How to Increase Your Ability to Focus
(Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes)
We’ve all encountered instances where our brain just doesn’t give us the level of concentration that we need to effectively get things done. You could be struggling to get work done at a job, wishing you didn’t have so many college assignments, or losing patience for your favorite side hobby. It seems like the human attention span keeps dwindling year after year with no way out. How do we regain more control over what holds our focus? Luckily, there are things you can do to increase your focus…
Embrace your inner gamer
While taking long breaks from a focus-related activity may seem like a bad idea, this isn’t always the case. Better yet, if you’re wanting an excuse to have some fun-time in between, this is it. Based on several studies, you can increase your focus by playing video games. One study, for example, found that an hour of playing videos game could increase one’s ability to drown out distractions while remaining focused. Given this, there’s no shame in picking up the game controller for a breather and way of regaining focus.[1] Like with most things, just make sure to practice moderation!
Get in touch with nature
Stepping out to take a breath of fresh air shouldn’t be taken for granted. As cliché as it sounds, it’s actually very helpful. Much research shows that going out to look at green spaces, provided by plants, increases one’s ability to be more attentive. For example, researchers had students take a break and look at either greenery or concrete-filled spaces. Those who saw greenery made less errors in their work compared to those who saw nothing but a concrete jungle.[2]
Take a coffee break
There may be a reason why many of us don’t want to have a conversation until we’ve had our morning coffee. If we have an inability to focus correctly through drowsiness, it’s no wonder why we may feel agitated and moody. Coffee, as a stimulant, helps us achieve the ability to focus. Researchers have proven this through an experiment involving caffeine pills (a dosage equal to that of coffee). They found that the caffeine had helped improve the ability to problem-solve, although it had no effect on creative thinking. [3] Even more interesting, a couple of other studies found that you may not even need to drink coffee to gain a sense of focus. In one of the studies, it was found that smelling coffee provoked alertness. Meanwhile, in another study, if was found that merely thinking about coffee had a similar effects.[4]
Change up your environment
A simple change of environment can boost the ability to focus. When we pull ourselves away from the allure of getting distracted or falling into unproductive habits, a boost of productivity is experienced. No energy needs to be used to fight habitual urges to engage in activities other than the task at hand. Thus, a greater amount of energy can be used to concentrate. A salt room may be an excellent spot try out for a change. With ambient lighting and relaxing music, your mind is encouraged to remain in the present moment. Feel free to get some work done while you’re in there too!
Book a salt room session by calling 813-898-0601 or by going to epicservices.co/book.
Sources:
1. Raypole, C. (2019, September 3). 12 Tips to Improve Your Concentration. Healthline. Retrieved from: https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/how-to-improve-concentration#video-games
2. Nichols, H. (2017, November 24). Five Ways to Boost Concentration. Medical News Today. Retrieved from: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320165#1.-Get-regular-green-time
3. Pugle, M. (2020, March 12). Coffee Can Make You More Focused, But It Probably Won’t Make You More Creative. Healthline. Retrieved from: https://www.healthline.com/health-news/coffee-improves-focus-but-wont-enhance-creativity
4. DiSalvo, D. (2019, May 29). Simply Thinking About Coffee Gives Your Brain a Boost, Study Says. Forbes. Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddisalvo/2019/03/29/simply-thinking-about-coffee-gives-your-brain-a-boost-study-suggests/