Improved attention span -
This can lead to stress and irritation, which tends to make focusing on what you need to do even more of a distant dream. If that sounds familiar, keep reading to learn more about research-backed methods to help improve your concentration.
A study of 4, adults suggests that spending 15 minutes a day, 5 days a week, on brain training activities can improve concentration. Brain training games can also help develop your working and short-term memory , as well as your processing and problem-solving skills.
Brain training can work for kids, too. Invest in a book of word puzzles, complete a jigsaw puzzle together, or play a game of memory. Even coloring can help improve concentration in children or adults.
Older children may enjoy more detailed coloring pages, like those found in adult coloring books. The effects of brain training games may be particularly important for older adults, since memory and concentration often tend to decline with age. Research from that looked at 2, older adults followed up on participants after 10 years.
Older adults who completed 10 to 14 sessions of cognitive training saw improved cognition, memory, and processing skills. After 10 years, most study participants reported they could complete daily activities at least as well as they could at the beginning of the trial, if not better.
Try these games and puzzles to train your brain. Brain games may not be the only type of game that can help improve concentration. Newer research also suggests playing video games could help boost concentration.
A study looking at 29 people found evidence to suggest an hour of gaming could help improve visual selective attention VSA. VSA refers to your ability to concentrate on a specific task while ignoring distractions.
Study authors recommend future research to continue exploring how video games can help increase brain activity and boost concentration. A review looked at studies examining how video games could affect cognitive function. The results suggest playing video games may lead to various changes in the brain, including increased attention and focus.
This review had several limitations, including the fact that the studies focused on widely varying topics, including video game addiction and possible effects of violent video games.
Studies specifically designed to explore benefits of video games could help support these findings. When does video game use become an addiction? Sleep deprivation can easily disrupt concentration, not to mention other cognitive functions, such as memory and attention.
Occasional sleep deprivation may not cause too many problems for you. Being too tired can even slow down your reflexes and affect your ability to drive or do other daily tasks.
A demanding schedule, health issues, and other factors sometimes make it difficult to get enough sleep. What are some healthy sleep habits? Increased concentration is among the many benefits of regular exercise. Exercise benefits everyone.
A study looking at fifth-graders found evidence to suggest daily physical activity could help improve both concentration and attention after just 4 weeks. Other research looking at older adults suggests a year of moderate aerobic physical activity can help stop or even reverse memory loss that occurs with brain atrophy related to age.
Experts recommend aerobic exercise, but doing what you can is better than doing nothing at all. Depending on your personal fitness and weight goals, you may want to exercise more or less. Ask yourself:. If you can, try getting exercise right before you really need to focus or when taking a mental break.
How can exercise benefit your mental health? If you want to boost your concentration naturally, try to get outside every day, even for a short while. You might take a short walk through a park.
Sitting in your garden or backyard can also help. Any natural environment has benefits. According to the American Psychological Association APA , spending time in nature can have a positive impact on both physical and mental health. Research from found evidence to suggest including plants in office spaces helped increase concentration and productivity, as well as workplace satisfaction and air quality.
Try adding a plant or two to your workspace or home for a range of positive benefits. Children benefit from natural environments, too. Research published in followed over 1, children from birth to age 7.
The study hoped to determine how lifelong exposure to trees and greenery at home or in the neighborhood might affect attention in children. The study suggests that natural environments could benefit brain development and may improve attention in children.
For children with ADHD, research suggests spending time in nature can:. What are some more natural remedies for ADHD? Meditation and mindfulness practices can offer multiple benefits. Improved concentration is only one of these.
A review of 23 studies found evidence to suggest mindfulness training that emphasizes attention focus could help increase attention and focus.
Mindfulness can also improve memory and other cognitive abilities. Yoga , deep breathing, and many other activities can help you meditate. What are some other benefits of meditation? How can taking a break from work or homework increase your concentration?
This idea might seem counterintuitive, but experts say it really works. But your struggle to focus just makes you feel stressed and anxious about not completing your work in time. Next time this happens, when you first feel your concentration drop, take a short mental break.
Refresh yourself with a cool drink or nutritious snack, take a quick walk, or go outside and get some sun. Breaks can help boost these functions and more.
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Daily meditation can increase your overall attention span. Sit in a comfortable spot and focus on taking deep breaths in and out.
Try to empty your mind and think about nothing at all as you sit and relax. Do this for 5 to 10 minutes every day to exercise your attention span the way you might exercise a muscle. Work on taking time to meditate each day to see a noticeable increase in your attention span.
Make sure to find a quiet space to meditate so you can focus solely on your thoughts. You should also wear comfortable clothing and sit in a position that's comfortable for you. Listen to classical music.
Calming music like this can help you focus. If you're struggling to complete a task, try turning on some classical music in the background. Drink black tea. Black tea may have a positive effect on attention span. It contains the amino acid called L-theanine, which affects the part of the brain responsible for attention.
Try replacing your coffee in the morning with a cup of black tea and see if you're more focused overall. Get rid of distractions. Your phone, computer, and TV are the most obvious ones.
If you really need to buckle down and pay attention for a long time, try to put your distractions away. Focus on one task at a time. In fact, studies show that it can actually slow you down.
When you have a few things you need to do, go in a logical order instead of trying to get them all done at once. Take a short break every 50 minutes. Give your brain a chance to rest and recharge. Try to take a quick break every 50 minutes or so. You can walk around your house, get a quick snack, or check your texts.
Try to do something relaxing and take your mind off of work for a few minutes. Work when you're most energetic. It's normal for your attention span to vary throughout the day.
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