Remember school. Any lesson, let's say - geography. Marivanna is working - with a concentrated look she tells about something important, pointing at the map on the board with a pointer. And what about the audience? Someone is listening. Someone is looking out the window. And someone (usually in the back row) is having fun folding paper airplanes out of notebook sheets and launching them around the class, or “imperceptibly” sneaks through the row to pass a note. The teacher is indignant - is it really difficult to listen?
It turns out it's difficult. Inability to sit still for a long time or concentrate on some process may be a sign of what is known as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD, sometimes referred to as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Previously, this was only talked about as a problem that occurs in children, as a rule, not older than 16. But in the last couple of decades, researchers have recognized that a nuisance that caused problems in learning at a tender age can also manifest itself in adults, preventing them from living and working. and build relationships.
What it is?
ADHD is a neurological behavioral disorder With such symptoms:
- difficulty concentrating,
- increased activity
- poorly controlled impulsivity.
Again, it has traditionally been considered that among boys, ADHD occurs 2 times more often than in girls. Modern research shows that this is not entirely true. The fact is that young ladies, as a rule, are more diligent. In other words, they strive more to be good - obedient daughters, good students. Therefore, some of us may have experienced this syndrome in childhood, without even knowing it - it happens that girls, trying to behave correctly and study better, one way or another overcome the symptoms of ADHD. And - lo and behold - difficulties with concentration can go away forever. But in some cases - according to various sources, this happens in 50-60% of those who experienced the syndrome in childhood - problems can remind themselves of themselves when we become adults.
“According to statistics, the frequency of manifestation of ADHD among schoolchildren in different countries is from 3 to 12%, in the adult population - 4–5%. It is known that both the genetic predisposition and the environment in which the child grows and develops are responsible for the development of the syndrome. Considering that the generation of the difficult 90s has grown up, an increase in the prevalence of the syndrome among adults can be assumed, however, no epidemiological studies have been conducted in our country,” says Konstantin Makhinov.
“The syndrome arises due to some peculiarities at the level of the brain structure,” continues Mark Sandomirsky, Ph.D., psychotherapist of the European Registry. – In such children, the development of the coordination of the activities of its different sections is a little different: the left, “logical”, and the right, “emotional”, hemispheres are not sufficiently consistent with each other, there may be some “skew” in their work. In addition, the activity of the cerebral cortex, its higher sections (which we, let's say, think) and deep structures (brain stem), which activate, “awaken” these higher sections, are not fully coordinated. If such a child or adult sits still for a long time, is focused on one thing, he can just fall asleep, so he “excites” himself with restlessness or switching attention.
What happens to the child: he cannot sit still for a long time, starting to complete the task, he is quickly distracted, in conversation he interrupts, tries to answer the question without listening to the end, hardly waits for his turn in anything. And it is often even more difficult for those who have already left childhood.
What are the cons
“From the inside, it feels like driving in the rain with broken wipers. Or how to listen to the radio, in which all channels are broadcast at the same time, ”for example, people with ADHD describe their condition on the Web. Things lost or forgotten somewhere, bills not paid on time, chaos in the house and on the desktop, lateness, unfinished business, broken promises ... Plus, another kind of “adult” problems associated with emotional instability are added.
“Such people have not only sudden changes, but also long periods of low mood, a tendency to depression,” says Mark Sandomirsky. According to Konstantin Makhinov, citizens with ADHD are at risk of developing various kinds of addictions, including alcohol and tobacco. Psychotherapist Sandomirsky agrees with the neurologist: “They sometimes use alcohol or other substances to cope with emotional difficulties. It must be borne in mind that this is not alcoholism or drug addiction in the usual sense, but an attempt to help oneself. And we are silent about possible problems with excess weight: sitting on the sofa with a large bag of chips or cookies, a person may not notice how he will eat everything to the crumbs, although he did not plan anything at all.
We continue the list - possible difficulties in relations with others. So, children are usually forgiven for spontaneity and emotional instability. But now the youngster has grown up - and what is everyone around watching? People with ADHD touchy, conflicted, it seems to them that they are not understood- and sometimes this is true. Well, the truth is, extravagance of behavior, eccentricity of thinking, mood swings will not cause puppy delight in everyone you meet. And then, the people around are unaware that all the described “horrors” of behavior are just the characteristics of a person, and not, roughly speaking, indifference and unwillingness to be collected. “Add here a difficult, for obvious reasons, relationship with oneself - and all this will lead to problems with self-esteem, most often to its underestimation,” says Mark Sandomiersky.
All this does not contribute to an “easy” personal life (or rather, maintaining a stable relationship). “Serial marriages are not uncommon, when people form and terminate unions every few years,” says Mark. - Men suffer from it less. In women, self-esteem drops even more. “Something is wrong with me, I can’t start a family,” the lady thinks. What about at work? Even when they are good professionals, people with ADHD often change jobs. If relations in the team do not add up, colleagues do not understand and do not accept their behavior, then women are especially worried - for them this microclimate is more important than for men.
There are pluses
However, we will not continue to exaggerate. Moreover, in this state there are excellent pluses. First, a person with ADHD is often a bright, unusual person who (ironically) draws attention to himself. “The brain has powerful compensation mechanisms,” explains Mark Sandomierzsky. “In an attempt to overcome difficulties, features become strengths.” Such people often find themselves in creative work or, conversely, in the field of IT (remember the bias towards the left hemisphere). They make good crisis managers or startups. These characters will hardly like to perform routine, monotonous work, but making a new project or finding an interesting solution is a task for them. True, having quickly (as a rule) achieved success in the next case, these citizens just as quickly cool off towards it and strive in search of the unknown.
How to be?
And for starters, how to understand that you or someone close to you has ADHD? “The diagnosis of this condition is based on the clinical picture (however, sometimes additional examinations are required to confirm the diagnosis). The disease is manifested by two main symptoms: inattention (a person is easily distracted by extraneous stimuli, it is difficult for him to concentrate, he often loses things) and hyperactivity-impulsivity (talkative, cannot calmly stand in line, answers a question without thinking and without listening to it), explains Konstantin Makhinov. “At the same time, these signs are detected not only at school, at the workplace, but also at home.” Since the first symptoms occur before the age of 7, a pediatric neurologist should be the specialist to help deal with this. For a mature person, the strategy changes a little - it is better to be under the supervision of a psychotherapist / psychologist and plus the same neurologist.
In adulthood, ADHD manifests itself only if it was already in childhood - even if the diagnosis was not made then. Therefore, at the doctor's appointment, you will have to remember whether there were similar problems at school and before it. It is interesting that their reappearance can provoke some kind of change in life: for example, marriage or, conversely, divorce, transition to a more responsible position, acquiring offspring.
“There are a number of treatment approaches that include medication, behavioral and educational therapies,” Konstantin says. - The second usually complements the medication and includes work on organizational skills. It may also be helpful to teach the patient a number of techniques aimed at focusing attention. But sometimes all this is a long work.
Mark Sandomierski gives some advice.
- Turn childhood difficulties into adult virtues, develop your own characteristics.
- Work with self-esteem, get rid of an inferiority complex (well, you don’t have to be “like everyone else” at all, everyone has the right to individuality).
- Fight mood swings, develop emotional self-regulation skills and techniques, learn to relax.
- Age regression helps. These are exercises in which an adult feels like a child again, re-experiencing his childhood states - work, as a rule, is carried out under the guidance of a psychologist or psychotherapist.
Concentration of attention
These tips from doctors, psychologists, and people living with ADHD are meant to help anyone who has trouble concentrating at times.
- write down
Make lists of everything you need to do, important and unimportant, urgent and not so urgent. At the same time, it is better to start with global opuses (for example, for a month), then break them into weekly ones, then - for every day. To-do list for tomorrow is worth checking the night before, and then marking the completed items. For some, a smart board with post-it sheets or squares of paper attached with buttons helps. It can be hung in front of the desk or by the bed. The work is finished - the sheet is removed from the board. - Divide
As you pounce on each new task, break it down into a few simpler goals and determine the order in which they make the most sense to complete them. A primitive example is to dismantle a littered table. First: put away unnecessary papers and trash. Second: collect the necessary pieces of paper. Third: sort the latest, and so on. So a task that at first seems difficult - that is, such that you don’t want to start it at all (and the table remains littered with weeks), ceases to look impregnable. - Take breaks
During work, rest every hour and a half (someone needs a break at intervals of 30 minutes). Not in order to be distracted from business even more often, but in order to learn how to deal with them not when necessary, but when necessary. In this “free” time, it is better to be distracted, walk, and finally do exercises. Plunging into work again, evaluate what has been done and what remains - this will cheer you up. - remind yourself
Are you afraid to leave your home, leaving it unlocked or with the appliance on? Hang a note on the door: "Iron, light, keys, window, water" - and refer to it when leaving the apartment. The main thing is that the piece of paper does not flash past the eyes at the exit. And from time to time rewrite the list on a piece of paper in a new color and in a new order, so as not to get used to and not perceive the action as a formality. - Show forethought
Find out (and write down in several places) the phone numbers of the metro and surface transport lost and found offices. Try not to take documents with you unnecessarily - use copies. - Rely on those around you
Let's say you often lose phones, wallets, notebooks and other important things. Sign all the items that you would not want to lose. The experience of the public shows that in most cases, the person in whose hands the lost item ends up will gladly return it to the owner if they find a contact that can be contacted. - Throw away everything superfluous
If it is difficult to concentrate during work, before getting down to business, try to neutralize distractions. Close the tabs with social networks and instant messengers on your computer. Remove unnecessary books and papers from the table. Conversations of colleagues are distracting - abstract with earplugs. For some, music interferes even more, for others, a calm melody in headphones helps not to listen to the negotiations of neighbors. Set yourself a certain time when you will check your personal mail and read your friend feed - say, three times a day: in the morning, at lunchtime and in the evening. - Find an outlet for excess energy
This is if your obsessive friends are impulsiveness and hyperactivity. Try to find a hobby that gives the energy couple an outlet. It can be dancing, running, other physical activity. Our expert Mark Sandomirsky advises Kundalini Yoga and Dynamic Qigong. True, with ADHD, before seriously engaging in some kind of sport, it is worth consulting with a doctor. - Ask for help
If you are worried that you will forget an important thing, ask a friend to call you at a certain time and “make sure” that the thing is in the bag. If you are afraid to think and pass the desired stop - ask a pleasant-looking neighbor in transport to tell you when to get off. And at the same time, it is not at all necessary to tell everyone the details of your subtle mental organization. Some adults with ADHD admit that tasks that require special concentration are better for them when someone close is simply standing by, as if silently reminding them not to be distracted. But, of course, if some business fails over and over again, despite all the tricks and tricks, you should seek the advice of a neurologist, psychologist or psychotherapist.
Hello. Please help me determine what is happening to me is it the result of prolonged stress, or something else.
Next, I will write in detail about what happened to me.
For quite a long time he experienced stress, periodically falling into depression. It started when my parents separated. Moreover, it was not constant, there were bright moments, moments when depression disappeared and moments of joy came. In general, everything could have ended well, but something went wrong ... For the last 2 weeks, depression has intensified due to the fact that grades at school were not very good and at the end of the quarter I had to work hard, study a lot. There were strong loads on the brain + experiences. As luck would have it, at the same time, some personal problems occurred due to which obsessive thoughts appeared, depression intensified. The tension grew and eventually reached a peak. On Sunday, the 28th, the brain just picked up the brain and seemed to turn off. It happened while watching one ridiculously stupid video (I don’t know if it’s important, I’m writing just in case). Concentration of attention has strongly decreased, memory and the general ability to think have strongly worsened. The things that had previously pleased me ceased to please, the sense of humor almost disappeared, the body became relaxed, muscular joy disappeared. After that, he was very frightened and the next day from all this he almost fell into a panic. Thoughts began to swirl in my head that I could become disabled, and so on. Emotions are gone. It just didn't care at all. I stopped liking music (for me it is important, I do it professionally). There were no thoughts in my head at all. It happened that I just looked at one point and did not think about anything. In the afternoon of the same day, I immediately went to the neurologist. After examining me, she, after a little thought, said that I had a panic-phobic disorder (sort of like that). Has appointed or nominated to spend on drink sedative "ataraks" and to prick korteksin and meksidol. She said it was just a side effect of depression that would soon pass. It seems to me that this is not so, and here the matter is something else .... Cortexin pricked for 2 days. It has 0 effect. Mexidol pricked. From him there was a strong excitability, which only worsened my condition. "Atarax" helped. At the moment, managed to overcome depression. I calmed down, but mental abilities did not improve.
Affected mainly concentration, memory and banal ability to think. It is not possible to take and, for example, draw up a plan for something. My intellect has decreased, and as a result, my emotions have dulled. Now only the most banal things bring joy (delicious food). It became difficult for me to talk to people. I can sit and just look at one point without thinking in my head. Gone is the sense of humor that used to be just perfect. Decreased sex drive. And what is most important, when I try to think about it, "wiggle my brain" in the front of the head, heaviness begins. In my head, as it were, a brick that crushed all my thoughts and which I am unable to move. Based on the symptoms, he prepared several theories as to what became of me. Once there was a throbbing pain in the left front of the head.
I would like to note that I write all this intuitively. For example, I can’t think about something, think about the plan of this whole essay. I am by nature literate and good preparation in the Russian language also affected. HAVE NEVER DOED DRUGS, NEVER DRINKED OR SMOKED. I lead a sedentary lifestyle (I know that I’m trying hard to eradicate this in myself), I often sit at the computer. At the same time, I do sports at home. There is sports equipment. As for mental activity, it is very uneven. Basically there are 2 options: either I'm trying my best to do something, or I'm playing the fool. I would like to say that my memory was getting worse before that and there were moments when I could look at a book and read, while thinking about something else and not understanding what I was reading. There are strange habits: washing hands often, twisting hair, sniffing fingers after touching something with them. THERE IS A DISPOSAL OF THE NECK VERTEBRAE.
I know that I may have turned to the wrong place and that neurologists deal mainly with such problems, but on the site of neurologists, the moderator, for some reason I do not understand, refused to publish the message. Besides the neurologist to whom I went has advised to address to the psychologist. I beg you, please help me in any way you can. I don't know who else to turn to. Moderator, please post this.
In what follows, I list possible reasons for this. You can not read although I recommend reading.
1) I have a displacement of the cervical vertebrae. Diagnosed a long time ago. At first I was treated, did exercises, wore a corset, but later I forgot about it. I was worried about pain in the region of the spine and cervical vertebrae recently. It happened that pain flared up, and strong, but it passed rather quickly, so I did not attach much importance to it. It is possible that something happened to the vessels of the naked brain and blood circulation, blood flow to the brain was disturbed. What have I not read about this disease. And from the very beginning it seemed to me that this is the most likely assumption.
Even before this unfortunate event, I had such that I could just look at one point and, as it were, turn off my brain in order to remove all bad thoughts. But I didn't know it was that serious.
ZY I shook off the dust from the corset and began to wear it again. Although it may be too late.
2) Acquired dementia or an early stage of this disease. My conc got worse. attention, intelligence ability and memory. Nevertheless, I am still able to adequately do everything, to do things that are familiar to me. Just can't think about it like before.
3) Neurosis. At first I was 100% sure that it was him. The symptom is there. However, things have more or less improved now. The depression is gone. And in general, at the moment (at the moment. Maybe the drugs have worked), psychologically everything has settled down. I managed to collect the remnants of willpower in myself and stop thinking about things that scare me (and what if the brain does not return to its previous norm, and what if everything gets worse and I become disabled) There was a decrease in working capacity.
Surely you have come across the fact that you need to work, but you can’t concentrate. The brain is "switched off". Of course, such an isolated case suggests that you should take a break. But recurring in doctors is called a cognitive disorder.
Cognitive dysfunction is a condition associated with reduced concentration and absent-mindedness. As a result, short-term memory suffers.
Memory and attention are the most important abilities of a person, which consist in obtaining information and storing it. Attention is responsible for receiving information, and memory is responsible for saving it. However, often these necessary skills undergo changes not for the better. Many adults, and even children, periodically suffer from cognitive impairment. But we won't leave it like that, will we?
Therefore, in order to understand how to prevent and treat such conditions, it is worth knowing their “roots”. That is why our topic today concerns such a widespread deterioration in memory in people and the reasons for which there is a decrease in concentration, what to do in this case, of course, is also interesting to us. So let's start the review.
Causes of cognitive impairment
Memory is the preservation of what a person once experienced with the help of the senses: saw, heard or felt. After the irritant disappears, the person puts the received “grains” of information into special “boxes” in the brain, thereby not forgetting what happened to him.
This mechanism fails for a variety of reasons. The ability to remember can be lost in the following cases:
Asthenic conditions: daily stresses, turning into depression, overwork, hypovitaminosis;
- strong nervous outbursts and experiences;
- dependence on alcohol, damage to brain structures due to its use (poor or impaired circulation in the blood brain);
- effects of drugs;
- Poisoning of the body with aluminum, mercury, cadmium, pesticides, carbon monoxide, cigarette smoke;
- The susceptibility of electromagnetic fields of the TV screen, mobile phone, wi-fi.
- digital amnesia (not the desire to remember).
Why does a person's mindfulness decrease?
Attention and memory are interrelated, since the former plays a significant role in remembering and reproducing the information and knowledge received. The second follows from the first: people who have decreased the ability to concentrate and notice what they need suffer from memory impairment. A person misses current actions, words or sensations, and as a result, remembers what is happening much worse.
There are several types of attention disorder:
Insufficient concentration
Switching slowness
Decreased stability
With insufficient concentration, a person cannot concentrate on something for a long period of time. In this situation, purposeful cognitive activity becomes very difficult for a person.
With slow switching, it is difficult for the patient to shift his attention from one object to another, to be distracted from the topic, to distribute his attention between different types of activities.
Attention instability is characterized by the fact that a person is not able to focus on a matter that requires a long-term perspective or long-term concentration. This can often be seen in children who become distracted while trying to complete homework or sit in class.
Since attention and memory are closely related, the causes of their violation are largely similar. Attention can also be disturbed due to negative emotions, nervous breakdowns, mental exhaustion, stress and overwork. These changes are functional and take place in a short time. Treatment is not required here.
Organic violations are much more serious. They are expressed in the defeat of the nervous system and the cerebral cortex by various pathologies. It can be tumors, traumatic brain injury, mental illness. This is most common in older people. This phenomenon is quite stable.
What to do?
With organic lesions, it is impossible to delay treatment, and therefore it is necessary to urgently consult a doctor.
With everything else, “everything is simple”: it’s enough to rest more, drink alcohol in moderation or completely eliminate it, learn to resist stress and take care of your health, want to remember. Let me break down what I said a little.
So, in order to remove stress, you need to perceive everything as a game of “adult uncles”.
Regular exercise, yoga classes are required to improve blood circulation.
You need to find the sources of poisoning of the body by renting various dosimeters for a while, and take a blood test.
Air purifiers-ionizers "super-plus-eco-s" will protect you from the smoke of neighbors' cigarettes
Try to keep your mobile phone 1.5 meters away from you most of the time. Communicate with its use as little as possible.
Use the same smartphone to measure the levels of Wi-Fi networks around you at home and at work. Determine the place where the signal is minimal.
Take into account the studies voiced by Yuri Namestnikov, an expert at Kaspersky Lab, which reflect the fact of the emergence of "digital amnesia". The survey showed that current Russian and European gadget users do not want to remember information. It is more convenient for them to remember where it can be found on their "brain extension" (digital device) ... You can independently study the photo for the article that displays this study. Let me just say that only 40% of people try to remember the answer they once read to their question, but the rest immediately look for it on the Internet, read it, draw a conclusion on the situation and immediately forget it as something superfluous clogging the brain. As a result of such an attitude to his brain, a person becomes distracted and can forget something really important. This phenomenon can be fought, but first it must be recognized. Next, you need to find motivation for yourself to remember.
This is something you can do at any time.
Why is motivation important?
Motivation is an important component in remembering information. A person understands that the information received by him in various ways will still be needed for one purpose or another, therefore it is simply impossible to forget them. In the 20s of the last century, this was proved by conducting an experiment: a group of experimental subjects better fixed in memory those actions that had not yet been completed. They needed to finish them later - this was the motivation to remember the information. If a person is in asthenic states or depressed, then his thought processes slow down, and the motivational component almost completely disappears, which causes problems with memorization and reproduction.
short term memory
This part of the mechanism has a small volume and, accordingly, its ability to store information is also small: the smallest is 3 seconds, the maximum is three days. However, it is much more vulnerable than long-term memory. The reason for this is that her role is key. How it functions will determine how a person perceives what is happening here and now. If it is struck, then the person will hardly perform daily activities and learn anything.
What to do if attention and memory become worse?
Before you begin to return your ability to remember what you need and notice everything around, to its former course, you should identify the root of evil and only after that begin to eradicate it. Many diseases and conditions are a source of further problems, including human abilities. If you do not start working in this direction, it will be difficult to achieve lasting results. Some of what you can do has already been said above.
Special treatment and prevention of deterioration of attention and memory
For those who suffer from impaired memory and attention, it is important to lead a healthy lifestyle, walk more often in the fresh air, play sports and do not forget about feasible work. Active activities contribute to the blood supply to the brain, and also make health stronger, which is important in order to train lost skills.
Do not shut yourself off from the world and stop communicating with people. If a person maintains relationships with loved ones, then he will have motivation, because everything that he sees, feels or hears will be important to him.
Intellectual activity has a positive effect on a person's ability to think. This includes solving crossword puzzles, reading, studying the computer and various hobbies;
If memory impairment is closely related to emotions, then you should change the psychological climate in the family and at work, try to avoid stressful situations and get enough sleep;
Take care of your health and limit the use of drugs.
Nutrition and memory decline (what to do to eliminate cognitive dysfunction)
The main rule is a balanced diet. All the necessary vitamins and minerals, proteins, fats and carbohydrates must be supplied to the patient's body. In no case should you “sit down” on low-calorie diets - the reverse process will begin from the lack of necessary substances and you will not be able to achieve positive results.
The most useful products for memory and attention disorders are those that contain polyunsaturated fatty acids and iodine. These are:
Sea fish (fatty varieties);
bread made from coarse grains;
pumpkin seeds;
broccoli;
tomatoes.
Do not forget about the consumption of water, as its lack negatively affects the activity of the nervous system. The consumption rate is 2 liters per day.
If you do not forget about these simple rules, then you will never have to face this problem and consult a doctor. The main thing is to always remember about a healthy lifestyle and try not to overstrain the nervous system. And still we recommend to address to the endocrinologist and the neurologist. Know that in the arsenal of physicians there is transcranial therapeutic magnetic stimulation - a method that will help “wake up” inactive parts of the brain.
Today we’ll talk about how to develop concentration of attention, about methods for improving it, the word “optimization” involuntarily comes out :), but, as you understand, this post is more about psychology and life hacking, although, of course, it also affects Internet marketing.
Did you know that while reading, a person’s attention is quite scattered and succumbs to external stimuli. On average, from 20% to 40% of the total time spent on this action, you are in a completely different place.
But if in the case of absorption of information there is always the opportunity to return and re-read the missed material, then in the workflow the negative effect of losing focus on a specific task is much more significant. How to develop concentration of attention to increase your efficiency?
Distracted attention negatively affects the quality of work and the time it takes to complete it. Consciously controlling attention to a specific goal is a rather difficult task and, as practice shows, exhausting, but knowing the principles of functioning and physiology of the central nervous system, and, in turn, concentration, you can easily cope with this problem.
2 parts of the brain responsible for controlling attention
Before we get straight to the question of how to train concentration, to the cause of absent-mindedness and reduced ability to concentrate on a particular task, we should understand how our brain functions. Daniel Kahnman in his book "Think Slowly, Decide Fast" divides the brain into 2 systems (conventional name: System 1 and System 2)
System 1—our subconscious mind—functions non-stop without our efforts; reacts to external and internal stimuli, as a result of which it generates a urge or impulse to a certain action - for example, turn around when you hear your name. System 2 (consciousness) is a critical, rational and conscious thought processes and is a kind of processor of urges emanating from System 1 - if we return to the example of a person’s reaction to turn around when they hear their name, then it is System 2 that decides to either respond or ignore a potential interlocutor .
To summarize: System 2 is responsible for all processes that require awareness and application of willpower, while System 1 is a reflective, subconscious part of the brain that directly responds to external stimuli and creates certain urges to act. In this picture, you can quite clearly see the functions of both systems.
(System 1 is the red part of the brain; System 2 is the gray part of the brain.)
Causes of loss or deterioration of concentration
System 2 of our brain is responsible for thought processes, and it is with the help of our consciousness that we concentrate on a specific task or object. The fact is that our conscious mind is affected by many external sources of distraction or interference, which in turn makes the task of focusing quite difficult.
In his book Focus: The Hidden Power of Excellence, Daniel Goleman divides sources of distraction into two types: sensory and emotional.
While sensory stimuli—noise, visual stimuli, etc.—can be dealt with rather easily by physically eliminating them, the emotional causes of the loss of concentration caused by System 1 of our brain are dealt with in a completely different way.
Emotional stimuli (internal dialogue, stream of thoughts about events in our lives) are caused by pressing problems, stresses, frustrations, etc. - we all know how hard it is to get to work when the emotional burden of domestic problems completely occupies our mind, and you are tormented by the question of how to increase attention.
Attempts of will to forget about problems and concentrate on the task at hand will further deplete mental reserves and, most likely, will not be successful. In addition, our minds tend to focus specifically on negative and disturbing tasks and events, since they are extremely important, and System 1 strives to solve them as soon as possible.
In this case, you should not try to block the source of discomfort - quality recovery and rest are the best ways to regenerate mental abilities and improve concentration.
How to restore concentration?
Your brain needs recovery and rest in the same way as muscles after exhausting physical exertion; like the body, the mind cannot function fully when overworked and exhausted. But if the body needs a certain period of time to fully regenerate, mental resources are restored in simple, pleasant and effective ways. How to develop concentration of attention?
The exercises below should be incorporated into your daily routine to help prevent distraction and maintain healthy System 2 functioning.
1. Meditation
Since the purpose of meditation is to focus attention while realizing the very fact of your absent-mindedness, constant efforts will very quickly have a positive effect on the quality of concentration - soon it will be much easier for you to concentrate on a specific task and prevent loss of attention. In addition to improving concentration, meditation helps reduce stress levels, improves memory and creativity, and increases the amount of gray matter in the brain - which as a result has a positive effect on emotional stability and positivity of emotions.
How to increase concentration? Effective advice regarding meditation: do not assume that it takes several hours to spend outside this world - by devoting 10-15 minutes to meditation at work, you will be able to restore and clear your consciousness quite well.
2. Walks in nature
The author of the book "Concentration: the Hidden Ingredient of Excellence" Daniel Golman advises spending time in nature - walks help restore nervous processes through a kind of disconnection from the hustle and bustle; also during the experiment it was proved that a walk through the streets of the city is inferior in its usefulness to time spent in the park - a place more remote from irritants and less stimulating mental activity. The closer you are to nature and the farther away from the bustle of the city, the better you will be able to restore your "mental reservoir".
3. With your head in your favorite pastime
How to increase the level of attention while having fun? By immersing yourself in your favorite activity, you can easily restore the resources of your rational thinking system, while your attention is focused on a simple, non-mental task. For example, by playing the popular and well-loved Angry Birds app, you will give your full attention to a simple and fun game, while the internal dialogue that consumes mental resources will be stopped, allowing your mind to recover.
Instead of a conclusion
Both the quality of our work and the possibility of doing it at all depend on our ability to concentrate. In addition, the inability to focus and absent-mindedness not only negatively affect performance, but also emotional and mental health, which worsens even more as a result of attempts to concentrate by volitional effort.
Remember the ways of mental regeneration and the basic principles of the brain and how to improve attention. The exercises in this article may help you.
For the healthy and efficient functioning of consciousness, the well-being of mental resources should be monitored as carefully and carefully as the body. Keep your mind in good shape, and it will thank you for efficient work, good mood and creative ideas.
Violation of attention can be observed in both children and adults. Many cases of the development of this problem in childhood with its subsequent deepening at an older age have been registered.
Specialists characterize impaired attention as a process of narrowing the amount of attention (a person is distracted by side stimuli), as well as a decrease in the coordination of actions performed.
Types of inattention
Mindfulness disorders can be divided into 3 categories:
- "fluttering attention» or distraction can be characterized as the process of uncontrolled switching of attention to stimuli, as well as poor concentration. This type is usually present in schoolchildren, but can also occur in older people, usually with great fatigue.
- "Scientist's inattention"- difficult switching of attention from one process to another, as a result of a very deep focus on the process or on one's thoughts. A person with this type is characterized by the presence of obsessive thoughts.
- "Distracted old people"- a condition that is characterized by poor concentration of attention and the ability to switch it. The disease occurs in case of constant overwork, oxygen starvation of the brain, as well as in people, mostly the elderly, who suffer from cerebral atherosclerosis.
Attention Deficit in Adults
This syndrome can have not only a child, but also a completely adult person.
Constant absent-mindedness, poor self-organization, forgetfulness - this is what this can lead to.
To overcome this psychological illness, you must first understand its root cause.
Basically, this diagnosis is made to children at school age, and then it manifests itself even at an older age. But sometimes a symptom is diagnosed for the first time already in adulthood.
The process of the course of the disease is also unique, the symptoms of adults are categorically different from those of children.
With Wikium, you can organize the process of training concentration of attention according to an individual program
Diseases in which there is a violation of concentration
The list of such diseases includes:
- depression;
- hypoprosexia;
- hyperprosexia;
- paraprosexia;
- epilepsy and head trauma.
Epileptics and people suffering from depression have a so-called stiff and "stuck" attention. In this case, there is a decrease in the activity of nervous processes, an inability to switch attention.
Hypoprosexia causes a weakening of concentration. Its variety is aprosexia, in which, in the case of numerous distractions, concentration and the ability to concentrate are completely absent.
An excessive concentration of a person on one thing, for example, on some actions or thoughts, is characteristic of hyperprosexia. This is the so-called one-way focus of attention.
With paraprosexia, deviations in concentration may occur, which are characterized by the appearance of delusions and hallucinations. This occurs due to the fact that the human brain is constantly tense, and this leads to such consequences.
Such an effect can be observed even in a perfectly healthy person, for example, in athletes who experience enormous moral stress.
So the runner, while waiting for the start signal, by concentrating very much attention on it, can hear the signal in his head, even before it sounds in reality.
Symptoms of impaired concentration
Poor concentration in adults takes many forms:
1) Inability to focus on one task or business. You can easily be distracted by some object or sound, which leads to switching to another object or to another task. In this case, there is a "freeze" and "wandering" of attention. A person is not able to concentrate on completing a task, does not pay attention to details, cannot focus, for example, when reading a book or in the case of a dialogue.
2) Another manifestation of the disease is the ability to concentrate on one thing. An example is listening to music or reading a book, in which we do not notice anything around. In some cases, this disadvantage can be used for work purposes, but we should not forget that this can sometimes bring inconvenience to you and others.
3) Poor self-organization, as well as constant forgetting, is a sign of poor concentration. The consequences of which are:
- constant postponing of work tasks;
- being late for work, etc.;
- systematic loss of things, forgetting their location;
- poor orientation in time, inability to estimate the approximate time of work, etc.
4) Impulsivity is another symptom of the disease. This may be accompanied by a lack of understanding of parts of the conversation, the experience of the interlocutor. You are able to first say or do, and only then consider the consequences. Tend to perform activities that can cause addiction.
5) Emotional problems can cause anger and frustration in patients. Symptoms of this form of the disease:
- constant change of mood;
- inability to motivate yourself and stay motivated;
- low self-esteem, lack of perception of criticism;
- hyperactivity;
- constant feeling of fatigue;
- frequent nervous excitement.
Hyperactivity in adults is much less common than in children, and this symptom does not always indicate a violation of concentration.
If these symptoms are present, you should contact a specialist in this field for examination and clarification of problems.
The main doctors who can determine the degree of morbidity are a neurologist, a psychologist and a psychiatrist.
Only after consulting doctors can you fully determine the problems and methods of treatment, since this can be specified only in an individual case.
Prevention
In connection with the reasons voiced above, it is clear that there are a lot of factors affecting the violation of concentration of attention, and they are diverse, and therefore it is impossible to give one-word advice on how to avoid this.
At the same time, prevention is in your hands. After all, we know that it is better to prevent than to eliminate the consequences. On our resource, you can take a course of exercises on concentration, with the help of which, if possible, avoid situations that require the participation of doctors.
