The team explained that task performance takes a hit because humans have a limited capacity for attention that needs to be split between tasks.

The researchers also emphasized that just being aware of a missed text or call can have the same effect. If you need to stay on track and focused, it might be worth either turning off your cell phone, setting it to silent, or putting it away somewhere that you cannot see it.

The curiosity of checking personal social media accounts can often be overwhelming, but research indicates that there are negative consequences when using social media during office hours. Approximately 2.

Using social media during working hours has been revealed to have an adverse effect on self-reported work performance and concentration, and the well-being of the organization. Fighting the urge to use social media while you need to concentrate may help to improve your productivity and concentration.

Other research demonstrates how to take the best type of break to boost energy, motivation, and concentration. Researchers recommend taking:.

Taking breaks earlier in the day and doing preferred activities lead to better health, job satisfaction, and revival of energy, motivation, and concentration.

Workers also experienced fewer headaches , eyestrain, and lower back pain after their break. Our environment plays a significant role in how well we are able to concentrate. It is known that by decluttering your home or tidying your desk, your mind also feels more orderly, free, and able to think more clearly.

Design your own work space. Whether you have full control over the design of your work space or can embellish your desk with just a few personal items, having control over our work environment can help to improve productivity.

A study compared people who completed a series of tasks in a bare and functional office space, an office decorated with plants and pictures, and an office in which the individual designed the space.

People who were in a space with plants and pictures were 17 percent more productive than those in bare office, while those who designed their own spaces were 32 percent more productive than the workers at a functional desk. Listen to Baroque classical music. Play natural sounds.

If Baroque music is not your thing, playing natural sounds could also benefit concentration. Researchers revealed that playing sounds from nature in the office, such as flowing water, could enhance cognitive abilities and optimize the ability to concentrate. Inhale rosemary aroma. Research has suggested that exposure to rosemary aroma may improve speed and accuracy of cognitive performance.

Problem-solving exercises, brain training methods, and even video games could all have a positive, negative effect, or no effect at all on concentration, depending on which study you read.

Recent research has indicated that people who often do word puzzles, such as crosswords, have better brain function later in life. Researchers found direct relationships between how often pople used word puzzles and the speed and accuracy of performance on tasks assessing reasoning, memory, and attention.

A study has emphasized that it matters what type of brain training you are doing to improve memory and attention. Participants who practiced dual n-back demonstrated a 30 percent improvement in their working memory — almost double the gains made by the complex span group.

Dual n-back is a memory sequence test wherein individuals have to remember a sequence of auditory and visual stimuli that are updated continuously. Playing video games has been shown to cause changes in many regions of the brain. Researchers discovered that video game use altered the brain regions that are responsible for visuospatial skills and attention and made them work more efficiently.

Physical activity, dietary choices, and weight are all factors that can contribute to how well you function and your concentration levels. For example, if you skip breakfast, it is unlikely that by lunchtime you will be able to perform tasks to the best of your ability due to hunger pangs.

Looking after your well-being, staying active, and eating concentration-boosting foods can all help toward improving concentration. To increase your ability to concentrate, you might want to add some walnuts, avocados, and chocolate to your dietary repertoire. Walnuts may improve performance on tests for cognitive function, including those assessing information processing speed, memory, and concentration.

Consuming one avocado every day may help improve cognitive function due to an upsurge in lutein levels in the eye and brain. Researchers uncovered that eating an avocado daily enhanced measures of cognitive skills, including processing speed, memory, and attention.

Chocolate — or specifically the cocoa bean — is rich in flavanols, which are compounds that have neuroprotective effects. Cocoa flavanols may help to improve cognitive processing speed, working memory, and attention when ingested for between 5 days and 3 months.

Research has revealed that individuals who practice sport can perform better on cognitive tasks than those with bad physical health. When compared with a group who led a more sedentary lifestyle, the group who were in good physical condition performed better on tasks testing sustained attention.

A study of older adults also specified that exercise improved brain function. All participants who exercised for between 75 minutes and minutes per week showed elevated attention levels and an increased ability to focus. Yoga may significantly improve energy levels and brain function.

Investigators found that practicing Hatha yoga and mindfulness meditation for 25 minutes per day boosted the regions of the brain associated with goal-directed behavior and allowed participants to focus more easily. Research unearthed a connection between weight loss and improved memory and concentration.

Researchers say that factors such as high blood pressure , sleep apnea, and type 2 diabetes , which often result from obesity , might impair the brain.

They suggest that as people get back to a healthy weight and the associated problems disappear, their cognitive issues will vanish, too. If you have tried all the above and you are still wrestling with your inability to concentrate, grab yourself a large coffee.

Caffeine has been shown to affect the alerting and executive control networks of the brain and has clear beneficial effects on concentration and attention. Whether you want to stay sharp in the workplace or protect your cognitive abilities as you age, we have found some memory-boosting tips that can help….

Are you looking for ways to improve your mind and boost brain power in ? Look no further; we have compiled the best brain enhancing methods to try. Work can get very stressful, and often, we carry that stress with us into our private lives. How can we avoid doing that to maintain a work-life….

In a person with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD , the brain may display characteristic patterns of behavior. Neurofeedback aims to…. Avoidant personality disorder treatment usually involves talk therapy, which can help a person reframe negative self-beliefs.

Learn more. My podcast changed me Can 'biological race' explain disparities in health? Also, the Food and Drug Administration FDA does not regulate supplements. This means you cannot be sure of the precise ingredients or how supplements will interact with other drugs.

Always check with a doctor before trying any supplements, especially if you have any health conditions or allergies. Which supplements can help you focus better?

Concentration workouts often help children who have trouble focusing. This mental workout involves fully devoting attention to an activity for a set period of time. After completing one of the activities, ask your child to write a short summary or sketch how they felt during the experience.

Young children can simply use words to describe their feelings. Talking about where they lost concentration and how they managed to refocus can help them develop these skills for use in daily tasks.

Multitasking has become part of daily life. It seems a good way to get a lot done, but some scientists have questioned this. Studies have suggested that we are not as good at multitasking as we like to think we are.

For one thing, the brain is not designed to cope with doing two or more things at once. What we are actually doing is switching from one task to another. If you have the chance to tackle one thing at a time, you might find you can concentrate better on each of them. Blocking off time for specific tasks can help you focus on one thing at a time and lower the risk of environmental distractions.

Setting time limits can also help you channel your energy toward the task in hand because you know the time you can or need to spend on it is limited. Researchers looking for ways to help people overcome these challenges have suggested the following tips :.

The Marinara Timer, for example, encourages a person to work for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break. After four blocks of 25 minutes, the person will take a minute break.

This way, you can focus fully on a task for the allotted time and do something else in the breaks. These allow you to set a goal to not use your phone. If you use the phone too soon, the tree will die. Other apps allow you to set goals for specific sites each day, such as the news or social media.

Trouble concentrating can relate to things going on around you. Common causes include interruptions from co-workers, distractions from your roommates or family members, or social media notifications.

Some common ones include:. What is stopping me from focusing? Sometimes it takes a trained professional to notice these symptoms. Many adults living with untreated ADHD have trouble concentrating or focusing their attention for long periods of time.

A mental health professional can help diagnose this or any other condition and help you get started on treatment. Therapy, medication, and other treatment approaches can help improve your symptoms once you have a diagnosis. Some people use prescription or recreational drugs, such as nootropics, to improve their focus, but some of these can have severe adverse effects.

Some ways to improve concentration may work well, while others may not seem to do much for you. Consider giving a range of approaches a try to see what helps. Experts still debate the benefits of certain methods, such as brain training.

But existing evidence suggests most of these tips can promote at least modest improvements in concentration for many people. Just make sure to talk to your doctor if focusing is very hard. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

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Here's how. A new study, released this week has found that death rates are increased for people with obesity who are also socially isolated and lonely. A new study finds a type of psychedelic called ibogaine may help people with traumatic brain injury.

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Mental Well-Being. Medically reviewed by Danielle Wade, LCSW — By Crystal Raypole — Updated on May 31, Brain training Video games Sleep Exercise Nature Meditation Break Music Diet Caffeine Supplements Concentration workout Avoid multitasking Set a timer Conditions Other treatments Takeaway Share on Pinterest.

Train your brain. Get your game on. Improve sleep. Make time for exercise. Spend time in nature. Give meditation a try.

Take a break. Listen to music. Vary your diet. Drink caffeine. Try supplements. Useful supplement shopping guides How to Choose High Quality Vitamins and Supplements How to Read Supplement Labels Like a Pro. Was this helpful? Do a concentration workout.

Avoid multitasking. Set a timer. Conditions that affect concentration. Other treatment options. The bottom line. How we reviewed this article: Sources. Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations.

We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. May 31, Written By Crystal Raypole. Jun 23, Medically Reviewed By Danielle Wade, LCSW.

Share this article. Read this next. Need Help Staying Focused? Try These 10 Tips. Medically reviewed by Timothy J.

Legg, PhD, PsyD. Become an Empathic Listener in 10 Steps. Zoning Out: Bad Habit or Helpful Brain Function? Unpacking the Notion of Love Addiction.

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Team Management. Managing Conflict. Delegation and Empowerment. Performance Management. Leadership Skills. Developing Your Team. Talent Management. Problem Solving. Decision Making.

Environment Your personal work environment plays a large role in your ability to concentrate. Here are some ideas for improving your physical environment: Make sure you're comfortable — Start by ensuring that your chair and desk are at the right height for you to work comfortably.

If your chair is too high or your desk is too low, you'll be uncomfortable, and you'll be tempted to use this as an excuse to get up and walk away. Put up pictures — Viewing a natural scene or watching wildlife can help improve concentration.

If you're able to put up pictures in your workspace, then choose landscapes or natural images that you enjoy. This can help your concentration, especially if you can see the pictures from your desk. Drown out the noise — Listening to music can help, especially if it's instrumental music. Some people even use "white noise" apps — these produce a calming sound like ocean waves or falling rain.

This steady background noise can drown out other noise, helping you focus better and ignore distractions. Shut out distractions — if you work from home, it can be particularly difficult to get "into the flow. Where possible, try to establish a defined workspace, ideally with a door to shut out those household distractions.

Nutrition Follow some simple nutritional tips: Drink water — Many of us don't think about drinking water while we're working, yet dehydration can make us feel tired, irritable, slow, or even sick. When our brains don't have enough fluid, they can't operate at peak performance. Staying hydrated is an easy way to help improve your concentration during the day.

Eat breakfast — Start your day with a healthy breakfast. It's much harder to concentrate when you're hungry, so eat a well-rounded meal before you start work. You can also help your concentration throughout the day by keeping healthy snacks at your desk.

Almonds, wholegrain crackers, fresh fruit, and vegetables are good choices. Get up and move around — If you're like many people, you probably don't move around enough. And if you work from home, it can be even easier to forget to stretch your legs! Research has shown that regular walking can help increase your focus during the day.

Mindset Constant distractions, and the low productivity that's associated with these distractions, have become so commonplace in today's workplace that doctors have even given it a name: Attention Deficit Trait, or ADT.

Researchers revealed that playing sounds from nature in the office, such as flowing water, could enhance cognitive abilities and optimize the ability to concentrate.

Inhale rosemary aroma. Research has suggested that exposure to rosemary aroma may improve speed and accuracy of cognitive performance. Problem-solving exercises, brain training methods, and even video games could all have a positive, negative effect, or no effect at all on concentration, depending on which study you read.

Recent research has indicated that people who often do word puzzles, such as crosswords, have better brain function later in life. Researchers found direct relationships between how often pople used word puzzles and the speed and accuracy of performance on tasks assessing reasoning, memory, and attention.

A study has emphasized that it matters what type of brain training you are doing to improve memory and attention. Participants who practiced dual n-back demonstrated a 30 percent improvement in their working memory — almost double the gains made by the complex span group.

Dual n-back is a memory sequence test wherein individuals have to remember a sequence of auditory and visual stimuli that are updated continuously. Playing video games has been shown to cause changes in many regions of the brain.

Researchers discovered that video game use altered the brain regions that are responsible for visuospatial skills and attention and made them work more efficiently. Physical activity, dietary choices, and weight are all factors that can contribute to how well you function and your concentration levels.

For example, if you skip breakfast, it is unlikely that by lunchtime you will be able to perform tasks to the best of your ability due to hunger pangs.

Looking after your well-being, staying active, and eating concentration-boosting foods can all help toward improving concentration.

To increase your ability to concentrate, you might want to add some walnuts, avocados, and chocolate to your dietary repertoire. Walnuts may improve performance on tests for cognitive function, including those assessing information processing speed, memory, and concentration.

Consuming one avocado every day may help improve cognitive function due to an upsurge in lutein levels in the eye and brain. Researchers uncovered that eating an avocado daily enhanced measures of cognitive skills, including processing speed, memory, and attention.

Chocolate — or specifically the cocoa bean — is rich in flavanols, which are compounds that have neuroprotective effects. Cocoa flavanols may help to improve cognitive processing speed, working memory, and attention when ingested for between 5 days and 3 months.

Research has revealed that individuals who practice sport can perform better on cognitive tasks than those with bad physical health. When compared with a group who led a more sedentary lifestyle, the group who were in good physical condition performed better on tasks testing sustained attention.

A study of older adults also specified that exercise improved brain function. All participants who exercised for between 75 minutes and minutes per week showed elevated attention levels and an increased ability to focus. Yoga may significantly improve energy levels and brain function.

Investigators found that practicing Hatha yoga and mindfulness meditation for 25 minutes per day boosted the regions of the brain associated with goal-directed behavior and allowed participants to focus more easily.

Research unearthed a connection between weight loss and improved memory and concentration. Researchers say that factors such as high blood pressure , sleep apnea, and type 2 diabetes , which often result from obesity , might impair the brain. They suggest that as people get back to a healthy weight and the associated problems disappear, their cognitive issues will vanish, too.

If you have tried all the above and you are still wrestling with your inability to concentrate, grab yourself a large coffee. Caffeine has been shown to affect the alerting and executive control networks of the brain and has clear beneficial effects on concentration and attention.

Whether you want to stay sharp in the workplace or protect your cognitive abilities as you age, we have found some memory-boosting tips that can help…. Are you looking for ways to improve your mind and boost brain power in ? Look no further; we have compiled the best brain enhancing methods to try.

Work can get very stressful, and often, we carry that stress with us into our private lives. How can we avoid doing that to maintain a work-life….

In a person with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD , the brain may display characteristic patterns of behavior. Neurofeedback aims to…. Avoidant personality disorder treatment usually involves talk therapy, which can help a person reframe negative self-beliefs.

Learn more. So can the effects of vision or hearing loss. You waste precious cognitive resources when you spend too much time trying to make out what's written on a page or just hear what someone is saying. Medication side effects.

Some drugs, especially anticholinergics such as treatments for incontinence, depression, or allergies , can slow processing speed and your ability to think clearly. Excessive drinking. Having too much alcohol impairs thinking and causes interrupted sleep, which affects concentration.

Information overload. We are bombarded with information from TVs, computers, and messages such as texts or emails. When there's too much material, it burdens our filtering system and it's easy to get distracted. Want a way to boost your attention and focus?

Neuropsychologist Kim Willment of Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital suggests a single-task exercise like reading. When it goes off, ask yourself if your mind has wandered. If so, just refocus on what you're reading," she says.

She recommends sitting still for a few minutes each day, closing your eyes, and focusing on your breathing as well as the sounds and sensations around you. Cognitive training. Computerized cognitive training games aim to improve your response times and attention.

Evidence that this works has been mixed. So if you reach a certain level of sustained attention, pushing it to the next level can help improve it, and this may translate to everyday life. A healthier lifestyle. Many aspects of a healthy lifestyle can help attention, starting with sleep and exercise.

There is a direct link between exercise and cognitive ability, especially attention. When you exercise, you increase the availability of brain chemicals that promote new brain connections, reduce stress, and improve sleep. And when we sleep, we reduce stress hormones that can be harmful to the brain, and we clear out proteins that injure it.

Aim for seven to eight hours of sleep each night, and minutes per week of aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking.

Some people with the condition may also hyperfocus on tasks they enjoy. Learn more about ADHD's effects on…. In an age of constant stimuli and distractions, it can be almost impossible to concentrate. We have put together some concentration-enhancing….

Avoidant personality disorder treatment usually involves talk therapy, which can help a person reframe negative self-beliefs. Learn more. Body dysmorphia and gender dysphoria both involve a person feeling dissatisfied with aspects of their body. However, they are not the same.

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Medical News Today. Health Conditions Health Products Discover Tools Connect. How can people improve concentration and focus? Medically reviewed by Francis Kuehnle, MSN, RN-BC — By Beth Sissons on August 21, Avoid multitasking Get enough sleep Mindfulness Take breaks Be in nature Exercise Balanced diet Productivity techniques Causes Getting help Summary Diet and lifestyle changes, such as getting enough sleep and practicing mindfulness, may help improve concentration.

Avoid multitasking. Get enough sleep. Practice mindfulness. Take regular short breaks. Be in nature. Physical activity. Eat nutritious food. Use productivity techniques. What causes trouble concentrating? When to contact a doctor.

How we reviewed this article: Sources. Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We avoid using tertiary references. Developing Your Team.

Talent Management. Problem Solving. Decision Making. Environment Your personal work environment plays a large role in your ability to concentrate. Here are some ideas for improving your physical environment: Make sure you're comfortable — Start by ensuring that your chair and desk are at the right height for you to work comfortably.

If your chair is too high or your desk is too low, you'll be uncomfortable, and you'll be tempted to use this as an excuse to get up and walk away. Put up pictures — Viewing a natural scene or watching wildlife can help improve concentration.

If you're able to put up pictures in your workspace, then choose landscapes or natural images that you enjoy.

This can help your concentration, especially if you can see the pictures from your desk. Drown out the noise — Listening to music can help, especially if it's instrumental music. Some people even use "white noise" apps — these produce a calming sound like ocean waves or falling rain. This steady background noise can drown out other noise, helping you focus better and ignore distractions.

Shut out distractions — if you work from home, it can be particularly difficult to get "into the flow. Where possible, try to establish a defined workspace, ideally with a door to shut out those household distractions.

Nutrition Follow some simple nutritional tips: Drink water — Many of us don't think about drinking water while we're working, yet dehydration can make us feel tired, irritable, slow, or even sick.

When our brains don't have enough fluid, they can't operate at peak performance. Staying hydrated is an easy way to help improve your concentration during the day.

Eat breakfast — Start your day with a healthy breakfast. It's much harder to concentrate when you're hungry, so eat a well-rounded meal before you start work. You can also help your concentration throughout the day by keeping healthy snacks at your desk.

Almonds, wholegrain crackers, fresh fruit, and vegetables are good choices. Get up and move around — If you're like many people, you probably don't move around enough. And if you work from home, it can be even easier to forget to stretch your legs!

Research has shown that regular walking can help increase your focus during the day. Mindset Constant distractions, and the low productivity that's associated with these distractions, have become so commonplace in today's workplace that doctors have even given it a name: Attention Deficit Trait, or ADT.

Follow some of these guidelines to help focus your mind: Set aside time to deal with worries — Many of us have trouble concentrating during the day because we're constantly worrying about other things.

It could be a looming deadline for a project, a new colleague who's causing problems, or just the amount of work on your plate. If you find yourself distracted by worries, note them down so that you don't need to hold them in your mind.

Then schedule time to deal with these issues. Focus on one task at a time — It can be much harder to focus if you take minibreaks 15—30 seconds to answer emails, send text messages, or take quick phone calls. Some researchers believe that it can take up to 15 minutes for us to regain complete focus after a distraction.

Close your email inbox and chat program — Let your inbox do its job. If possible, set your online status to "Do Not Disturb" and let your colleagues know that you need to focus. If your organization operates an open-door policy in the office then try working from home to avoid workplace distractions.

Switch between high- and low-attention tasks — This can give your brain a rest after heavy concentration. For instance, if you spend two hours working on your department's budget, you'll probably feel tired afterward.

You can recharge your energy by working on a low-attention task, like filing, for 15 minutes before going back to your budget. Prioritize — Having too much to do can be distracting, and this can sometimes cause procrastination.

Or, you may quickly jump from task to task, creating the illusion of work — but in reality, you're not accomplishing much. If you're not sure which tasks to start or which are most important, take 10 or 15 minutes to prioritize your To-Do List.

Our article Overcoming Procrastination can also help. More Tips for Improving Your Concentration Take short breaks — We can be masters at focusing, but eventually we're going to need a break. Our minds can struggle to concentrate intensely on tasks for eight hours a day. If so, just refocus on what you're reading," she says.

She recommends sitting still for a few minutes each day, closing your eyes, and focusing on your breathing as well as the sounds and sensations around you. Cognitive training. Computerized cognitive training games aim to improve your response times and attention.

Evidence that this works has been mixed. So if you reach a certain level of sustained attention, pushing it to the next level can help improve it, and this may translate to everyday life. A healthier lifestyle.

Many aspects of a healthy lifestyle can help attention, starting with sleep and exercise. There is a direct link between exercise and cognitive ability, especially attention.

When you exercise, you increase the availability of brain chemicals that promote new brain connections, reduce stress, and improve sleep. And when we sleep, we reduce stress hormones that can be harmful to the brain, and we clear out proteins that injure it.

Aim for seven to eight hours of sleep each night, and minutes per week of aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking. Other healthy steps to improve focus: eat a Mediterranean-style diet, which has been shown to support brain health; treat underlying conditions; and change medications that may be affecting your ability to focus.

Getting older is out of your control, but healthier living is something you determine, and it may improve concentration. As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content.

Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

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