Attention is a person’s ability to concentrate on an object or image, event or reasoning for a certain time. If this ability decreases or is lost, they speak of impaired attention. This phenomenon may be associated with certain pathological processes, or severe fatigue. Can be observed in adults and childhood.
These violations cannot be ignored, as they can cause many negative consequences. If concentration is impaired, appropriate measures should be taken by contacting a neurologist. If necessary, the doctor will prescribe medication. Also, to activate the brain, improve memory and attention, you can use effective and safe folk remedies.
How does impaired concentration manifest itself, what are the symptoms, what is the treatment for this phenomenon? What forms of violation are known? What can trigger its appearance? We'll talk about all this today. We will also consider popular folk recipes for improving attention and memory:
Forms and symptoms of attention disorders in adults
Experts note various shapes this phenomenon in adults, which is accompanied by characteristic symptoms. Let's look at the main ones:
Inability to focus or concentrate on a specific task: reading a book, having a discussion, or simply talking. It is difficult for a person to concentrate on the topic, he does not “see” the details of the topic, he is easily distracted by extraneous conversation, sound, object, or switches to another job. This state is called freezing or wandering attention.
Sustained concentration of attention on one thing. For example, while reading or listening to music, a person is so absorbed in his feelings that he does not pay attention to what is happening around him. This disadvantage, of course, can be turned into an advantage, for example, for a work purpose. However, an excessively stable concentration on one thing to the detriment of another is still not the norm and can be quite uncomfortable for the person himself and the people around him.
Lack of self-organization, forgetfulness. With these disorders, a person is constantly late for something, puts off necessary tasks until later, loses things, forgets them in different places.
Also, these attention disorders are accompanied by poor time orientation, lack of ability to calculate the approximate time for completing a particular task, work, etc.
Impulsivity is another sign of attention deficit disorder. Characterized by a lack of attention to the interlocutor, empathy for his words, “dropping out” individual parts from the conversation. For people suffering from this form of disorder, it is common to first say or do something, and only then think about the consequences of their actions. They are characterized by a tendency to engage in actions that can subsequently become addictive.
Increased emotionality (may accompany mental disorders), in which disappointment, anger and irritation are often observed. Such people are characterized by frequent mood swings, low self-esteem, difficulties with motivating actions, frequent nervous agitation, difficulty concentrating, etc.
Attention disorders in children
Lack of ability to concentrate is especially dangerous in childhood. Inattention is one of the main causes of problems during the learning process and deterioration in academic performance. If this problem is not addressed in a timely manner, it can affect the overall development of the child and negatively affect his future.
The main manifestations of attention disorders in children include: impulsiveness, inattention, inability to concentrate on a task, restlessness.
Very often this is observed when there is . Besides, this problem may appear in the presence of adenoids, when the brain also experiences chronic stress.
Let us immediately note that in most cases, attention disorders in adults and children are effectively eliminated with the help of a specialist. Therefore, if you have pathological symptoms, you need to consult a specialist, undergo an examination and strictly follow the doctor’s further recommendations.
Treatment for impaired concentration
Treatment for attention disorders is always complex and depends on the results of the examination and the identified cause of the appearance of pathological symptoms. Treatment is prescribed individually, depending on various factors, including the age of the patient (treatment for adults and children is different).
Usually they use methods aimed at improving concentration and memory, namely:
Medicines that improve blood flow to the brain. Means for activating metabolic processes in nerve cells. Drugs to enhance central tone nervous system. Vitamin complexes.
If we talk about drug therapy, then according to the indications, patients are prescribed nootropic drugs. Their action is aimed at activating blood supply to the brain. As a result of the course, cognitive function is activated, intellectual activity increases, memory and attention improve, and the ability to concentrate is restored.
Adults are usually prescribed drugs: Biotredin, Aminalon, as well as Picamilon, Phenotropil, etc.
To improve memory, attention, and improve academic performance, children are recommended to take: Picamilon, etc.
Along with drug treatment, additional correction methods are used aimed at improving attention and memory:
Electrical stimulation techniques are used when low-intensity currents affect the cortex cerebral hemispheres brain and its subcortical structures.
Patients are prescribed water treatments, a massage course, therapeutic exercises, it is possible to use .
They use methods of psychological and pedagogical correction with exercises to develop concentration.
The choice of correction is made after the examination has been carried out and the cause of the pathological symptoms has been established.
Impaired concentration - treatment with folk remedies
There are many proven folk recipes to activate brain functions, improve memory and attention. Of these, we have selected the most popular and effective ones, which we invite you to use:
Many healers advise using red rowan bark. To prepare the decoction, finely break the dried bark and rub it in your palms. You will need 1 tbsp. raw materials. Pour this amount into a glass of boiling water, boil, reduce the temperature to low. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the stove, wrap well, leave for 5-6 hours. Pour the broth into a cup through a fine strainer. Take a sip after meals (half an hour later). Taking the decoction for a month helps improve brain function.
For the same purpose, you can use elecampane root. A tincture is prepared from it: add 1 tbsp. chopped root into a jar. Add half a liter of vodka. Close the lid tightly and put it in a cool, dark place for a month. Shake occasionally. Strain and take 1 tsp before meals.
But, be careful, products from this plant are contraindicated in case of heart, kidney diseases and pregnancy.
An excellent remedy that stimulates brain function and improves memory is Rhodiola rosea. A tincture is also prepared based on its root: pour about 50 g of finely chopped root with vodka (300 ml will be needed). Place in the kitchen cabinet for exactly 7 days. Take the strained product 1 tsp half an hour before meals.
The tincture should not be taken in a state of excitement, severe hypertension (especially during crises) and insomnia.
To improve cerebral circulation and activate oxygen supply to the brain, healers recommend using hawthorn flowers. Prepare an infusion of them: pour 3 tbsp into a bowl. l. dried inflorescences, add one and a half cups of boiling water to them. Insulate with a towel and leave for 1 hour. Then pour into a cup through cheesecloth. Drink half a glass three times a day.
You can prepare a decoction from the fruits of the boyarka. To do this, use a wooden masher to use 1 tbsp. l. dried fruits. Pour them into a saucepan and add a glass of boiling water. Simmer over very low heat for 15 minutes, remove from the stove. Add hot water and strain. Take a sip three times a day.
For improvement brain activity It is useful to take an infusion of pine buds. To prepare, pour 1 tbsp. kidneys 200 ml boiling water. Close the container with the infusion tightly, wrap it warmly, and let it cool on its own. Take the strained product one sip, half an hour after eating. Remember that this remedy is contraindicated in case of kidney disease.
Natural juices
A mixture of freshly squeezed juices made from beets and carrots is very useful for improving memory and attention. Regular intake of these juices helps to activate the brain, improves blood circulation, and has a positive effect on vision. It is recommended to take half a glass of the juice mixture 2-3 times a day, preferably after meals. Mix both juices in equal quantities. It is also useful to drink fresh blueberry juice and eat fresh berries.
Essential oils
Inhaling the aromas of some plants can stimulate memory, improve attention, and activate mental activity. Essential oils are used for this purpose:
Has a pronounced tonic effect. Just a few deep breaths of its aroma clears thoughts, relieves fatigue, and increases performance.
Peppermint. Perfectly stimulates brain function, increases tone, promotes energy flow.
Inhaling the essential oil of this plant “clears the head,” refreshes memory, and improves blood supply to the brain.
Eucalyptus. Increases mental capacity, activates cerebral blood supply, relieves fatigue, helps to cheer up.
Preventing impaired concentration
Be sure to monitor your sugar levels, as excess sugar levels are harmful to brain cells.
It is very important to maintain a sleep-wake schedule, namely, go to bed on time and get up early, while getting a good night's sleep. To maintain good brain activity, it should be trained regularly. Solving puzzles, crosswords, various Mind games, in particular, chess.
If you have severe symptoms of attention impairment, do not risk your health, consult a doctor in a timely manner. Be healthy!
Svetlana, www.site
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If you experience attention deficit from time to time and cannot focus on the right things, it can greatly affect your career and personal success.
American experts will help you identify the main distractions (“attention killers”) and teach you how to deal with them:
1. Social networks.
Temptation social networks is that with their help it is very easy to communicate with your friends and find out interesting news. But it distracts you from work, sometimes several times an hour. Every status update starts an invisible train of thoughts in your head that prevents you from doing what really matters.Solution to the problem.
Absolutely avoid visiting social networks while working. If you can't wait to check your page, do it during a break. Only then will a continuous stream of posts not interrupt your thoughts. If you are unable to control yourself, simply put your laptop in a place where you can only pick it up after your shift. In this case, we may be talking about Internet addiction, so consulting a psychologist will also not hurt you.
2. Email overload.
In some offices this problem is especially acute. Your email inbox is filled with numerous emails every hour, and every person wants to be answered as soon as possible. Despite the fact that these letters are directly related to work, they greatly distract you from the things you wanted to do in this moment. You won't make progress on anything important if you constantly unsubscribe by email.Solution to the problem.
Instead of checking your inbox every minute, you need to set aside a strictly defined time for this. The rest work time If possible, keep your email program closed. This will allow you to focus on other things.
3. Mobile phones.
A cell phone ringtone is far more distracting than any email. It's a sound few of us can ignore. But answering a call not only wastes your time, it can also interrupt you in the middle of an important thought.Solution to the problem.
Finally, find a suitable use for the call identifier. If the call is not urgent, let it go to voicemail. If you have a very stressful job, put your phone on silent mode so that the ringing does not interrupt you from your thoughts so abruptly. Set aside a specific time to check your voicemail. Listening to each message once will not be as tiring as constantly answering calls throughout the day.
4. Multitasking.
If you've mastered multitasking and find yourself getting more things done in less time, think again. Experts say you may actually be wasting a lot of time switching your attention from one task to another. Ultimately, doing three projects at once can take longer than doing them in order.Solution to the problem.
If possible, organize your work so that you are focused on only one project at a time. In other words, the number of switches of attention from one task to another should be kept to a minimum.
5. Boring things.
Some tasks we have to do at work are much more interesting than others. When performing boring tasks, it is especially easy for your attention to be diverted to other things, such as phone conversation, the Internet, or even looking at the dust on the table.Solution to the problem.
Make a deal with yourself: If you've been working hard on boring work for a certain period of time (like an hour), you deserve a 10-minute break. Or reward yourself with a cup of coffee, your favorite sandwich, or a short walk. It's easier to finish boring work if you have something to strive for.
By the way, boring things are things that can be done by multitasking. For example, you can listen to the radio while filling out monotonous recipes. This will help you “survive” monotonous work.
6. Anxious thoughts.
It is difficult to focus on work if you are worried about some serious matters at home or at work. For example, tomorrow you have a difficult conversation that you keep turning over in your head. Such thoughts are the real “attention killers”.Solution to the problem.
One way to get rid of annoying thoughts about problems is to write them down on paper and try to solve them. Write a list of errands, household chores, and other tasks you have to do. State why these thoughts bother you. Indicate ways to solve problems. Once you have all of this in place, you will most likely be able to free your mind.
7. Stress.
If you have too much work to do, it can be difficult to cope with your responsibilities. Overload is the cause of constant stress, which affects both your mind and your body. You may develop muscle pain, headaches, cardiac disorders - all this does not contribute to concentration and productivity.Solution to the problem.
Learn stress reduction techniques such as meditation. This will help you emerge from the pool of heavy thoughts, improve attention and performance. In one Western study, people who completed an 8-week course of meditation showed a clear improvement in attention as measured by psychological tests. If you can't find a meditation group in your city, look online.
8. Fatigue.
Fatigue makes it difficult to concentrate even when there are no distractions. Research convincingly shows that lack of sleep leads to poor attention and short-term memory.Solution to the problem.
For most healthy adults, 7-9 (average 8) hours of sleep per night will be sufficient to ensure adequate rest. Instead of working until red-eye at night, choose healthy sleep. This will help you stay in shape throughout the day. Determine a time during the day when you feel rested and fresh - this is perfect time to carry out the most important tasks.
9. Hunger.
The brain can't function without good fuel, so skipping meals isn't a good idea. The best way save time for work. There is compelling evidence that short-term memory and attention are greatly affected by hunger.Solution to the problem.
Be prepared in right time fuel your brain wherever you go:
Always have a good breakfast before work.
. Eat foods with high content proteins (cheese, meat).
. Give preference to complex carbohydrates (whole grains).
10. Depression.
For most people, a tendency to have sad thoughts is a sign of depression. But the US National Institute of Mental Health says one of the most common symptoms of depression is difficulty concentrating. If you can't concentrate, feel empty, hopeless or indifferent, you may have depression.Solution to the problem.
If you have depression, the right first step is to consult a doctor or psychologist. Depression, with a qualified approach, is very treatable. Many studies have convincingly proven the effectiveness of antidepressants and various non-drug therapies.
11. Medicines.
Unfortunately, some medications used to treat depression can affect attention. The same is true for many other groups of drugs, especially those that act on the central nervous system.Solution to the problem.
If you suspect your concentration problems are due to your medications, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. A good option is to look up information about the medications you are taking on the Internet.
12. ADHD.
This complex acronym hides a common disorder - attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Let’s immediately make a reservation that this is not only a problem for children. Current data suggests that more than half of children with ADHD continue to experience symptoms into adulthood. Classic signs of ADHD are rapid attention shifts and difficulty concentrating on a specific task.Solution to the problem.
If you find it difficult to concentrate all the time and you had attention problems as a child, you may want to talk to your doctor about ADHD. There are many ways to effectively manage your condition, including behavioral therapy and medication.
Konstantin Mokanov
1. Focus on your studies and make getting an education a priority in your life.
One of unique features The advantage of the brain is that its energy can be easily concentrated on what seems important to a person. If all your actions are guided by the priority of learning, then you will achieve concentration much easier, since the brain will automatically attract it to learning. Your future depends on the knowledge and skills acquired as a student. Only you benefit from the education you receive. Therefore, give priority to education in your life by making a list of the benefits it brings and remembering them well.
The most important advantage is that education makes all aspects of life complete: spiritual, financial, career, as well as personal, related to health and love.
2. Get rid of external stimuli that interfere with concentration.
The brain is designed to process all information that reaches the senses. Thanks to this, we learn about possible danger.
Don’t blame yourself for being distracted by the circumstances around you and unable to concentrate on your studies, but simply try to remove everything that bothers you. Here's what you can do about it.
Ask your family to help you concentrate on your studies.
+ Ask them to turn off (or dim) noise sources (TV, radio, etc.) during your activities.
+ If the sound still bothers you, use earplugs or headphones. Naturally, the latter should not have music!
+ Keep books and other items of interest outside your room.
+ Disable mobile phone and close the door of your room.
3. Get rid of worst enemies concentration of attention - extraneous thoughts. After you've closed the doors, turned off the TV and radio, and put earplugs in your ears, other stimuli - thoughts - arise inside your brain.
Even when you open a book and stare at it, you find yourself thinking about completely different things! It is completely natural that different thoughts are swarming in your head. This phenomenon is common to all people.
How to solve this problem? One thing is clear: there is no point in fighting thoughts. When you start fighting a thought, you transfer more energy to it and it becomes more intrusive.
Instead of resisting, simply state:
For the next 2 hours I will only think about chemistry classes, and I will think about the rest later!
By repeating this setup, you will gradually be able to concentrate on your studies. At first, annoying thoughts will not want to leave you. Just ignore them and continue your studies. Then they will stop bothering you and demanding your attention!
4. Use simple concentration techniques in class or at home and learn a lot of material with little effort.
Sit comfortably during class.
+ Take a deep breath every 10 minutes.
+ Mentally ask questions about the topic while listening to a lecture or studying material to attract the brain's attention to the topic of the lesson.
Questions during the lesson force you to be vigilant. This is explained by a feature of the brain: the moment it hears a question, it enters the search stage and remains in it until it finds the answer or you ask the next question.
The moment you ask a question and concentrate your attention 100% on the material being studied, extraneous thoughts leave you. Plus, whatever subject you study, you will understand it better. Keep asking questions for 3-4 weeks and you will get into the habit of focusing your full attention whenever you want.
5. Recharge your body with energy: before starting classes and during breaks, take 3-4 deep breaths and stretch your body.
Your body is made up of trillions of living cells. They need a constant supply of nutrients and frequent rest so that they can function better and serve you effectively.
Necessary nutrients are supplied throughout the body through proper blood circulation.
When you change your position or relieve tension, the cells have time to rest and are slightly recharged with energy.
This is very important, otherwise even the simplest activities may turn out to be difficult work for you. Here's what you need to do to help your body.
Stretch like a cat. Stretching relaxes the body, improves blood circulation and reduces stress on the brain.
+ Take 3-4 slow, deep breaths before and after exercise to provide oxygen to your brain.
+ When in class or at home, sit comfortably so that no part of your body feels tense.
6. Use specific statements to help you concentrate for a long time.
You can concentrate on studying a topic and stay focused for a long time with the help of the following specific statements. + “I can concentrate at will. I like to do one thing at a time.” + “Study is my priority.
Because the classes will help me gain important knowledge to start my career.”
+ “For the next two hours I'm going to focus on studying physics (or another subject). I love physics. She is useful and interesting."
Each affirmation targets positive thoughts, which automatically increase the power of your attention and make you think and act like a high-performing student! Let this become your habit. And to do this, repeat all statements 3 times before starting classes.
7. Give close attention every activity, even eating or watching TV series!
Like any skill, concentration develops through practice.
Believe it or not, you already know how to concentrate 100%.
Surprised? What do you think about when you watch a funny television series, watch the brutal fight between the hero and the villain in computer game or reading an adventure book? Yes, in such situations you are so focused that you don't think about anything else. This is precisely 100% concentration of attention. So, it has been proven that you already have the ability to fully concentrate your attention in certain conditions.
Now you just have to transfer this skill to other circumstances - to a lecture in class, to study at home, to follow the flow of a conversation, etc.
In fact, it can be used daily as a workout. For example, when your friend begins to tell you something, mentally say to yourself: “I will fully concentrate on what my friend is saying.” And then try your best not to miss a single word.
8. Train the ability to stay in only one lesson in the allotted time.
It's simple and at the same time effective method increasing attention. With its help, you can train yourself to do what you want and concentrate on it for a long time.
Having developed this ability in yourself, you will gain good habit. Can you imagine her strength? All the beautiful things around you are the result of the focused consciousness of some people. You, too, can develop this ability in yourself by training your consciousness.
Here are two simple exercises to practice.
Listen to the sound of musical instruments. Sit quietly and close your eyes. Imagine that you are listening to a violin, flute or other musical instrument. Choose only one instrument in the allotted time and imagine its sound for two minutes. Then choose another tool. Perform math operations orally. Close your eyes and multiply the numbers verbally. Start with two-digit numbers and then move on to more complex numbers.
9. Never say that you cannot concentrate - this reinforces your inability to concentrate. Instead, say: “I can concentrate on any subject for any length of time.”
Repetitive thoughts and actions become habits. Many of us have repeatedly enjoyed the following negative thoughts.
+ “I can’t fully concentrate.”
+ “It takes years of practice to learn to fully concentrate for even a minute.” Repeating such thoughts creates the belief that learning attention is very difficult. But you know that practice and training can improve any ability.
Here's another way to quickly improve your attention. Whenever you feel like you are concentrating better, immediately reinforce your ability with the following affirmations.
+ “My ability to concentrate is improving.”
+ “Day after day, I am able to maintain my attention better and longer.”
10. Develop the habit of studying on a schedule to improve your concentration.
By studying on schedule, you feel calm and confident that you will have time to cover all the material before the exams. And the feeling of calm helps to better concentrate during classes, because there is no tension.
Make it your policy to study on a schedule. You may already be using some semblance of a schedule. Once you create a schedule, use it regularly to reap all of the following benefits.
Concentrating during classes.
+ Life without stress.
+ Sufficient time to develop the skills needed to better life.
This habit is worth its weight in gold.
- Absent-mindedness.
- Problems with studies.
- The kid never finishes anything.
- The child experiences jumps of thought, the associative connections of which cannot be traced.
- Memory losses.
Causes
As a rule, children can concentrate on one thing - especially if it requires all their attention. If you find that this is not the case in your child, it may be due to insufficient supply of acids and nutrients to the brain, which can be caused by poor diet and stress. In addition, problems with concentration may occur if the child is torn by difficult internal conflicts and he can't calm down.
Important! One of the most serious obstacles to concentration is fear. Check to see if your child's problems are caused by fear and stressful situations. In this case, you must first eliminate the cause of fear.
A little medicine
The baby, as a rule, is always focused. Do not disturb him: the baby needs time to process information.
Don't jump to conclusions
Young children enjoy experimenting with their thoughts. They start playing a game based on one rule, come up with three more rules as the game progresses, and end up playing the game with four rules. This has nothing to do with concentration problems, but is simply an expression of the child’s desire to experiment
How to help your child
Many parents provoke concentration problems in their child by abruptly distracting him from what he is focusing on, be it playing, reading or daydreaming. Avoid this!
Schedule
In the morning, discuss your plans for the coming day with your child. Tell him how much time he has to play. Remember that the baby is not able to judge time correctly, so you should tell the child many times that it is time for him to end the game: for example, he needs to leave. Allow him to leave everything in its place while playing with construction sets, cubes, puzzles, etc. - even if it looks sloppy. If your child wants to continue playing with the same thing he did yesterday in the morning, he will understand that there are things that can only be done with breaks.
Distribute tasks around the house
It will not harm the child to perform chores appropriate to his age. Discuss with him what he needs to do, but allow him to complete the task at his own pace. Remember that children have a completely different perception of time than adults.
Respect the child's peace of mind
Today's children are exposed to a huge flow of varied information. Television, computers and street traffic play a big role here. Do not criticize your child if he is lost in his dreams and does not move on to any productive activities. The brain needs rest to comprehend the accumulated experience and create conditions for the perception of new impressions.
Treatment without prescriptions
Rosemary, basil, bay and peppermint oils stimulate the brain. Add a few drops of oil to the aroma lamp and place it in the child's room. The homeopathic remedy Damyana Pentarcan S helps in cases of physical or mental exhaustion when the baby cannot concentrate. Give him 15 drops of this remedy three times a day.
Proper nutrition for concentration problems Provide the brain with the necessary substances!
For a very long time sugar was considered nutrient, necessary for the brain. Indeed, brain cells produce energy from sugar contained in the blood. However, it is very wrong to satisfy the need for sugar with sweets, muffins or pies. The monosaccharides in these foods cause your blood sugar levels to spike and the body has to deal with them using insulin, causing your blood sugar levels to plummet, sometimes even lower than before. This makes the child feel tired and exhausted, and their ability to concentrate is reduced. Polysaccharides are an ideal food for the brain, as they ensure the stability of blood sugar levels and the brain is supplied with sugar evenly. This maintains concentration. To provide the brain with energy for a long time, it is necessary to distribute food throughout the day. The optimal intake is four to five times a day. At the same time, the afternoon snack and dinner at 15:00 and 18:00 should consist of proteins and amino acids (primarily tyrosine and phenylalanine), while the first and second breakfasts at 7 and 10 am should consist of polysaccharides. Lunch at 12-13 o'clock should be light, contain plenty of water, unsaturated fatty acids, minerals and vitamins.
Death to concentration!
All substances that lead to a short-term tonic effect simply kill concentration. First of all, we are talking about caffeine. Drinks containing caffeine, such as cola, lead to decreased concentration when consumed over a long period of time! Trendy youth drinks also contain huge amounts of caffeine and other stimulants, which create the illusion of a surge of energy, usually expressed in restlessness. This energy is realized in physical activity, and these drinks are very harmful for concentration - and for children, caffeinated drinks should be taboo in any case! Concentration is also harmed by rich and fatty foods. If the stomach and intestines require a lot of blood to digest heavy food, brain activity suffers.
Biological substances for optimal concentration
- The amino acid tyrosine is the basis for the formation of neurotransmitters in our brain. A lack of tyrosine causes brain cells to lose communication. Food products foods high in tyrosine include, for example, poultry, dairy products, legumes and nuts. This substance can be synthesized by the body itself if it receives enough phenylalanine (from carrots, beets, tomatoes, apples and pineapples).
- Linoleic and linolenic acids are unsaturated fatty acids that affect learning and memory. They are found primarily in vegetable oils.
- B vitamins perform important tasks during brain activity.
- Magnesium is involved in the transmission of nerve impulses and helps convert sugar into energy.
- Iron is necessary for the formation of hemoglobin. In children and zhengding, iron deficiency is the most common cause of fatigue, problems with learning and concentration.
- Zinc affects the functioning of biochemical connections between individual brain cells.
Herbs to promote concentration
Basil, rosemary, thyme, cumin, cinnamon, cloves and thyme can help with concentration.
Be an example to your child in terms of concentration. Don't multi-task and finish everything you start.
Prevention
- Give your baby the space he needs to fully concentrate on one thing.
- There is no need to drag your child from one circle to another, even if the proposals seem very interesting to you.
- Don't underestimate time necessary for the child to process your impressions. The behavior of children in this case can be very different: some talk through situations, others think about them to themselves, so it seems as if they are doing nothing but dreaming all day long.
- Children have their own relationship to time. If you take this into account when planning your day, you will help your child avoid stressful situations.
- Do not interrupt the activity in which the child is immersed. Warn him about the need to change activities in advance so that he can get used to the idea.
,
neurologist, top blogger of LiveJournal
Many young people come to the doctor with strange complaints that, it would seem, should bother older people. I can't concentrate on anything. It is impossible to read serious books: by the time you reach the end of the paragraph, the idea is lost. The names of new acquaintances are forgotten, and sometimes important matters fly out of your head. All this greatly worsens the quality of life and forces you to consult a neurologist with complaints of “memory impairment.” However, this problem has nothing to do with memorization. Attention deficit, which is very common among adults today, is often confused with “poor memory.”
Internet surfing - mindlessly looking at pictures, reading other people's verbal battles and absorbing huge amount unnecessary information – leads to the fact that the “attention muscle” atrophies. The habit of not focusing on anything, switching attention from one thing to another, while leaving it scattered, leads to problems with the perception of truly important and necessary information.
It would seem that the ability to quickly switch from one to another is a useful skill? However, with Internet surfing, the opposite is true, because a person does not delve into details and does not delve into the essence of the information, but mindlessly moves from one page to another. This is the basis for the curious phenomenon of ridiculous comments like “I haven’t read it, but I condemn it,” which is well known to popular bloggers. Out of a hundred opinions, only one or two will be from people who were able to read the text to the end and grasp its essence; the rest of the commentators will pour out free associations that arose from one phrase caught in the text out of the corner of their eye.
Lack of attention can easily be called a sign of the times. And this problem has a global scale. Total inattention can not only cause irritation to everyone around. Sometimes it leads to serious mistakes at work and even collapse in your personal life.
Many entertainment Internet resources are designed for people with attention deficits: studies show that a modern adult, on average, is able to maintain attention on any new text for about 10 seconds - then he will most likely write a comment in the style of “I haven’t read Pasternak, but I condemn” and starts watching videos with cats, completely forgetting about the information that entered his brain two seconds ago.
Lack of attention leads to an amazing phenomenon: today, anyone can access the Cochrane library and PubMed in one click; with their help, you can independently understand the problem of interest healthy image life; but the majority prefers to take the simple path, type into a search engine the query “gluten-free diet reviews” and absent-mindedly glance at the anti-scientific nonsense that is generated by the fevered brains of dietary fanatics. All this occurs not from a lack of intelligence, but from weakness of attention, the inability to concentrate on the text and delve into its essence. Reading several articles in English and drawing some conclusion is an impossible task for people with attention deficit.
Publishing houses take advantage of this by releasing countless pseudoscientific books and magazines: they contain a lot of information that is not substantiated by anything other than the excessive self-confidence of the author, but they are equipped beautiful pictures pumped up abs. All diets that are wildly popular, be it a raw food diet or avoidance of gluten-containing foods, are gaining many new supporters every day. This happens not because such diets work, but because their creators caught the trend in time: talk about food in three phrases and five pictures, as if the reader had the intelligence of a preschooler, and the diet will be a success. Because most readers will not understand where the facts were manipulated. Most of them have an attention deficit that they are unaware of. But readers want a new diet religion in five minutes, and then they will watch videos with funny raccoons, with breaks for the next holivar on the Internet. True, in a month a new style nutrition will probably be abandoned in favor of another “revolutionary technique”, because low concentration of attention is often accompanied by increased distractibility and suggestibility.
Attention is an important “cog” in the work of the psyche. Therefore, its deficiency is perceived as a feeling of “cloudy head”, difficulties with remembering, and even as a depressed mood or lack of motivation to do anything. In other words, the work of the mind without attention is impossible, and therefore its deficiency is very noticeable, although it is difficult to recognize.
How well information is remembered depends on the acuity of attention, its volume and the ability to switch while maintaining concentration. Sharp attention is also needed for personal relationships - it ensures empathy, the ability to make compromises, and resolve conflict situations peacefully and fairly.
How to improve attention?
- Mindfulness practices. Mindfulness is a skill that helps you get out of “autopilot” mode, at least temporarily. We are used to doing a lot of things automatically: washing our face, brushing our teeth, working out on a treadmill, eating dinner while watching TV. At the same time, the person seems not to be present in the moment, but also does not engage in useful mental work, because the mind at such moments produces endless “mental chewing gum,” increases anxious thoughts and wanders aimlessly from one subject to another. Meditation helps to cope with this - any of the many techniques that can be found today using the corresponding hashtags on social networks: breathing meditation, movement meditation and others. Yoga Nidra provides an excellent effect - conscious relaxation with attention moving throughout the body. Mindfulness can be practiced while eating, turning off the TV and putting away the smartphone. Focusing on the taste, texture and other characteristics of food can help improve your relationship with your body and sometimes help you lose weight.
- Full sleep. Another common cause of attention deficit is lack of sleep or poor quality sleep. Frequent awakenings at night, anxiety and depressive disorders, eating disorders - all this can lead to deterioration in the quality of sleep. Simple rules Sleep hygiene, such as ventilating the room, sufficiently darkening the room, and avoiding overeating at night, are sometimes sufficient to ensure complete sleep. If this does not help, you need to consult a specialist - a neurologist or psychiatrist.
- Prevention of chronic diseases. In people with undiagnosed hypertension, diabetes mellitus Often the first sign of illness is that same feeling of “cloudy head”, difficulty concentrating and remembering. Sometimes such a seemingly insignificant symptom as the inability to concentrate on anything turns out to be the “first sign” of a serious neurological illness. Therefore, once a year, visit a therapist and take some tests - good idea in order to exclude certain diseases or identify and begin to treat them in time.
Sharp attention is one of the secrets. It helps to examine objects and phenomena from different angles and find non-standard solutions to problems. Therefore, it makes sense to train your attention, like a muscle, in order to become interesting conversationalist, good professional and a completely satisfied person with life.