Concentration is an important aspect of our daily lives. Without it, completing even the simplest of tasks can seem to drag on and become near impossible to complete. As such, many people try a wide variety of tips and tricks to enhance their focus and cognitive abilities to try and perform at their mental best. However, as human beings, it is easy to become distracted by even the smallest interruption.
If you would like to combat mental fatigue and sharpen your mind, there are some easy ways in which you can boost your focus today.
Smart Drugs
Also known as Nootropics, smart drugs, as they have commonly been called, are cognitive enhancers that are supposed to help the user sharpen their mind and improve everything from concentration to memory. While these supplements have become very popular in the last few years, the industry has become rife with some nootropics that are made from potentially harmful chemical compounds. At the same time, there are many healthier and natural alternatives that are said to work just as well. To help you find a smart drug that would work for you, visit Research and You.
Exercise
One of the best ways to improve your mental ability, almost instantly, is by getting regular exercise first thing in the morning. Not only will this help you to better your overall health, but it also helps to kickstart and clear your brain at the beginning of the day. In the morning, after you wake up, go for a brisk walk. You do not need to hit the gym for an intensive two-hour session, merely 20 minutes of light cardio will do the trick and get your blood flowing. Exercise will help you maintain your focus for longer throughout the day.
Sleep
Getting enough sleep every night is probably one of the biggest focus enhancers. When you lack sleep it becomes increasingly harder to complete even the smallest task and focus on one thing is near impossible. To combat this, ensure that you get into bed at a reasonable hour and get at least eight hours a night. The quality of rest you get is also important. For this reason, it is a good idea to put the electronics away, roughly an hour before you turn in. The blue light from your device’s screen tricks the brain into thinking it is still daytime, which makes it difficult to shut down.
Meditate
Meditation is another great tool that you can use to alter the way your brain works, in a positive and focused way. When you meditate, you improve the state of mind you are in, relieving stress and improving your ability to make decisions. Many studies have also found that meditation can boost your cognition which leads to a better overall mood and an improvement of reasoning capabilities. Once a day, find a quiet space and sit down with your eyes closed. Your meditation does not have to be very long, in fact, five minutes of self-reflection in a quiet place will do wonders for your concentration.
Declutter
If your workspace or desk is cluttered, your mind will likely be unorganized as well. Our brains are easily distracted and if there are piles of paper and stuff scattered around you will lose precious time to disorganization. When you work in a clean and decluttered space, your mind will feel more at ease which will allow it to focus on the task at hand with increased levels of focus and, therefore, productivity.
Break
While we all want to be constantly busy and not waste a precious second of our work days, taking a break is incredibly important. In order to remain focused and not have your mind wander, a 10 minute stretch of the legs or a quick cup of coffee is very necessary. Our brains can’t focus for hours at end, and so giving your mind some time to think about something unrelated and distract it every few hours will actually increase productivity and concentration.
While we would all like to have super brains, we need to take care of ourselves and take the steps needed to perform at our best. These easy tips will allow your mind to stay sharp and improve all aspects of cognitive function.