Suddenly Difficult To Focus, Do 7 Ways To Increase Concentration

Illustration of how to increase concentration (Pexels/Marcus Aurelius)

JAKARTA – Difficulty to focus on tasks is quite disturbing. Because it can slow down the completion of the task, it can also be triggered by certain causes that are not realized. In general, difficulty in concentration is caused by 4 categories of causes.

Reported by Buoy Health, Monday, November 8, the causes include psychological, medical, environmental, and aging conditions. Psychological causes include the following:

Attention disorders or attention disorders are not only diagnosed in children but can also be experienced by adults. Depression. In a state of mourning. Experiencing anxiety. Mood disorders.

Medical causes can also make it difficult for a person to focus, such as adrenal gland dysfunction which results in energy levels not allowing concentration, thyroid problems, and low red blood cells.

Environmental causes include a lifestyle that causes a person to experience stress, lack of sleep, disturbed sounds from outside, and fatigue. While the aging factor, with age often makes a person forget certain words. Even aging also makes a person experience cognitive limitations so that it has an effect on memory or often forgets.

Of the four categories of causes above, there are 10 activities that can help improve concentration. Although the method below is simple, you can do it if your concentration is low when it comes to completing a task.

1. Train the brain

There are various ways to train the brain, based on the results of a 2015 study, it is recommended that adults spend 15 minutes each day undergoing brain training activities. What can be done? You can play the game Sudoku, for example. You can also play chess, play puzzles, fill out crosswords, color, and memory games.

Based on the study above, exercising the brain every day has a big effect on concentration. It can even develop memory, make it easier to solve problems, and be skilled at finding solutions.

Illustration of how to increase concentration (Pexels/Andrea Piacquadio)

2. Improve sleep

Chaotic sleep patterns in addition to affecting mood also reduce concentration. In fact, lack of sleep can interfere with cognitive function, including weakening memory and attention. Many experts recommend getting at least 6-7 hours of sleep every night.

3. Make time to exercise

Increased concentration, according to a 2018 study, could be with regular exercise. The study looked at 116 fifth graders and found that daily physical activity can help improve concentration and attention after 4 weeks of regular exercise.

For adults, moderate aerobic exercise is recommended. These activities can restore memory loss and strengthen concentration.

4. Spending time in nature

Reported by Healthline, this method helps increase your concentration naturally. Try going out every day, even just for 15-20 minutes to walk around the house through the park. Take advantage of scientifically proven research in 2014, that workplace satisfaction is related to space design using plants. It can increase concentration and productivity.

5. Meditation

It is common knowledge that meditation and mindfulness practices have many benefits, one of which is to help improve concentration. 2013 found 23 studies that prove that mindfulness practice can help improve attention and focus.

6. Rest

After a few hours of completing the task, the wandering mind can't refocus. That means it's time to take a few minutes of rest. Refresh your mind with a snack, take a short walk, get outside, or get some fresh air.

7. Listen to music

Turning on music while working or studying can help improve concentration. Even if you are bothered by musical compositions, you can play natural soundscapes. According to research, listening to sounds can help improve concentration and brain function.

Additional ways to increase concentration, you can drink caffeinated beverages such as a cup of coffee, green tea, or dark chocolate.