress-free.

What are signs of anxiety for writers?

Anxiety signs are different for every person. However, common signs include procrastination, self-doubt, and writer's block. When you feel stress and tension while writing, you might stop moving forward. It can cause a vicious cycle of self-doubt and worry, making it challenging to write.

How can I relieve my writing anxiety?

The best way to relieve writing anxiety is to prepare accordingly. Start by breaking down the essay into smaller parts and setting a reasonable deadline for each section. Take regular breaks from writing to stretch and take deep breaths. This allows oxygen to flow freely throughout your body, helping to reduce tension and improve focus.

In this blog post, we'll share eleven techniques to help you overcome stress and improve your essay writing drastically.

1. Understand the topic and purpose of your essay

Before you begin writing, take some time to analyze and interpret the topic and identify the purpose of your essay.

Read relevant materials, such as articles, books, and research papers, to gauge your understanding of the essay topic . This way, you will be clear on the direction you need to take in your writing. It will also help you stay focused when writing and save you time.

Starting to write an essay before understanding the topic and objectives can lead to confusion and stress.

2. Set achievable goals and create a timeline

Writing an essay requires time, so it's essential to set achievable goals and timelines. Decide how many words you intend to write and create a timeline to guide you through the process of researching, writing, and editing.

For instance, you can dedicate a specific time of the day to research and outline. You can also allocate one hour for every 500 words of the essay, depending on the total word count required.

A realistic timeline can help you avoid last-minute stress and ensure enough time to write a high-quality essay.

3. Research well in advance before you start writing

Research is the backbone of any essay. That’s why conducting thorough research for your essays is always essential. Research helps you better understand your topic and positions you to write authoritatively.

Before your start writing, use credible sources such as academic journals and reputable websites to enrich your knowledge of the topic. Remember to take notes while reading to help you organize your thoughts. Researching in advance will reduce anxiety and make the essay-writing process stress-free.

4. Break your essay into manageable parts

Writing an essay can be an uphill task, especially when you try to tackle it as a whole. This is why breaking your essay into manageable parts can be helpful.

Divide your essay into sections such as the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion . Each section should be focused on a specific aspect of the overall topic. This way, you can concentrate on one section at a time and avoid feeling overwhelmed.

When you finish writing one section, take a short break before starting the next section. Breaking your essay into parts helps you stay organized and focused when writing.

5. Create an outline to guide you through

Outlining is crucial when writing an essay—it helps you organize your thoughts, stay focused, and write faster.

Once you understand the topic and purpose of your essay, research and create an outline, and jot down key points under each section of your essay to guide you through writing the essay.

An outline provides a roadmap of the flow and structure of your essay. It also takes the guesswork off your writing and prevents you from veering off the topic when writing.

6. Connect with other students

One effective way to alleviate stress is to connect with other students. Sharing tips, strategies, and helpful resources with one another can reduce the pressure of essay writing.

Find study groups within your college or join essay writing forums on social media where you can engage with other students. This can help you gain new perspectives and ideas you may not have considered. Additionally, working with other students can promote accountability, which can help you stay on track with your writing.

7. Set aside an appropriate amount of time to write

One of the biggest sources of stress when it comes to essay writing is procrastination.

You might be tempted to put off writing until the last minute, but that can increase your stress levels. To avoid this, set aside an appropriate amount of time to write. Determine how long it usually takes you to complete an essay, then set a schedule, and stick to it.

It may also help to determine what time of day suits you best, whether you are more productive in the morning or at night, and schedule to write your essay during that time.

8. Take regular breaks while writing

Writing for prolonged periods can be counterproductive and negatively affect your writing quality. Conversely, regular breaks can help refresh your mind and enhance creativity.

For a stress-free essay writing experience, try taking a 10-minute break for every hour of writing. During these breaks, avoid sitting in front of your computer and, instead, move around.

Take a short walk outside, do stretching exercises, or simply talk to someone. Such breaks can go a long way in refreshing your mind and body so you can write better.

9. Find a comfortable writing environment

The environment in which you write your essay can significantly impact your productivity and concentration. To overcome stress and write a quality essay, you need to find a comfortable writing environment where you can focus and minimize distractions.

For instance, find a quiet place with little or no disturbance, such as a library study room or a coffee shop, where you can fully concentrate on writing your essay.

10. Get feedback from someone you trust

Getting feedback is one of the most effective ways to improve your writing skills and overcome stress when writing essays.

You can get feedback from a colleague, a friend, a tutor, or even your professor. The feedback you'll get will enable you to make necessary adjustments, understand your weaknesses, and refine your writing style. They can also give you a fresh perspective and highlight what you may have missed while writing.

Getting feedback can help reduce the mental pressure of writing a perfect essay, enabling you to write with ease.

11. Practice, practice, practice!

Finally, remember that writing is a skill you can develop with time and practice. The more essays you write, the more comfortable you will become with writing. You will start to identify the best strategies and techniques for you.

You can start by writing simple essays and gradually increase the complexity. Try to look at each essay as an opportunity to improve your skills. With time, you'll become more confident and be able to write essays in a stress-free way.

How do you relax and write essays?

You can relax by playing soft music and breathing exercises to reduce anxiety before you start writing your essay. Go for a brief walk to get your blood flowing, and also try to find a place that gives you peace of mind. It could help to grab a cup of tea or coffee and settle in. Once you feel mentally and physically relaxed, you can start writing.

How do I gain confidence in my essay writing?

The best way to gain confidence is to write more often. Write every day, even if it's just a few sentences. Seek feedback on your essay writing to help you learn what works and what doesn't. You might also consider taking a writing class or workshop to develop and share skills with other writers. Participating in a writing community can also help build your confidence in writing.

Key takeaway

Essay writing can be stress-free if you approach it with the right mindset and strategy. Even though writing well takes time and patience, writing under stress can affect the quality of your essays. As a result, you’ll earn fewer marks or even miss deadlines.

With the techniques explored in this article, you can reduce stress, overcome writer's block, and improve your writing skills. Remember to work on your confidence and practice self-care consistently.

If you feel too overwhelmed to handle your essays, don’t hesitate to hire a professional essay writer .

With our team of subject-matter experts, we can deliver 100% original, custom-written essays on time and as per your requirements. Whether you need it in 15 days or 5 hours, we have the resources to take away the stress that comes with writing essays and assignments.

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Think of yourself as a member of a jury, listening to a lawyer who is presenting an opening argument. You'll want to know very soon whether the lawyer believes the accused to be guilty or not guilty, and how the lawyer plans to convince you. Readers of academic essays are like jury members: before they have read too far, they want to know what the essay argues as well as how the writer plans to make the argument. After reading your thesis statement, the reader should think, "This essay is going to try to convince me of something. I'm not convinced yet, but I'm interested to see how I might be."

An effective thesis cannot be answered with a simple "yes" or "no." A thesis is not a topic; nor is it a fact; nor is it an opinion. "Reasons for the fall of communism" is a topic. "Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe" is a fact known by educated people. "The fall of communism is the best thing that ever happened in Europe" is an opinion. (Superlatives like "the best" almost always lead to trouble. It's impossible to weigh every "thing" that ever happened in Europe. And what about the fall of Hitler? Couldn't that be "the best thing"?)

A good thesis has two parts. It should tell what you plan to argue, and it should "telegraph" how you plan to argue—that is, what particular support for your claim is going where in your essay.

Steps in Constructing a Thesis

First, analyze your primary sources.  Look for tension, interest, ambiguity, controversy, and/or complication. Does the author contradict himself or herself? Is a point made and later reversed? What are the deeper implications of the author's argument? Figuring out the why to one or more of these questions, or to related questions, will put you on the path to developing a working thesis. (Without the why, you probably have only come up with an observation—that there are, for instance, many different metaphors in such-and-such a poem—which is not a thesis.)

Once you have a working thesis, write it down.  There is nothing as frustrating as hitting on a great idea for a thesis, then forgetting it when you lose concentration. And by writing down your thesis you will be forced to think of it clearly, logically, and concisely. You probably will not be able to write out a final-draft version of your thesis the first time you try, but you'll get yourself on the right track by writing down what you have.

Keep your thesis prominent in your introduction.  A good, standard place for your thesis statement is at the end of an introductory paragraph, especially in shorter (5-15 page) essays. Readers are used to finding theses there, so they automatically pay more attention when they read the last sentence of your introduction. Although this is not required in all academic essays, it is a good rule of thumb.

Anticipate the counterarguments.  Once you have a working thesis, you should think about what might be said against it. This will help you to refine your thesis, and it will also make you think of the arguments that you'll need to refute later on in your essay. (Every argument has a counterargument. If yours doesn't, then it's not an argument—it may be a fact, or an opinion, but it is not an argument.)

This statement is on its way to being a thesis. However, it is too easy to imagine possible counterarguments. For example, a political observer might believe that Dukakis lost because he suffered from a "soft-on-crime" image. If you complicate your thesis by anticipating the counterargument, you'll strengthen your argument, as shown in the sentence below.

Some Caveats and Some Examples

A thesis is never a question.  Readers of academic essays expect to have questions discussed, explored, or even answered. A question ("Why did communism collapse in Eastern Europe?") is not an argument, and without an argument, a thesis is dead in the water.

A thesis is never a list.  "For political, economic, social and cultural reasons, communism collapsed in Eastern Europe" does a good job of "telegraphing" the reader what to expect in the essay—a section about political reasons, a section about economic reasons, a section about social reasons, and a section about cultural reasons. However, political, economic, social and cultural reasons are pretty much the only possible reasons why communism could collapse. This sentence lacks tension and doesn't advance an argument. Everyone knows that politics, economics, and culture are important.

A thesis should never be vague, combative or confrontational.  An ineffective thesis would be, "Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe because communism is evil." This is hard to argue (evil from whose perspective? what does evil mean?) and it is likely to mark you as moralistic and judgmental rather than rational and thorough. It also may spark a defensive reaction from readers sympathetic to communism. If readers strongly disagree with you right off the bat, they may stop reading.

An effective thesis has a definable, arguable claim.  "While cultural forces contributed to the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, the disintegration of economies played the key role in driving its decline" is an effective thesis sentence that "telegraphs," so that the reader expects the essay to have a section about cultural forces and another about the disintegration of economies. This thesis makes a definite, arguable claim: that the disintegration of economies played a more important role than cultural forces in defeating communism in Eastern Europe. The reader would react to this statement by thinking, "Perhaps what the author says is true, but I am not convinced. I want to read further to see how the author argues this claim."

A thesis should be as clear and specific as possible.  Avoid overused, general terms and abstractions. For example, "Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe because of the ruling elite's inability to address the economic concerns of the people" is more powerful than "Communism collapsed due to societal discontent."

Copyright 1999, Maxine Rodburg and The Tutors of the Writing Center at Harvard University

Home — Essay Samples — Science — Concentration — How to Improve Concentration

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How to Improve Concentration

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Words: 1009 |

Published: Nov 19, 2018

Words: 1009 | Pages: 2 | 6 min read

  • Love the work you do.
  • Feel the necessity
  • Be away from Anger and Frustration
  • Be clear on the Focus point
  • Observe the peer concentrating group
  • Set the environment.
  • Meditation and Yoga
  • Take frequent breaks
  • Change subjects of Study
  • Taking sufficient Rest and Proper Diet

Works Cited

  • Anderson, J. (2019). The importance of concentration in enhancing productivity. Journal of Applied Psychology, 45(3), 123-137.
  • Johnson, M. (2018). Concentration and its impact on work performance. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 32(4), 567-584.
  • Smith, R. (2017). Strategies for improving concentration and focus. Journal of Cognitive Psychology, 29(2), 189-204.
  • Williams, L. (2016). The role of motivation in concentration and attention. Educational Psychology Review, 28(1), 143-156.
  • Brown, S. (2015). Managing distractions in the workplace to enhance concentration. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 43(2), 256-271.
  • Carter, E. (2014). Enhancing concentration through mindfulness practices. Journal of Mindfulness, 12(3), 345-362.
  • Davis, K. (2013). The impact of environmental factors on concentration and attention. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 28(4), 394-401.
  • Jones, P. (2012). The effects of meditation and yoga on concentration abilities. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 18(7), 589-594.
  • Miller, D. (2011). Rest, diet, and concentration: The connection between physical well-being and focus. Journal of Health Psychology, 26(5), 678-693.

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7 methods to improve memory and concentration for students.

BY SEBASTIAN MILLER

Memory and focus are two critical factors that can have a massive impact on one’s academic performance. With a sound memory, which consists of the ability to recall past events precisely with ease, you stand a chance of achieving your targeted grades, irrespective of how challenging your course of study is or what kind of essay writing assisstance you managed to find.

Being able to concentrate in class or while studying is another critical factor that can set a student apart. And excitingly, these things are not that difficult to improve. Here are a few tips to help you improve memory and concentration.

  • Create time for mindfulness meditation

There are enormous benefits you can get from this act. Just 10 to 20 minutes of meditation daily can help boost your attention span, according to research. And in addition to preventing the mind from wandering and reducing anxious thoughts, mindfulness meditation can lower the risk of depression, reduce stress levels, and improve cardiovascular health.

According to research, a neurophysiological link exists between breathing and attention. The study also went further to indicate that breathing, which is a critical element in mindfulness meditation, directly impacts noradrenalin, a natural chemical found in the brain. So, how one breathes affects the chemistry of the brain in a way that can improve one’s concentration and brain health.

  • Stop the distractions

One of the ways you can improve your concentration is to avoid distractions in any form. You also have to discipline yourself and know when to say no to things that are not initially in your plans.

Technology can also help improve your concentration. If you discover that you are spending too much time on social media or other platforms instead of studying or concentrating on your research (probably while working on your assignment), then you can install software or app that prevents access to social media until you are done with your work.

  • Fight and conquer that procrastination

Having too much work on your desk or thinking about too many things at a time can make it more challenging for an individual to concentrate. So, avoid procrastination. Make it a habit to work on tasks at the appropriate time, so that at the end of the day, you will have little to worry about.

Procrastination can increase your workload, which can result in confusion and poor concentration. On the other hand, thinking about too many things at a time can increase your stress levels also.

  • Cut back on sugar consumption

A reduction in sugar consumption can have a massive impact on one’s cognitive ability and general health. Research has pointed out that excess consumption of sugar-laden diets can cause poor memory in both young and old.

Besides sugar reduction, another thing you can do to improve your memory is to start incorporating brain foods into your diet. Examples of such foods include blueberry, fatty fish, dark chocolate, water, flax seeds, and leafy green vegetables.

  • Engage in physical activities

Exercise does not only benefit the body. It can also benefit your mind and help to improve concentration. Exercise helps to boost one’s focus by making sure that the brain ignores any form of distraction.

You can exercise for at least 5 – 10 minutes daily and still reap huge benefits. You don’t have to spend hours daily or engage in rigorous exercise to achieve your aim.

Also, engaging in physical activities can cause you to maintain a healthy body weight, which is essential for your wellbeing. It’s also one of the ways you can keep your mind and body in top shape. Obesity, on the other hand, can cause changes to genes related to memory, which can negatively affect one’s memory.

Having proper rests, particularly during night hours, is another proven method for students to improve memory and concentration. Research has also pointed out that being sleep deprived can impact one’s memory negatively.

It is also advisable to sleep for at least 7 – 9 hours per day. Another thing to consider about sleep is not only the duration but time of sleep. For instance, if you usually sleep around 10 pm every day, ensure you sleep in the said time regularly.

  • Train your brain

Another method to improve memory is to engage in cognitive exercises regularly. In this case, you need to play brain games and increase difficulty levels gradually. Examples of brain games include crosswords, Sudoku, jigsaw puzzles, chess, among others.

Having a sound memory and the ability to focus attentively can help you progress faster in your academic life. So, if your memory and concentration are not as you want them to be, you need to start doing the right thing to improve them. However, the tips on this post can help you achieve that. So, start implementing them to improve your memory and concentration.

Sebastian Miller is a former Calling Lake School science teacher. After 4 years of teaching, he decided to become a freelance writer. In Sebastian’s opinion, math is the core of all science and his goal is to enlighten as many schoolers as possible through writing

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write an essay on concentration method

Using the Toulmin Method

When learning written argument, it is always helpful to observe how others argue effectively or ineffectively. The Toulmin method, based on the work of philosopher Stephen Toulmin, is one way of analyzing a text that we read, with an eye toward responding to that particular argument (as in a writing assignment that asks us to respond) and, ultimately, toward analyzing and improving the arguments we ourselves make.

Definition of the Toulmin Method

Thorough analysis requires us to go beyond the kinds of "gut-level" responses we undergo when reading. To respond analytically to an argument is to do much more than state a basic agreement or disagreement with it; it is to determine the basis of our agreement or disagreement. In other words, analysis is a process of discovering how the argumentative strategies an author employs (the how and why levels of an argument) lead us to respond to the content (the what level) of that argument in the way that we do. Sometimes, too, such analysis can cause us to change our minds about our judgment of how effective or ineffective an argument is.

The Toulmin method, in short, is an effective way of getting to the how and why levels of the arguments we read. It is a type of textual "dissection" that allows us to break an argument into its different parts (such as claim, reasons, and evidence) so that we can make judgments on how well the different parts work together.

Why Use the Toulmin Method?

The Toulmin Method is a way of doing very detailed analysis, in which we break an argument into its various parts and decide how effectively those parts participate in the overall whole. When we use this method, we identify the argument's claim , reasons , and evidence , and evaluate the effectiveness of each.

However, it can be said that Toulmin works somewhat like a formula to be applied to arguments, and that as such it exhibits some limitations. It is often not very well applied, for example, to arguments that are not themselves organized in a linear way and written in the tradition of Western rhetoric. And, as Timothy Crusius and Carolyn E. Channell point out in The Aims of Argument , this method is limited to logical analysis, and therefore excludes other types of evaluation/analysis which are equally important (such as the Critical Reading strategies mentioned elsewhere in the Writing Center.) But Toulmin proves for many to be a good starting point.

Parts of an Argument

Using the Toulmin method requires that we take an argument apart and examine its various elements. This "dissection" allows us to understand the argument more fully, summarize it more accurately, and discuss its effectiveness or ineffectiveness more intelligently than we would have otherwise.

It might be helpful to envision writing the parts of an argument like building a house of cards, in which you work backwards, beginning with the uppermost level (the claim). Each level is balanced precariously on the level beneath it. And in order for an argument to hold up under careful scrutiny, each level must be strong enough to support what is placed on top of it.

Think of the claim in an argument as the most general statement in that argument. It may not be a particularly general statement all by itself, and some for arguments are very narrow indeed. But the claim is like the umbrella statement that all other parts of an argument have to fall under. It is the uppermost level of our "house of cards."

After you have identified an argument's claim, it is important to determine how far the author intends to carry that claim. The next step in this process, in other words, is the identification of any qualifiers or exceptions the author makes to the argument's claim.

Identifying Qualifiers

Qualifiers are words like some, most, many, in general, usually, typically and so on--little words whose value to an argument is immeasurable.

Example of a qualified claim:

Many books by Charles Dickens are fun to read.

Example of an unqualified claim:

Books by Charles Dickens are fun to read.

Without qualifying words like some or many , a claim like this can be interpreted (by the careful analytical eye) as All books by Charles Dickens are always fun for everyone to read.

Although unqualified claims like these are not necessarily a bad argumentation strategy, they do allow ample room for challenges to be made to an argument. An appropriately qualified claim is much easier to defend.

Identifying Exceptions

Oftentimes, an author will specifically exclude from an argument certain cases or situations. Such exceptions serve to restrict a claim, so that it is understood to apply in some situations but not in others.

A claim like

Most books by Charles Dickens are fun to read.

might be limited by the following exception:

Having labored over David Copperfield in high school, I would not rank that book among them.

Exceptions like this one are important, because without them, readers who would like to challenge a claim may begin to concoct exceptions of their own.

Distinguishing Between Qualifiers and Exceptions

Qualifiers and exceptions are similar in that they both put limits on how far a claim may be carried. A qualifier , however, is merely a word (like some or usually ) which serves to limit a claim, while an exception is an e xample of a case or situation in which the claim does not apply.

An example of a qualifier would be the word most in the following claim:

An exception would be an example, usually appearing after the claim, of a situation in which that claim would not apply:

The Reasons

Why does a writer believe the claim s/he makes? The reasons a writer gives are the first line of development of any argument. To use our "house of cards" image again, reasons comprise the second level of an argument, without which the uppermost level (the claim) cannot remain balanced (or, in the language of argument, "effective").

How can we tell if reasons are strong? In other words, how can we determine whether or not they are sturdy enough to support the claim? Using the Toulmin method, we ask two main questions: Is the reason relevant to the claim it supports? and Is the reason effective?

Determining the Relevance of the Reasons

In order to evaluate the effectiveness of reasons used in an argument, we must first determine whether or not they are relevant to the claim they mean to support.

Determining the Effectiveness of the Reasons

If a reason is effective (or "good"), it invokes a value we can believe in and agree with. Value judgments, because they are by necessity somewhat subjective, are often the most difficult to make in arguments. It is, therefore, always a good idea to restate the value being invoked as clearly as possible in your own terms. Then you'll be able to evaluate whether or not the value is good in itself or worth pursuing.

If an argument's claim is

Argumentation is an important skill to learn,

the reason,

No other type of writing requires a great deal of thought.

is arguably not very effective, since many people would not agree with or value this idea. (Notice, too, how qualification might help this reason.) On the other hand, a reason like

If you look at writing assignments given in various disciplines of the university, you will find that many of them include elements that are related in some way to argument

would be likely to give the impression of being effective (and supportable).

The Evidence

We would all probably like to believe that the people we argue with will accept our claims and reasons as perfect and complete by themselves, but most readers are unlikely to do that. They want evidence of some sort--facts, examples, statistics, expert testimony, among others--to back up our reasons. If this level of the house of cards is either unstable or absent, neither of the two levels it supports (the reasons and claim) can be effective.

To be believable and convincing, evidence should satisfy three conditions. It should be sufficient , credible , and accurate .

Determining the Sufficiency of Evidence

As you look at the evidence supporting a reason, ask yourself if the author makes use of enough evidence to convince a reasonable reader.

If one reason given in an argument is

If you look at writing assignments given in various disciplines of the university, you will find that many of them include elements that are related in some way to argument.

An example from one Engineering assignment would most likely be insufficient, where several such examples would provide a more varied range of situations in which the stated reason holds true.

Determining the Credibility of Evidence

It is important to decide how credible (believable and authoritative) a piece of evidence is within an argument. As you look at the evidence supporting a reason, ask yourself whether or not this evidence matches with readers' experience of the world. If it doesn't, does the evidence come from a source that readers would accept as more knowledgeable or authoritative than they are?

On the university level, argument is valued by professors of various disciplines who say that they would like for their students to be able to take a strong position and support it with ample reasons and evidence, statistics taken from The National Inquirer and given in support of this reason will typically be much less credible than ones taken from The Journal of Higher Education .

Determining the Accuracy of Evidence

As you look at the evidence supporting a reason, ask yourself if this evidence "tells the truth." Are statistics gathered in verifiable ways from good sources? Are the quotations complete and fair (not out of context)? Are the facts verifiable from other sources?

Sometimes it is difficult to determine accuracy without having the writer's sources in front of you, but there are oftentimes cases in which you will be suspicious of a piece of evidence for one reason or another.

If, in support of a reason like

College students are very enthusiastic about learning argumentation skills

a writer uses this piece of evidence:

In a survey conducted in my residence hall, 92% of the respondents asserted that they enjoyed writing arguments more than any other activity listed on the questionnaire,

you might be led to ask questions like "Who conducted this survey?" "Who were these respondents?" or "What were the other activities listed on the questionnaire?"

Anticipated Objections and Rebuttal

When we analyze an argument using the Toulmin method, we look for potential objections to the argument's reasons, objections which the writer expects his or her opponents to make. Usually, these are included in arguments as opportunities for the writer to present her or his own reasons as refutations/rebuttals.

Example of an Anticipated Objection

If one reason in an argument is:

On the university level, argument is valued by professors of various disciplines who say that they would like for their students to be able to take a strong position and support it with ample reasons and evidence,

the writer might hold up the following objection:

Many students argue that fields like Engineering and Math have no use for argumentation skills.

Once a writer identifies counter-arguments opponents might make, it would be self-defeating to announce those counter-arguments and not argue against them. Therefore, after stating the objections of opponents, most writers will refute or rebut the objections. Good rebuttal usually requires evidence, so don't forget to look for support for the rebuttal position in that part of an argument. Like all evidence, rebuttal evidence should be sufficient, accurate, and credible.

Example of a Rebuttal

To the anticipated objection:

Many students argue that fields like Engineering and Math have no use for argumentation skills,

a writer might offer the following rebuttal evidence,

However, a recent study appearing in journal, Language and Learning Across the Disciplines indicates that...(fill in the blank)

Drawing Conclusions from a Toulmin Analysis

Once you have completed a Toulmin analysis of an argument, your task is to collect your "results" into an overall, coherent statement about the effectiveness of that argument. In other words, if you are attempting to respond to that argument--whether in a formal response essay or in an arguing essay where you are using the argument as evidence or as opposing evidence--you will need to shape your Toulmin results into a coherent, defensible, narrow claim of your own. To see an example of how you would do this, you might go to the relevant part of the Toulmin demonstration.

Toulmin Worksheet

Click below to access a copy of a Toulmin Worksheet, so that you may practice using the Toulmin Method of analysis on your own, using an argument in a text of your own choice. Remember, as you use this worksheet, that not all elements of an argument are nearly as formulaic as the sheet might suggest. The argument you use might, for instance, use more than three reasons, or it might use only one. Think of this worksheet as a starting point, and feel free to make whatever changes are necessary to incorporate the elements you identify in the argument you are examining.

Example Worksheet

A Toulmin Model for Analyzing Arguments (modified from Timothy W. Crusius and Carolyn E. Channell, The Aims of Argument, p. 34) Claim: Qualifier? Exceptions? *************** Reason 1 What makes this reason relevant? What makes this reason effective? What evidence supports this reason? Is this evidence sufficient? Is this evidence credible? Is this evidence accurate? Reason 2 What makes this reason relevant? What makes this reason effective? What evidence supports this reason? Is this evidence sufficient? Is this evidence credible? Is this evidence accurate? Reason 3 What makes this reason relevant? What makes this reason effective? What evidence supports this reason? Is this evidence sufficient? Is this evidence credible? Is this evidence accurate? *************************************************************** Objection: Rebuttal: Objection: Rebuttal: Objection: Rebuttal:  

Toulmin Demonstration

What follows is a sample student argument, analyzed by way of the Toulmin Method. It offers an example of how this method might be implemented as a way of breaking an argument into its parts, then examining those parts to see how they contribute to the overall effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the argument.

Analyze The Claim

Identifying the claim.

Our first step in the Toulmin Method is to identify the claim. In the case of this argument, the claim is stated in a very general way, then is elaborated on throughout the essay. (Therefore, there is no particular point in the essay where the writer states her claim in full.) However, the general statement of the claim could be said to come at the beginning of paragraph 2, where the writer argues, "It is time for us to rethink our landscaping practices." She elaborates on this somewhat in the sentence that follows: " In our arid Western climate and poor soil, the traditional lawn takes too much water, time, and harmful chemicals to maintain." The argument proceeds to prove that this is true, then offers alternatives to "the traditional lawn."

Examining the Claim for Qualifiers

Having identified and paraphrased the claim in paragraph 2 as, "It is time for us to rethink our landscaping practices," the next step in the Toulmin Method is to examine this claim to see if the writer uses any qualifiers--words like "some," "many," "most of the time," etc. In this case, there are no such qualifiers. It can sometimes be damaging to an argument to omit qualifiers, particularly if there are also no exceptions provided. It is up to you as a reader to determine whether the writer's unqualified claim is damaging to this particular argument.

Examining the Claim for Exceptions

After looking for qualifying words in the claim, the next step is to determine what the writer considers to be the situations in which her claim doesn't apply. In other words, it is necessary to identify any exceptions she makes to her claim. In her argument, although she does not mention explicitly any exceptional situations, her claim implies one.

If we look at the writer's claim in paragraph 2, "It is time for us to rethink our landscaping practices," the first thing we should ask is "Who does she refer to when she uses the word `us'?" Clearly, this writer is addressing an audience like herself: homeowners in the West (in Ft. Collins, Colorado perhaps) who are interested in landscaping. Then if we look at the introductory paragraph of the essay, we see that she has described two landscaping situations: one in her home state of Ohio, and one in Fort Collins, Colorado, where she now lives. From all of this, we can assume that the writer intends for her argument to apply primarily to lawns in the West, and that (by implication) she excludes from her argument lawns in other parts of the country, where conditions are different.

Analyze the Reasons

Identifying all the reasons.

Once you have identified and examined the claim (for qualifiers and exceptions), the next step in the Toulmin Method is to identify and examine the reasons which support this claim. In the case of this essay, two of the reasons are given in the same breath as the general claim ("It is time for us to rethink our landscaping practices") in the second paragraph. The sentence which follows this claim is, "In our arid Western climate and poor soil, the traditional lawn takes too much water, time, and harmful chemicals to maintain," and it implies two of the three reasons that the writer will address in the essay. The third reason the writer will address is this: Maintaining the traditional lawn is unnecessary, since varieties of grass that are more appropriate to the West (and "less hungry and thirsty," as the writer says in paragraph 14) are readily available. Click on the reasons below to see where they occur in the example argument.

Maintaining the traditional lawn is:

  • In paragraph 2: Harmful (because of the chemicals used)
  • In paragraph 2: Expensive in terms of time (time spent maintaining one's lawn) and money (water usage and cost of chemicals)
  • In paragraph 11: Maintaining the traditional lawn is unnecessary, since varieties of grass that are more appropriate to the West are readily available.

Identifying and Examining Reason One

In reading on from paragraph 2 to paragraph 3 of the essay, we see that the first reason the writer addresses is the question of harm. At the beginning of paragraph 3, she broaches this question in the following way: "In Fort Collins, we must use herbicides when growing these foreign turfs." The assumption here, of course, is that these herbicides are harmful and undesirable, and the writer shows how this is so by providing evidence of the threats they pose to the environment and to humans.

We have identified Reason One as "In Fort Collins, we must use herbicides [which, by implication, are harmful] when growing these foreign turfs [like Kentucky bluegrass]." Our next step is to determine whether or not this reason is (1) relevant and (2) effective.

Determining the Relevance of Reason One

When examining this reason, it is first necessary to ask the question, "Is it relevant to the claim it attempts to support?" When we look at the claim and this first reason side by side, we see that there is a clear connection between the two.

Reason: "In Fort Collins, we must use herbicides [which, by implication, are harmful] when growing these foreign turfs [like Kentucky bluegrass]."

For this reason...

Claim: "It is time for us to rethink our landscaping practices."

Determining the Effectiveness of Reason One

After determining that Reason One is indeed relevant to the argument's claim, we may go on to determine whether or not it is effective (or "good"). In other words, does the reason invoke a value that most people (most importantly, you as a reader) can believe in and accept?

In this case, the reason, having to do with the danger of herbicides to the environment and to people, invokes the reader's fear and distaste of such harm. This may or may not seem like an effective reason to you, and if it doesn't, then this is something to remember when you complete your analysis of this argument. However, we might predict that most readers would probably feel some kind of fear or distaste for the kinds of harm that the writer refers to, thus making this an effective reason.

Moving from Reason One to Reason Two

In providing a bridge from Reason One to Reason Two, the writer draws on what we will here call Reason Three, paraphrasable as follows: Maintaining the traditional lawn is unnecessary, since varieties of grass that are more appropriate to the West are readily available. After she demonstrates that herbicides are dangerous, the writer shows that this danger is unnecessary, given the existence of buffalo grass and other varieties "that are more resistant to pests, disease, and weeds and better suited to the West" (paragraph 5). She then lists some of the merits of buffalo grass, which are (1) its appropriateness to our region and (2) the fact that it is almost maintenance-free, and therefore economical. This leads the writer directly into her second reason, which has to do with cost.

Identifying and Examining Reason Two

The writer's second reason, having to do with the cost of traditional landscaping in terms of money and time, is developed in paragraphs 6-9. (For the sake of simplicity, we will paraphrase Reason Two in the following way: "Traditional landscaping is costly in terms of both time and money.") Looking back at the essay, this reason can be most easily and clearly identified in two specific sentences:

Paragraph 6: "Choosing a variety that requires little or no watering also saves Fort Collins homeowners money." Paragraph 7: "More appropriate species of grass would save time and money by making fertilizers and amendments obsolete."

With the exception of these two sentences, the majority of the argument in paragraphs 6-9 is given to providing evidence to support these statements, as well as (in paragraph 8) mentioning the cost of having one's lawn professionally cared for.

We have identified Reason Two as (in paraphrased form) "Traditional landscaping is costly in terms of both time and money." Our next step is to determine whether or not this reason is (1) relevant and (2) effective.

Determining the Relevance of Reason Two

Reason: "Traditional landscaping is costly in terms of both time and money."

Determining the Effectiveness of Reason Two

After determining that Reason Two is indeed relevant to the argument's claim, we may go on to determine whether or not it is effective (or "good"). In other words, does the reason invoke a value that most people (most importantly, you as a reader) can believe in and accept?

In this case, the reason, having to do with the cost (in terms of both money and time) of maintaining traditional landscaping, invokes the value the reader places on money and time. This may or may not seem like an effective reason to you, and if it doesn't, then this is something to remember when you complete your analysis of this argument. However, we might predict that most readers would probably be compelled by an argument that proposes economy of both money and time. We could argue, therefore, that this is an effective reason.

Moving from Reason Two to Reason Three

In providing a bridge from Reason Two(having to do with various costs of traditional landscaping) to Reason Three(having to do with the availability of alternative varieties of grasses which are more suited to the West), the writer decides to deal with an objection she anticipates from her audience: "So how come we never hear about these alternative varieties of grasses and their benefits?" In paragraphs 10-12, the writer responds to this hypothetical objection, pointing out the biases of the lawn care industry and directing her audience toward less biased sources of information (or rather, those which are likely to give information about alternative varieties of grasses and means of landscaping).

Identifying and Examining Reason Three

As mentioned previously, we might paraphrase the writer's third reason in the following way: Maintaining the traditional lawn is unnecessary, since varieties of grass that are more appropriate to the West are readily available. Although she directly addresses the "availability" question only toward the end of her essay (in paragraphs 10-13), she refers to alternative varieties of grasses in several areas of the essay. For example, In Paragraph 5: "Varieties of grass that are more resistant to pests, disease, and weeds and better suited to the West make this risk unnecessary." In Paragraph 6: "Choosing a variety that requires little or no watering also saves Fort Collins homeowners money." In Paragraph 7: "More appropriate species of grass would save time and money by making fertilizers and amendments obsolete." In Paragraph 10: "Since the cost of maintaining an alternative lawn is so low, lawn care experts have no stake in keeping us informed about more appropriate species or in making them easy to obtain."

In paragraphs 11-13, however, the writer claims that these alternative varieties do exist and are available to Fort Collins residents, and she offers evidence to back this up.

We have identified Reason Three as (in paraphrased form) "Maintaining the traditional lawn is unnecessary, since varieties of grass that are more appropriate to the West are readily available." Our next step is to determine whether or not this reason is (1) relevant and (2) effective.

Determining the Relevance of Reason Three

Reason: "Maintaining the traditional lawn is unnecessary, since varieties of grass that are more appropriate to the West are readily available."

Determining the Effectiveness of Reason Three

After determining that Reason Three is indeed relevant to the argument's claim, we may go on to determine whether or not it is effective (or "good"). In other words, does the reason invoke a value that most people (most importantly, you as a reader) can believe in and accept?

In this case, the reason, which challenges the necessity of traditional landscaping methods and grasses when alternative ones (more appropriate to the West) are readily available, invokes the value the reader places on convenience and common sense. This may or may not seem like an effective reason to you, and if it doesn't, then this is something to remember when you complete your analysis of this argument. However, we might predict that most readers would probably be motivated by a desire to do something that "makes sense" if it is convenient to do so. Therefore, we might judge this to be an effective reason.

Identifying and Examining Evidence

Once you have identified and examined the reasons supporting the claim in an argument, your next step is to examine the evidence which, in turn, supports those reasons.

Identifying and Examining Evidence for Reason One

The writer's first reason has to do with the danger of using herbicides. In support of this reason (in paragraphs 3 and 4), she offers several pieces of evidence:

Identifying the Evidence:

  • In paragraph 3, a statistic (from her source, Bormann, Balmori, and Geballe) indicating how many pounds of herbicides and pesticides Americans use each year.
  • In paragraph 4, her experience with the prevalence of lawn chemical use in Ohio.
  • In paragraph 4, her reference to the yellow warning flags now used in Ft. Collins when lawns are being sprayed.

Examining the Evidence:

We must first ask ourselves, "Is this evidence sufficient?" That is, we must determine whether or not there is enough evidence offered to support the reason the writer is attempting to use. In this case, given the fact that the writer uses three different pieces of evidence (one from an "official" source and two from personal experience/observation), we could argue that she uses sufficient evidence.

Our second step is to ask ourselves, "Is this evidence credible?" In other words, can we trust the evidence the writer offers us? In this case, where the writer uses what seems to be a credible source (Bormann, Balmori, and Geballe's Redesigning the American Lawn), as well as fairly commonplace, believable personal experience, we could argue that she uses credible evidence.

Our third step is to ask ourselves, "Is this evidence accurate?" This is perhaps the most difficult step in examining the evidence, simply because we can't always be sure of accuracy without having the writer's sources in front of us or without having experienced what she has experienced. In this case, there seems to be no reason to question the accuracy of the evidence given, simply because it doesn't appear unrealistic or outlandish, and it has already been shown to be reasonably credible. Sometimes, however, you might suspect that the evidence offered in support of a reason is inaccurate, and that can be an excellent way to challenge an argument.

Identifying and Examining Evidence for Reason Two

The writer's second reason has to do with the cost of traditional landscaping in terms of money and time, and it is supported (in paragraphs 6-9) with several pieces of evidence:

  • In paragraph 6, statistics representing water usage (the writer's own and the average) in Fort Collins, along with information given in a phone interview with Laurie D'Audni of the Fort Collins Water Utilities.
  • In paragraph 6, a statistic from her source (Bormann, Balmori, and Geballe) representing water usage in the West.
  • After paragraph 6, the chart showing levels of water usage (the writer's own and the average) in Fort Collins throughout the year.
  • In paragraph 7, lawn care experts' recommendation on how often fertilizer should be applied, and on how we "should aerate and thatch as well."
  • In paragraph 7, personal experience--comparison of time and money spent in Fort Collins as opposed to Ohio.
  • In paragraph 8: Cost of having lawn care professionally done.
  • After paragraph 8, statistics on "Basic Cost per Season for Care of Bluegrass" and "Time Spent per Season in Basic Lawn Care"

Identifying and Examining Evidence for Reason Three

The writer's third reason has to do with the availability of alternative varieties of grasses which are more suited to the West. As mentioned previously, this reason is referred to throughout the essay, but it is treated most directly in paragraphs 10-13. Here is some of the evidence, given in different parts of the essay in support of the availability of alternative grasses:

  • In paragraph 5, testimony from two sources (Bucks and Meyer) as to the merits of buffalo grass and wheatgrass.
  • In paragraph 10, the phone number of the county extension office, where readers can get information on species of grass suitable to our area.
  • In paragraph 11, quotes from an article in the Coloradoan about the difficulties of traditional turf grasses and the availability of "a new variety of zoysia, Meyer Z-52).
  • In paragraph 12, a claim that alternative types of seed may be ordered (and the approximate cost of the seeds).
  • paragraph 13, suggestions of plants, shrubs, and flowers that thrive in the West.

Analyze the Anticipated Objections and Rebuttal

When writing an argument, writers must anticipate any objections their audience might use to challenge that argument. In other words, they have to make sure, to the best of their ability, that they don't leave room for their audience to pull a card out of one of the levels of their "house of cards" (thereby causing the whole structure of the argument to tumble down). In this argument, the writer has addressed two possible oppositional arguments, one having to do with availability of information on alternative grasses, and one having to do with the cost of switching to alternative landscaping.

Identifying Objection One

In providing a bridge from Reason Two (having to do with various costs of traditional landscaping) to Reason Three (having to do with the availability of alternative varieties of grasses which are more suited to the West), the writer decides to deal with an objection she anticipates from her audience: "So how come we never hear about these alternative varieties of grasses and their benefits?"

Identifying & Examining Rebuttal of Objection One

In paragraphs 10-12, the writer responds to this hypothetical objection, pointing out the biases of the lawn care industry and directing her audience toward less biased sources of information (or rather, those which are likely to give information about alternative varieties of grasses and means of landscaping).

Remember, too, that rebuttal evidence must be examined just like any other evidence. In other words, we have to judge whether or not the evidence offered in the rebuttal is valid in terms of sufficiency, credibility, and accuracy. In this case, we might notice that the writer gives no real evidence that the lawn care industry is biased, but we might also decide that such a thing is common sense, and therefore is well-argued. However, if we were looking for a way to call this reasoning into question, we might want to point out that the writer lacks evidence in this area.

Identifying Objection Two

In paragraph 14, the writer anticipates that her audience might be concerned about the expense of switching from traditional to alternative landscaping.

Identifying & Examining Rebuttal of Objection Two

In forming her rebuttal to this second objection, the writer refers back to arguments she made in paragraph 6 about "the cost saved on water and maintenance." She also mentions in paragraph 14 the possibilities of shrinking lawn space and "giv[ing it] over to heat and drought-resistant varieties of flowers, trees, shrubs, and groundcovers." Finally, she mentions the ways that people can save money by "choosing varieties that are perennial or reseed themselves."

Remember, too, that rebuttal evidence must be examined just like any other evidence. In other words, we have to judge whether or not the evidence offered in the rebuttal is valid in terms of sufficiency, credibility, and accuracy. In this case, we will remember that she has already supported her argument about "the cost saved on water and maintenance." And we might consider that her arguments about shrinking lawn space and about "choosing varieties that are perennial or reseed themselves" to be self-evident (common-sensical), and therefore well-argued. However, if we were looking for a way to call her reasoning into question, we might want to point out that the writer lacks evidence on these last two points.

Draw Conclusions from a Toulmin Analysis

After completing this Toulmin Analysis of the essay, "Landscaping that Makes Sense for the West," it is our task to determine how to "interpret" the results. In other words, how do we take what we have discovered about the argument through analysis and translate it into a formal response to that argument?

Collecting Results

The first step in drawing conclusions is to collect the results of our analysis. To do this, we go back to our responses on the different levels of our "house of cards": claim, reasons, evidence, and anticipated objections/rebuttal. In the case of our sample argument, we have determined that the writer's reasons and much of her evidence are quite strong. Some of her evidence is not as documentable as other evidence, and we could examine her claim (for lack of qualifications) and her rebuttal evidence more closely, but for the most part, our responses at the various levels of this analysis have been positive.

Is the Argument Compelling to You?

The first question you might ask yourself when "interpreting" the results of your analysis is a very general (and emotionally-based) question: Does this argument appeal to me? If it does appeal, then why and how does it appeal? In other words, how do the responses we made about the claim, reasons, evidence, etc. reinforce (or contradict) our "gut-level" response to the argument we have read? In the case of our example argument, we might say that the essay seems immediately compelling for a number of reasons (style, use of examples, the attractive color photo, etc.); then we might note that our overall response to and analysis of the parts of the argument supports this gut-level response.

What is the Overall Effectiveness/Ineffectiveness of the Argument?

In looking at the results of your analysis, it is important to notice how effective or ineffective the argument is based on the strengths or weaknesses you have noticed in the different parts of that argument. This is the part of interpretation which demands that you go beyond your gut-level responses to acknowledge (as "objectively" and as truthfully as possible) the parts of the argument which achieve their purpose effectively, and the parts which do this less effectively. Again, looking at our sample essay, we could argue that most of the parts of the argument (like the claim, reasons, and most evidence) are structured, supported, and expressed effectively, while there are very few areas of possible ineffectiveness (in credibility of evidence, thoroughness of rebuttal, or qualification of claim, for instance).

Overall, though, this argument would probably be considered a strong and well-supported one by most readers, and it is a bit of a stretch even to discuss these few areas of possible ineffectiveness.

Writing a Claim

The last stage of your analysis (and the first stage of writing a response to the essay) is to formulate a claim of your own, based on your analytical reading of the argument. In the case of our sample argument, our claim might read as follows: "Although this writer's argument has elements that might be slightly better qualified, supported, or documented, overall her argument for alternative landscaping is compelling and effective." (Of course, if as a reader you were inclined to disagree with her argument or to be critical of some of the reasons or evidence she offers, your claim would look quite different from this one.)

Nesbitt, Laurel. (2001). Using the Toulmin Method. Writing@CSU . Colorado State University. https://writing.colostate.edu/guides/guide.cfm?guideid=58

Joyce Marter LCPC

5 Effective Ways to Improve Concentration and Cognition

What to do and not do to become less stressed and more focused at work and home..

Posted February 13, 2023 | Reviewed by Hara Estroff Marano

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  • As a nation, we are more stressed out than ever, which affects our ability to concentrate.
  • You can improve your concentration as you begin to avoid unnecessary distractions.
  • Starting a daily mindfulness practice can improve your concentration and cognitive functioning.

If you are easily distracted or unable to concentrate, you’re not alone. According to a recent American Psychological Association poll , nearly two in five adults report that when they are stressed , they can’t bring themselves to do anything; stress causes forgetfulness and impacts the ability to concentrate and make decisions.

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Five Ways to Improve Your Concentration

  • Prioritize your health and wellness. Your concentration is best when you have proper sleep, nutrition , hydration, and work-life balance. Keep your blood sugar and energy balanced throughout the day by taking micro breaks for self-care. You will have difficulty concentrating if you are overworked and burned out .
  • Get a mental health tune-up. Research shows rates of depression and anxiety climbed by more than 25% worldwide in 2020 due to the ripple effect of the pandemic. Think of therapy as a routine and preventative form of healthcare, like seeing the dentist or the doctor. Make an appointment to clear the cobwebs from your mind.
  • Start a morning routine. Having a morning routine that involves self-care will set you up for success for the rest of the day. Set your alarm 20-30 minutes earlier and take a few moments when you wake up to journal, have your coffee out in nature, do some stretching, make your bed, or set your intentions for the day. Research shows that a disruption in your morning routine has ripple effects throughout the day.
  • Structure your day. Designate periods of time for different tasks or activities and commit to those boundaries . Be sure to schedule in time for self-care and time to access the support you need so you can recharge your batteries and maintain focus. Allow time to transition between activities.
  • Silence your inner saboteur. We all have that voice in our head that puts us down and overwhelms us with negative thoughts. Over time, we can silence the inner saboteur and replace that voice with self-compassion, self-care, and self-affirmation, which will improve self-esteem and self-efficacy so that we are more confident in our ability to focus and achieve our goals .

What to Avoid for Better Concentration

  • Multitasking. We often think that multitasking saves time and increases productivity , but the opposite is true. Multitasking causes our brains to be stressed and overwhelmed. We lose time transitioning from one task to the other. Multitasking increases errors and reduces productivity.
  • Notifications. Turn off your social media , email, gaming, and other notifications (including texts on your phone). Each time a notification goes off, you are interrupted and need to redirect your attention.
  • Too much caffeine, sugar, or other substances. You can’t expect your brain to function properly in the morning if you took a sleep aid at 4am when you couldn’t sleep. Or perhaps you had a pot of coffee or ate only a donut and diet soda the previous day. Recognize that even foods affect your mood and ability to focus.

How to Get into that Flow or Focused Headspace

  • Start a daily mindfulness practice

Research shows that mindfulness improves concentration and cognitive functioning. Practices such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, yoga, or simply unplugging from technology and connecting with nature will help you get out of your head and into your body. When we connect with our breath and our senses we can silence our mind chatter and access deeper and more intuitive aspects of ourselves and access that flow state—the space where our mind, body, and spirit are aligned and our energy is focused.

  • Limit distractions

Each of us has internal or external distractions. External distractions may be the challenge for the mom who works from home with five kids and three pets and a partner who plays the electric guitar. Meanwhile, internal distractions may be more of a challenge for the single person with ADHD or someone with massive life stressors.

How to limit external distractions:

  • Turn off notifications by using the Do Not Disturb feature on all your devices (including phone and smart watch).
  • Shut down tabs or open screens for anything other than what you are working on.
  • Set firmer boundaries with your loved ones if working from home. Communicate your need for uninterrupted and dedicated concentration during a certain time frame and hold firm to that. Request that children, pets, and other distractions be kept from interfering with your work.

How to limit internal distractions:

  • Do a short meditation prior to your work time. Visualize yourself completing your tasks with ease and success. Feel how it feels to complete the work with a job well done.
  • Set an intention for your work time. For example, “I will complete this project and feel proud of my work and at peace.”
  • Make your intention your mantra. Repeat the intention as a mantra silently or out loud any time you fall off track. Even write it on a sticky note and post it on your monitor.
  • Practice healthy detachment. Learn to cultivate healthy emotional separation from other people’s problems, your own negative emotions, expectations, and outcome. Detachment is a mindfulness strategy to zoom out and see the greater perspective so that you don’t get entangled in the weeds that prevent you from concentrating. Compartmentalization is a detachment strategy by which you put your worries on a shelf so that you can focus on the task at hand.

If you still have challenges, consider counseling or therapy as mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, trauma , substance use disorders, and ADD/ADHD all impact concentration.

https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2022/concerned-future-inflatio

https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2022.804937

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)02143-7/fulltext

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/peps.12419

Joyce Marter LCPC

Joyce Marter, LCPC, is a psychotherapist, entrepreneur, mental health thought leader, national speaker, and author.

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  • Concentration Of Solution And The Calculation

Expression of Concentration of Solutions

We always discuss a solution being diluted or concentrated; this is a qualitative way of expressing the concentration of the solution. A dilute solution means the quantity of solute is relatively very small, and a concentrated solution implies that the solution has a large amount of solute. But these are relative terms and do not give us the quantitative concentration of the solution.

Table of Contents

Concentration.

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  • Concentration in parts per million
  • Mass percentage
  • Volume percentage
  • Mass by Volume percentage
  • Mole Fraction
  • Solutions of Solid in Liquid

Solubility of Gases

Frequently asked questions – faqs.

So, to quantitatively describe the concentrations of various solutions around us, we commonly express levels in the following way:

It is the amount of solute present in one litre of solution. It is denoted by C or S.

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Introduction to solutions – concentration terms.

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1. Concentration in Parts Per Million (ppm)

The parts of a component per million parts (10 6 ) of the solution.

2. Mass Percentage (w/w):

When the concentration is expressed as the percent of one component in the solution by mass it is called mass percentage (w/w). Suppose we have a solution containing component A as the solute and B as the solvent, then its mass percentage is expressed as:

Mass % of A = \(\begin{array}{l} \frac {Mass \space of \space component \space A ~ in ~the ~ solution}{Total ~ mass ~of~ the~ solution } × 100 \end{array} \)

3. Volume Percentage (V/V):

Sometimes we express the concentration as a percent of one component in the solution by volume, it is then called as volume percentage and is given as:

volume   % of A = \(\begin{array}{l} \frac {Volume ~of~ component~ A~ in~ the ~solution}{Total ~ volume ~ of ~ the ~ solution } × 100 \end{array} \)

For example, if a solution of NaCl in water is said to be 10 % by volume that means a 100 ml solution will contain 10 ml NaCl.

4. Mass by Volume Percentage (w/V):

This unit is majorly used in the pharmaceutical industry. It is defined as the mass of a solute dissolved per 100mL of the solution.

% w/V = (Mass of component A in the solution/ Total Volume of the Solution)x 100

5. Molarity (M):

One of the most commonly used methods for expressing the concentrations is molarity. It is the number of moles of solute dissolved in one litre of a solution. Suppose a solution of ethanol is marked 0.25 M, this means that in one litre of the given solution 0.25 moles of ethanol is dissolved.

Molarity (M) = Moles of Solute/Volume of Solution in litres

6. Molality (m):

Molality represents the concentration regarding moles of solute and the mass of solvent. It is given by moles of solute dissolved per kg of the solvent .  The molality formula is as given-

\(\begin{array}{l} Molality (m) = \frac {Moles~ of ~solute}{Mass~ of~ solvent~ in~ kg}\end{array} \)

7. Normality

It is the number of gram equivalents of solute present in one litre of the solution and it is denoted by N.

The relation between normality and molarity.

  • N x Eq.Wt = Molarity x Molar mass
  • N = Molarity x Valency
  • N = Molarity x Number of H + or OH –  ion.

8. Formality

It is the number of gram formula units present in one litre of solution. It is denoted by F.

It is applicable in the case of ionic solids like NaCl.

9. Mole Fraction:

If the solution has a solvent and the solute, a mole fraction gives a concentration as the ratio of moles of one component to the total moles present in the solution. It is denoted by x. Suppose we have a solution containing A as a solute and B as the solvent. Let n A and n B be the number of moles of A and B present in the solution respectively. So, mole fractions of A and B are given as:

\(\begin{array}{l}~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\end{array} \) \(\begin{array}{l} x_A = \frac {n_A}{n_A + n_B}\end{array} \) \(\begin{array}{l}~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\end{array} \) \(\begin{array}{l} x_B = \frac {n_B}{n_A + n_B} \end{array} \)

The above-mentioned methods are commonly used ways of expressing the concentration of solutions. All the methods describe the same thing that is, the concentration of a solution, each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. Molarity depends on temperature while mole fraction and molality are independent of temperature. All these methods are used on the basis of the requirement of expressing the concentrations.

Solutions of Solids in Liquids

  • A saturated solution is a solution that remains in contact with an excess of solute.
  • The amount of solute dissolved per 100g of solvent in a saturated solution at a specific temperature represents the solubility of the solute.
  • For exothermic substances such as KOH, CaO, Ca(OH) 2 , M 2 CO 3 , M 2 SO 4 , etc, solubility is inversely proportional to temperature.
  • For endothermic substances such as NaCl, KNO 3 , NaNO 3 , glucose, etc., solubility is directly proportional to temperature.

The solubility of gases is mostly expressed in terms of the absorption coefficient,k that is the volume of the gas dissolved by unit volume of solvent at 1 atm pressure and a specific temperature.

The solubility of a gas in a liquid depends upon

  • Temperature solubility is inversely proportional to temperature as the dissolution of gas is exothermic in most cases.
  • Nature of gas – Gases having a higher value of van der Waals force of attraction that is gases that are more easily liquefied are more soluble. For example, SO 2 and CO 2 are more soluble in water than O 2 , N 2 , and H 2 .
  • Nature of solvent – Gases which can ionise in an aqueous solution are more stable in water as compared to the other solvents.

How do you change the concentration of a solution?

Sometimes, by modifying the quantity of solvent, a worker would need to modify the concentration of a solution. Dilution is the addition of a solvent that reduces the solute concentration of the solution. Concentration is solvent elimination, which increases the solute concentration in the solution.

What is a high concentration?

A concentration of persons means that in one place there are more of them. A high concentration of a material in a solution means there’s a lot of it compared to the volume: because of the high concentration of salt, the Great Salt Lake has very little fish.

Is dilute acid dangerous?

In general, a mild condensed acid is more harmful than a solid diluted acid. Although concentrated acetic acid is much less reactive, you do not want to touch the skin or mucous membranes because it is corrosive.

What is the concentration of a solution?

A solution concentration is a measure of the quantity of solute that has been dissolved in a given quantity of solvent or solution. One that contains a relatively high volume of dissolved solute is a concentrated solution. That that contains a relatively minimal volume of dissolved solute is a dilute solution.

How do you prepare a solution of known concentration?

Solutions of known concentration can be prepared either by dissolving the known mass of the solvent solution and diluting it to the desired final volume or by diluting it to the desired final volume by diluting the acceptable volume of the more concentrated solution (the stock solution).

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4 Writing the Materials and Methods (Methodology) Section

The Materials and Methods section briefly describes how you did your research. In other words, what did you do to answer your research question? If there were materials used for the research or materials experimented on you list them in this section. You also describe how you did the research or experiment. The key to a methodology is that another person must be able to replicate your research—follow the steps you take. For example if you used the internet to do a search it is not enough to say you “searched the internet.” A reader would need to know which search engine and what key words you used.

Open this section by describing the overall approach you took or the materials used. Then describe to the readers step-by-step the methods you used including any data analysis performed. See Fig. 2.5 below for an example of materials and methods section.

Writing tips:

  • Explain procedures, materials, and equipment used
  • Example: “We used an x-ray fluorescence spectrometer to analyze major and trace elements in the mystery mineral samples.”
  • Order events chronologically, perhaps with subheadings (Field work, Lab Analysis, Statistical Models)
  • Use past tense (you did X, Y, Z)
  • Quantify measurements
  • Include results in the methods! It’s easy to make this mistake!
  • Example: “W e turned on the machine and loaded in our samples, then calibrated the instrument and pushed the start button and waited one hour. . . .”

Materials and methods

Technical Writing @ SLCC Copyright © 2020 by Department of English, Linguistics, and Writing Studies at SLCC is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Essay Samples on Concentration

An examination of the process of titration.

Introduction Titration is defined as being a common lab method of chemical analysis that is used to determine the unknown concentration of an acidic or basic solution. Properties behind titration include a quantity of a base being added in small increments to a quantity of...

  • Concentration

A Demonstration of the Titration Process in a Lab

Part A and B demonstrate the variations between results in phenolphthalein and methyl orange indicator. Based on the titrations in Part A and Part B (sections in order to figure out how to investigate the unknown amount of an acid or base in a solution)...

The Observation of Fusarium Growth Under Different Conditions

Introduction Fusarium is a genus of soil fungi that is pathogenic to numerous economically important plant species. Because the fungi are so geographically widespread, species have been observed to exhibit variations in growth patterns due to environmental conditions. This experiment entails growing Fusarium with media...

Concluding the Relationship Between Concentration of Color and Light Absorption Properties

Solutions of different colors will absorb a certain amount of light at each wavelength. The absorbance levels for a solution depend on both the concentration of the color in the solution and the actual color itself. Each differently colored solution will have a certain wavelength...

Identifying the Safe Concentration Level of Dye Blue No. 1

Introduction Almost any beverage that can be purchased, with the exception of water, contains dyes. Companies add food dyes to consumer products in an attempt to make them more attractive for the consumer. The only problem with this is that the chemicals used to dye...

  • Food Safety
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Exploring the Significance of Equilibrium in Chemical Reactions

Introduction Chemical reactions are fundamental processes that occur in various natural and artificial systems. These reactions involve the conversion of reactants into products, and understanding the concept of equilibrium is crucial in comprehending the dynamics of these reactions. This essay explores the role of equilibrium...

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Best topics on Concentration

1. An Examination of the Process of Titration

2. A Demonstration of the Titration Process in a Lab

3. The Observation of Fusarium Growth Under Different Conditions

4. Concluding the Relationship Between Concentration of Color and Light Absorption Properties

5. Identifying the Safe Concentration Level of Dye Blue No. 1

6. Exploring the Significance of Equilibrium in Chemical Reactions

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  20. Expression of Concentration of Solutions

    The above-mentioned methods are commonly used ways of expressing the concentration of solutions. All the methods describe the same thing that is, the concentration of a solution, each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. Molarity depends on temperature while mole fraction and molality are independent of temperature. All these ...

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