We all have possibly struggled to concentrate at one point in our lives. This could be a common challenge, and understanding its complexity, is possibly a way. We rely on concentration to get through our everyday life: from reading a book to completing our work tasks. According to different research, it is estimated that in the last two decades people have decreased their attention span (Mark, 2023).
Let’s see how some lifestyle factors that may impact our concentration include sleep quality, multitasking, and absence of exercise.
The impact of sleep quality
Poor sleep could reduce a person’s attention, learning, and information processing. It is normal that when we don’t get enough rest, our focus may decrease. This is why prioritizing good sleep hygiene is beneficial for getting concentration levels. You could achieve this by doing simple things like maintaining a consistent schedule and creating a relaxing bedtime routine (Suni, Vyas 2023).
Multitasking & digital distractions
Clearly, daily habits play an important role in concentration. Multitasking has become a common approach to switching quickly between tasks, accomplishing a greater number of activities in less time. However, this practice leads us to lose real attention to each task. Therefore, focusing on a single activity at a time could potentially offer a solution.
Digital distractions can challenge the attention we pay when solving our day-to-day tasks. Receiving emails, text messages, and social media notifications interferes with our ability to pay attention to what we are doing. Therefore, disabling notifications or stopping incoming calls or messages for a period of time may help our concentration when trying to tackle a task (Harvard Health Publishing, 2024).
The importance of exercising
As you may know, the list of benefits related to physical activity is extensive. However, its impact on concentration levels is not something we hear about very frequently. Many studies have suggested that the parts of the brain that control thinking and memory are larger in volume in people who exercise than in those who don’t (Harvard Health Publishing, 2023). This means that even just 150 minutes of weekly exercise, like walking, could help our concentration (Harvard Health Publishing, 2023).
Life balance and well-being
In today’s fast-paced world, taking care of ourselves could seem impossible, but it’s essential to know that it is not! If we are willing, we could take control of our lives back. As we have seen, applying simple yet effective habits to our lives, like maintaining good sleep hygiene and exercising regularly, could have a beneficial effect on our concentration levels.
We could combine these habits with other activities, like mindfulness practices or meditation, which could help us train our minds to stay present and focused. In addition, working in small blocks of time with rest periods in between can help our attention, as concentration tends to decrease after a certain period. Everyone needs to find times that work for focusing and resting! (Harvard Health Publishing, 2020).
Now, you may have a good understanding of the complexities behind the difficulty in maintaining focus. This means that the first step towards reclaiming your mental clarity and productivity has been taken. Congratulations!
Source:
Mark. (2023). Speaking of Psychology: Why our attention spans are shrinking, with Gloria Mark, PhD. https://www.apa.org/news/podcasts/speaking-of-psychology/attention-spans
Vyas, N. (2023, July 18). How Lack of Sleep Impacts Cognitive Performance and Focus. Sleep Foundation. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-deprivation/lack-of-sleep-and-cognitive-impairment
Harvard Health Publishing. (2024). Concentration & Focus. https://www.health.harvard.edu/topics/concentration-focus
Harvard Health Publishing. (2023, October 20). Exercise can boost your memory and thinking skills – Harvard Health. Harvard Health; Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/exercise-can-boost-your-memory-and-thinking-skills
Harvard Health Publishing. (2023, November 20). Tips to improve concentration. https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/tips-to-improve-concentration
Harvard Health Publishing. (2020, February 1). Focus on concentration. Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/focus-on-concentration
