Health Watch Weekly: Focus and Concentration
Looking for Sharper Focus and
Concentration
How many times has this happened to you? It’s a
special occasion, and you’ve somehow managed to secure
reservations at the hottest restaurant in town. You’re full of
happy anticipation as you drive along the freeway and then suddenly,
for no apparent reason, traffic slows to a crawl. After creeping along
for what seems like hours, you finally reach the source of the
slowdown: a minor “fender bender” in the opposite lanes of
traffic. For some reason, hundreds of your fellow drivers had become so
distracted by this that they lost focus and concentration, and as a
result, you’ve lost your precious dinner reservations!Life certainly provides plenty of
distractions, and as the above scenario illustrates, it can be very easy
to lose focus. But how do you explain not being able to concentrate
when you’re sitting at home or in your office with no outside
distractions, and yet you still can’t seem to finish a task that
you’ve started? The inability to focus or concentrate affects
even the most disciplined of people (with the possible exception of the
superhuman Tiger Woods). Here are some reasons why you might be having
trouble staying in sharp focus:Inadequate sleep: Many experts recommend 7 to 9
hours of restful sleep daily, and even more for growing kids. And yet,
more than 60 million people in the United States experience
sleep-related complaints. Many poor sleepers don’t know that they
have a problem because their bodies have adjusted. Your body may be
willing, but you can’t fool your brain. Brain fatigue will rob
you of the focus and concentration you need to perform at your peak.Boredom or lack of interest: Your
concentration may be fading simply because you just aren’t
interested enough in what you’re supposed to be concentrating on.
It can be pretty difficult to muster up enthusiasm for plugging endless
numbers into a spreadsheet, or for attacking your daily chores.Stress and frustration: If you’re
feeling overwhelmed by difficult or worrisome issues, it can be almost
impossible to zone in on one task without being distracted by the
weight of your other unfinished business.Medical causes: Talk to your doctor if you
suspect you may be dealing with one of these issues:
- (ADHD): This disorder involves abnormal brain chemistry,
affecting your ability to focus and concentrate. Although usually
encountered in children, ADHD can affect adults as well.- Thyroid Problems: Although difficult to
diagnose, feeling restless and anxious, being unable to concentrate, and
having a poor memory could all indicate thyroid trouble.- Diabetes: Your brain requires a
constant flow of glucose for energy, which it receives from your blood.
If your blood sugar levels are elevated or crashing, you’ll be
left feeling tired and unable to focus.- Depression: When you’re
depressed, it can be nearly impossible to think clearly, or to find the
energy and motivation to concentrate.concentration? If you have a medical condition, you owe it to yourself
to seek professional help. And for the rest of you, try these helpful
tips!
- earlier or take a mid-afternoon power nap, and you’ll dissipate
that brain fog.- Banish boredom. Research shows that
concentration drops after 20 to 30 minutes, so take frequent breaks,
making sure to get out of your chair to keep blood flowing to your
brain. Bribe yourself with a reward once you finish your task. Treating
yourself will feel extra good because you’ll also have the feeling
of accomplishment that comes from a job well done.- Get organized. Make sure that you have
everything you need to complete the task at hand. If you’re
poorly prepared, the extra time and effort needed to get the job done
will make you lose focus more easily. Don’t distract yourself by
trying to work with the television or radio on, or with your
computer’s instant messaging program running.- Write it down. If you can’t get
unfinished tasks out of your head, write them down so you’re free to
stop obsessing over them. Your to-do list should include an estimate of
how much time it will take for each item. That will really help you to
prioritize your day.- Fight through frustration to help manage
stress. In the same way that champion athletes can get their
second wind, you can fight through mental frustration to find renewed
focus. From now on, if you’re in the middle of a task and tempted to
give up, noted author and lecturer Sam Horn recommends that you just do
five more. Read five more pages. Finish five more
math problems. Work five more minutes.- Don’t procrastinate. As R.D.
Clyde said, “It’s amazing how long it takes to complete something
we’re not working on.” Delaying a task will only make it occupy
more of your mind and time.- Drink 4 ounces (120 ml) of GoChi™ every
day.GoChi – Clinical study participants report
experiencing improved focus and concentration.For countless generations, the people of Asia have used the goji berry daily in their quest for sharp mental focus and intense concentration. No goji product is more potent than FreeLife’s GoChi, and now its wide-ranging benefits have been clinically demonstrated in three clinical studies. In a recent, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled human trial, test subjects drinking a daily serving of just 4 ounces (120 ml) of GoChi reported experiencing
significant improvement in focus and mental acuity, as well as reduced feelings of stress and better sleep quality, all in as little as 14 days!This groundbreaking clinical study has been published in
the highly regarded Journal of Alternative and Complementary
Medicine (JACM), and it can also be viewed on the U.S.
Government’s encyclopedic PubMed website at www.pubmed.gov. The acceptance of our
study by the independent experts of a peer-reviewed publication such as
JACM represents a first for a functional juice beverage in the
Direct Selling industry, and it demonstrates FreeLife’s ongoing
commitment to supporting its claims with solid scientific research.Bring your world into focus, with GoChi!
Your FreeLife Science Team
REFERENCES: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. National Institute of
Mental Health. National Institutes of Health. April 3, 2008. Available
at http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/adhd/complete-pub
lication.shtml.Battaglia E. Zoning In – Improving Your
Concentration. LifeScript.com website. Available at http://www.lifesc
ript.com/channels/healthy_living/Life_Tips/zoning_in_improve_your_concen
tration.asp?page=5&trans=1Horn, S. About.com Alternative Medicine: Top 5 Tips to
Improve Your Concentration. Available at http://altmedicine.about.com/od/optimumhealthessentials/a/Con
centration.htmAmagase H, Nance DM. A Randomized, Double-Blind,
Placebo-Controlled, Clinical Study of the General Effects of a
Standardized Lycium barbarum (Goji) Juice, GoChi™. J
Altern Complement Med. 2008; 14(4), pp. 403-412. Abstract
available on PubMed at http://www.pubmed.gov (PMID:
18447631)
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