![]() ![]() Computerized cognitive training games aim to improve your response times and attention. She recommends sitting still for a few minutes each day, closing your eyes, and focusing on your breathing as well as the sounds and sensations around you.Ĭognitive training. "Mindfulness is about focusing attention on the present moment, and practicing mindfulness has been shown to rewire the brain so that attention is stronger in everyday life," says Kim Willment, a neuropsychologist with Brigham and Women's Hospital. To improve attention, consider the following strategies. ![]() "By training your brain to monitor if your mind is wandering, you strengthen the monitoring process and the ability to maintain focus on a single task." If so, just refocus on what you're reading," she says. When it goes off, ask yourself if your mind has wandered. "Read something for 30 minutes, setting a timer to go off every five minutes. Want a way to boost your attention and focus? Neuropsychologist Kim Willment of Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital suggests a single-task exercise like reading. "When there's too much material, it burdens our filtering system and it's easy to get distracted," Dr. We are bombarded with information from TVs, computers, and messages such as texts or emails. Having too much alcohol impairs thinking and causes interrupted sleep, which affects concentration. Some drugs, especially anticholinergics (such as treatments for incontinence, depression, or allergies), can slow processing speed and your ability to think clearly.Įxcessive drinking. "You waste precious cognitive resources when you spend too much time trying to make out what's written on a page or just hear what someone is saying," Dr. So can the effects of vision or hearing loss. Depression or sleep disorders (such as sleep apnea) can undermine your ability to concentrate. The following factors can also affect your concentration. Daffner says this can be caused by a number of physiological stressors such as inflammation, injury to blood vessels (especially if you have high blood pressure), the buildup of abnormal proteins, and naturally occurring brain shrinkage. Like a computer that slows with use, the brain accumulates wear and tear that affects processing. Kirk Daffner, a neurologist and director of the Center for Brain/Mind Medicine at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital. What happened to the laser-sharp focus you once enjoyed? "Older people tend to have more difficulty filtering out stimuli that are not relevant to the task at hand," says Dr. You're trying to concentrate, but your mind is wandering or you're easily distracted. Mindfulness, cognitive training, and a healthy lifestyle may help sharpen your focus. ![]()
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