We hear a lot these days about how to improve focus and concentration. A lot is said about ADAH in the news, and parents and teachers talk about it. ADHD in adults is now thought to be common. Advertisements for supplements on TV and radio say that both kids and adults will feel better after taking them. Some of the things in those supplements have been shown to help people think better. Just as self hypnosis for focus has been proven to be highly effective. And there are things that you can do on your own. By following the tips below, as unexciting as they may sound, you will see a marked improvement on your ability to focus and concentrate.
“I’m so scatterbrained I must have ADHD.” It’s a lament that doctors like Michael Coates, MD, are hearing more and more from adult patients, many of whom assume medication is the answer to their woes. Yet most people don’t have ADHD, nor do they need a pill, says Coates, who chairs the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Wake Forest School of Medicine. “What they need is a better routine.” In fact, only about 4.5 percent of American adults are estimated to have ADHD, according to a report in the American Journal of Psychiatry. For the rest of us, feeling unfocused is not the result of a disorder or even a personality trait — it’s simply a habit.
“There’s never been another time in history when there was so much to be distracted by, and all our technology reinforces the feeling that you’re missing out on something if you’re not able to pay attention to a bunch of things at once,” says Charles Folk, PhD, director of the cognitive science program at Villanova University. To regain your focus, a few tiny lifestyle tweaks may be all you need.
Swap Caffeine For Cardio
If you rely on triple lattes to pay attention, you’ll likely find it harder to focus when you’re not buzzed. “Your brain will begin to operate as though it requires caffeine to be alert,” explains Coates. A more effective stimulant: exercise. Physical activity has been shown to sharpen focus, in people with ADHD and without, possibly because it can help trigger the release of chemicals in the brain that are thought to affect learning and memory. One report from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign suggests that aerobic exercise in particular may improve immediate and long-term functioning in regions of the brain relating to attention.
Drink More Water
A study published in The Journal of Nutrition in 2012 found that being so mildly dehydrated that you don’t really feel it can make you forgetful. When women were dehydrated by less than 2% (in this case, because they didn’t drink enough water after exercise), they were less able to focus on a series of cognitive tests. “When the brain detects even small changes in physiology, it may start to work less well to get your attention,” says Harris Lieberman, PhD, a research psychologist at the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine and co-author of the study. “Thirst isn’t the best way to tell if you need to drink, so a drop in your ability to concentrate is an early sign that you need to drink up.”
Get Serious About Shut-Eye
“When a patient suspects she has ADHD, one of the first things I investigate is her sleep routine,” says Vatsal G. Thakkar, MD, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at New York University School of Medicine. “The inability to concentrate is often caused by a lack of delta sleep.” Thakkar is referring to the slow-wave stage that precedes REM sleep; it’s the time when the brain powers down, and some evidence suggests it’s the period in which certain cognitive functions consolidate and strengthen. “If you’re regularly dipping below seven hours, you’re likely cutting into the delta phase, and this can make it difficult to focus when you’re awake,” says Thakkar. His Rx: Get a solid seven to nine hours a night for at least two weeks. If your concentration doesn’t improve, see a sleep specialist to determine if an undiagnosed disorder like sleep apnea might be to blame.
Wiggle Your Toes
Ever catch yourself nodding along absentmindedly during a conversation as your brain flits to a million other things? “The frenetic nature of our society — constant updates via e-mail and Twitter, for example — provides some sort of excitement every few minutes, and we’ve become trained to expect that,” says Olivia Fox Cabane, author of The Charisma Myth. “If we’re not stimulated after a short period of time, we look around for something that will do the job. This is true whether we’re reading a dull news story or involved in a conversation.” To be a more attentive listener, Cabane recommends taking a moment to focus your attention on your toes. This mindfulness trick will instantly bring you back to the present — right where you belong.
Relax your mind and learn to focus by listening to the audio download, Improve Concentration And Focus. Brought to you by Hypnosis Downloads.
