Concentrating Better: 4 Things to Consider About Regaining Your Focus
Many people have spoken of issues with their concentration, especially since the pandemic. A lot of people found themselves experiencing high levels of stress, which affected their ability to focus, and now that we are mainly back in the real world, there are still people who are experiencing issues with their concentration. So how can we ensure that we build up this all-important skill?
Ruling Out Any Medical Issues
If you find yourself struggling to focus or you find the lack of concentration has been there your entire life, it’s important to get to the root of this. Many people are getting diagnosed with ADHD later in life. The great thing is that now there’s a wide variety of options that can help you to get to the bottom of this. The ADHD Centre provides an online ADHD assessment that may give you some clues as to whether you have some form of ADHD.
Understanding the Factors That Affect Concentration
Many people think they just don’t know how to concentrate, but the reality is that there can be a number of factors that affect your concentration at any one time. These include the following:
*Lack of sleep.
*Lack of physical activity.
*Poor eating habits.
*Your environment.
*Being distracted.
The last one is incredibly important. We are constantly bombarded by information which is going to have an impact on our ability to concentrate because our brain is constantly assessing whether the information being exposed to us is useful or not. Therefore, removing distractions, especially when it comes to proper concentration will make a massive difference.
Using the Right Tools
The most important thing to remember is that if we are having issues concentrating and it’s been a part of our lives for a long time, there are tools that we can use effectively. There is a great podcast called the Huberman Lab that offers a variety of tools on how to improve your focus and concentration, including some of the following:
*Using 90-minute bouts for focusing.
*40 Hz binaural beats.
*Deliberate stress exposure, for example, a cold shower.
*Improving your focus by using your visual field.
The right tools can make a massive difference.
Understanding Your Relationship With Focus and Concentration
The last point to make is that if you have had issues with your concentration your entire life and this is all that you’ve known, but have ruled out any medical condition, you may have been telling yourself all this time you can’t do something. We have to remember that our brain is primed to deliver whatever we tell it. So if you feel really stressed all the time, your brain is going to release stress hormones. If you start to retrain your brain and use a number of great tools you can start to have that more confident outlook that could impact your ability to concentrate. Many people tell themselves they can’t remember or struggle to focus and this is all they’ve known. It’s worth pointing this out, especially if you don’t think highly of yourself.
