Mental focus is important for everyone, from the child, getting ready to go back to school to the senior adult desiring to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Here are five easy ways to increase your concentration, end depression, sharpen memory, and delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Now I can’t make any guarantees that these tips will for sure help your memory, but according to research, they should help. Below are five ways that you can sharpen and increase your mental focus.
5 ways to increase your own concentration:
- Eat a healthy breakfast. A healthy diet is one way to enhance mental focus, and breakfast is the best place to start. Twentieth-century nutritionist says that “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.” That recommendation holds true today. Skipping breakfast can affect mental acuity, emotional well-being, and energy levels for the rest of the day. In fact, one British study found that people who do not eat breakfast perform poorly on memory tests and have higher levels of physical and mental fatigue later in the day.
- Drink more caffeine. Not only does coffee taste good and can get someone going in the morning, but it also has health benefits. According to research reported by researchers, coffee drinkers are less likely to have some different health problems, including Alzheimer’s related dementia. A study followed that 1,400 coffee drinkers for 20 years. Those who drank between 3 and 5 cups of coffee daily were 65 percent less likely to develop dementia. It appears that coffee wakes up the senses and keeps the brain sharp.
- Maintain the body hydrated. According to researchers, mild dehydration can cause cognitive impairment and poor mental performance. The study looked at aging seniors and younger adults. To enhance mental focus, people should drink plenty of fluids, especially water, throughout the day. Those who drink coffee to sharpen mental acuity should drink extra fluids to counter caffeine’s diuretic effects.
- Listen to inspiring music. Music improves energy levels and engages the senses. Most people know from experience that uplifting music sharpens concentration and encourages creativity. The power of music to enhance mental focus is well-documented. Listening to music and taking note of the various sounds, images, emotions, and even smells it evokes, is an excellent way to exercise the brain.
- Have a good laugh. Nutrition, exercise, and leisure activities can have lasting effects on physical, emotional, and mental health. Research shows that investing in laughter can pay real dividends, too. Everyone knows the adage, “Laughter is good medicine,” and studies reveal that laughter has a profound effect on a person’s overall health. In addition to the physical and psychological benefits, laughter can sharpen a person’s mental focus. It moves the attention away from stress, anger, guilt, and other negative emotions that can cloud a person’s concentration.
Breakfast, caffeine, water, music and laughter are just five ways a person can increase mental focus. There are many other ways to enhance mental clarity, improve memory, and lift depression. But these five suggestions are easy methods that anyone can incorporate into their daily lives. Straightforward and scientifically-proven, they are great ways to increase energy levels and keep the mental focus clear and sharp. Hopefully, you can incorporate some of these simple techniques into your life so that you can get more accomplished.
