Spain has
beautiful beaches, lovely weather and really friendly people. For
me, however, Spain was never ending vocabulary lists, pre-exam stress
and feelings of helplessness. IT all started when I decided to
learn
speak Spanish Spain a few years ago. I had arranged the trip with my
employer, who was very supportive of my desire to learn a new
skill and I was ready to start learning and it's no mistake to say
that to truly learn the
Spanish
language Spain is one of the best places to go. When I started
classes, however, something happened. The people was very friendly and
my classmates fun to be with, but I just couldn't concentrate and found
myself missing half of what my teachers were saying. It was bad, I was
falling behind very quickly so I decided to take action and see what I
could do for my lack of focus.Why we Focus
I learned that it is not by accident that we
really concentrate when we are really engaged in something that's fun
and interesting or challenging to us. Concentration happens when the pre
frontal cortex (which is a part of the brain that controls what are
called "high level cognitive tasks") is injected with with the right
cocktail of neurotransmitters, hormones, and other body chemicals,
particularly
dopamine. Dopamine is also called the "pleasure chemical" since we
get a jolt of it when we have tasty food, or have sex or even when we
find something new and fascinating.
When dopamine levels rise, you subconsciously
want more of the good feeling it gives you, so you're driven to
concentrate on whatever you're doing to keep getting it.
Lucy Jo Palladino, Ph.D., psychologist and the
author of Find Your Focus Zone.
The problem is that when our focus starts to slip,
our dopamine levels start to free fall and we begin to hunt for a new
and pleasurable distraction to make the levels rise to their previous
level. But when your attention starts to falter, your dopamine levels
drop and you start looking for a new, pleasurable distraction to replace
that dopamine hit. And what happens then? You further loose focus and
concentration and your brain will change your focus, the contents of
your conscious and unconscious mind. Since the level of dopamine is
related to the pleasure we derive from an activity and since we can
control our attitude towards an activity or an event, we need to start
there if we are to control our lack of focus. The first step to control
the lack of attention is then, to control the way you think and talk to
yourself about the things that you do. |
Top killers of focus
1. Lack of Sleep
When you're tired, you're deprived of oxygen
which you need to produce chemicals like dopamine and adrenaline.
Even one night of bad sleep can give you symptoms that resemble an
attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
How to Regain Your Focus
Get some sleep! You should try to get the
amount of sleep required for you to wake up without an alarm.
Eat a snack rich in carbohydrates, fat and proteins if you're tired
but need to go on for a bit longer. Don't overdo the snack however!
2. Stress and Anger
If you're tense or stressed, you are going to
be hit by a rush of chemicals that cause you to super focus. But
this is not the same as concentration, but rather the focus you'd
have if someone points a gun at you. This used to be a survival
mechanism, but when you live your life stressed it can do terrible
things to your body and your mind.
How to Regain Your Focus
Start moving.
Aerobic exercise floods the brain with oxygen and activates
chemicals like dopamine. Like you now know, those are two great
things for concentration.
Think about something nice. Get a crystal clear picture in your mind
about something that makes you happy, part of your mind can't
distinguish between a vivid thought and reality, and thus will react
as they would if the thing was real.
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