wonder what they can do to sharpen mental focus. It is never fun to be unable to get things done at work or school, and those who can't focus may not be able to get ahead. There are also others who fear that they are losing a lot of their memory and concentration as they get older. There are things that people can do to sharpen their mental focus and start performing better in their everyday lives.
There are some medications that are designed for people who have ADHD which can help improve mental focus. They work to improve the pathway of nerves within the brain, as well as get more oxygen to the brain. Also, those who have an imbalance of certain chemicals within the brain can use these medications to improve the situation. These take a few weeks to take total effect, and those who start them will have an easier time learning and paying attention to things for a longer period of time.
There are other options for those who are trying to get things done. It is important to stay in area that is designated for getting things done. If work has to be done on a computer it is important to remove temptation. That includes keeping away from social media websites and taking games off the computer. It is also important to try to find the right style for getting things done. Some need to have total quiet while they are working, but others function better when there is some background noise. Listening to music helps some, and others might just want the fan going. It is also important to take breaks every once in a while. Stepping back and doing something different about every half an hour helps people to stay focused when they go back to work.
It is also important to have the area designated for working to be clean and well lit. This helps people to stay focused on the task at hand. When sitting down to get something done, it is important to make a list of all of the items that are going to be needed. This saves time wondering if there is something missing, and keeps people from spending time looking for things that they didn't get when they sat down. Making a list is very important, and it can give people all of the preparation that they need to get everything done.
Those who want to get better at remembering things for work or at school. Going over things before going to bed can help people continue to go over them and remember them better the next day. There are also games that people can get for their computer or phone which help to improve their memory and sharpen their mental focus. It is also important to set specific goals about what needs to be remembered. This could include remembering several chapters in a book by a certain date or getting a specific amount of work done in several hours.
Getting enough sleep and exercise can help those who are trouble concentrating throughout the day. Even drinking some caffeine can help to stimulate the brain for those who haven't gotten enough sleep some nights. Even exercising can help to improve the brain and even get more oxygen to the brain. Over time, it can improve memory as well. If people try to do something like dancing it can really help to improve memory over several different types of exercising. Exercising can even bring endorphins to the brain which can make people feel better as well.
Those who have spent a lot of time straight working may need to take a break and do something that doesn't require any thinking. That includes getting a snack, talking to a friend or even running a few errands. Trying to work for too long without taking a break is something that can be detrimental in the long run. Also, those who are having trouble focusing because they are worrying about things need to make sure that they plan everything out. That includes ensuring that they have more than enough time to get everything done, and that can take away a lot of the anxiety that people feel when they try to get things done at the last minute.
There are other kinds of medications which can be used for those who fear that they may be developing something serious like Alzheimer's. There are drugs now that people can take to keep these symptoms from getting worse and for those who want to keep their mental focus as great as they can be. There are many things that people can do to improve their mental focus, and it will take some time and commitment. Talking to a doctor about more serious problems is something that can give people more help with medications and information about what they need to do to improve their memory and focus.
CHAPTER 3- THE FOCUSED MIND- HOW POWERFUL IT CAN BE
For the brain to function at its optimal level, it is necessary to strengthen the ability to focus. It sounds easy, and in fact it is very simple to gain more control over the wandering mind as well as lengthen the attention span.
Thinking goes on constantly. In some ways it is similar to breathing. No effort seems to be required because it happens naturally. Yet in order to study for an important exam or to memorize lines for a play, there is the ability to apply more focus and attention where it’s really needed. This proves that the ability to focus the mind more effectively is linked to motivation. There are extreme cases in which people holding on to a focused thought or a hope have survived tremendous amounts of suffering.
In one example of a study researching the benefits of mind focusing meditation, a group of people who had signed up to attend a meditation retreat were divided in two groups. One group attended the retreat, while the other group waited. The meditation involved sitting quietly for up to five hours a day. After a period of time the two groups were given the same test which required watching a screen while lines were flashed on it repeatedly. When one line appeared that was shorter than the rest, they were to press a button. This is an extremely boring test requiring a certain amount of focus and attention in order to get an accurate score. The group that had been practicing meditation caught many more of the short lines with more accuracy and fewer false alarms than the other group. Improvement was in the accuracy and not a faster reflex to the shorter lines. Clearly the meditation had helped to develop an ability to focus the mind and to concentrate for a longer period of time.
One way to get a sense for how hard it is to control the mind is to sit for five to ten minutes and try to focus on the breath or counting to ten repeatedly. At some point, the mind begins to wander away from the chosen point of focus. When this happens, experts in the mindfulness practice advise people to just calmly revert their attention back to the main point of focus. It is important not to feel disappointed for not being able to concentrate. Instead, be pleased that you have taken note of the wandering mind and are able to steer it gently back. Like this, although it can feel impossible at first, it soon becomes easier to control thoughts.
If you are able to control your thoughts and fully attend to what you are doing at every moment, basically have one pointed attention, then there is a whole different level of experience with a multitude of benefits. Here are some of the benefits acquired by gaining a more focused mind:
• Ability to achieve more in less time
• Better memory
• Self confidence
• Increased will power
• Freedom from bothersome and troubling thoughts
• Ability to tackle and solve problems without fear
• Letting go of the anxiety of not having enough time
• Better results in how you communicate and relate to people around you
• Peace and serenity
Finding exercises to control the mind or starting a meditation practice can seem daunting. The mind does not want to be controlled and it can appear as though it is the leader. The opposite is true in fact and with practice it is possible to gain control of it. This may seem like giving up a certain freedom. Thoughts give shape to a personality. They do, and that is exactly why it’s so important to be able to use the mind as an instrument. With the proper focus it becomes clear what to concentrate on and what not to at any given moment.
Freedom from being ruled by your thoughts gives one the ability to remain calm in difficult circumstances, and to let go of the notion that concentration is tiring. Many people from a young age have developed a belief that concentrating is an unpleasant strain. As children you are told you didn’t do as well as you could have because of a lack of concentration. There is the constant pressure