Knowing how to concentrate is having the ability to fix one’s attention on a specific task, while it is being accomplished. Lack of concentration means having trouble spending a certain amount of time on a particular action without moving on. This can be accompanied by memory impairment. Concretely, this can result in an inability to read a book, watch a movie, or follow a conversation without picking up the phone.
Concentration disorders can affect children, but also adults. “Be careful, two things must be distinguished. There are the real diseases of the” attention deficit disorder “type which are treated more and more easily, but which ultimately are quite rare. And then there is the interest! In the end, we only pay attention to what interests us! “, reassures the psychiatrist.
Why can’t we concentrate less?
Loss of interest can have several causes. She can hide a depressive state : the world does not interest us much. It can also come from very tired. All it takes is a lack of sleep or busy or exhausting days, and it becomes increasingly difficult to focus your attention. Food can also be taken into account. A strict diet, unbalanced meals can cause persistent hunger which leads to not being able to concentrate. The environment also plays an important role. If you live in noise, bustle or disorder, there is no doubt that your ability to concentrate will be impaired.
Stress, through the anxiety it generates also hinders the mind who will have a hard time achieving optimal concentration. Finally in some cases, hormonal variations during pregnancy or menopause sometimes result in impaired attention.
And then there is pure interest. If we force ourselves to read a book that we are not passionate about, there is a good chance that we will move on.
The solution: relax!
The solutions therefore flow from the causes and are common sense. A correct hygiene of life must be put in place if this is not the case. On the food side, we revise our plate if we have bad habits such as draconian diet or on the contrary excess of snacking or processed foods. We move while getting as much air as possible to get some oxygen. And we take stock to try to find out what troubles our concentration. Do I live in the noise? In the bustle? Am I overworked? In the latter case, it may be useful to consider relaxation or sophrology sessions to learn to let go.
To be relaxed is to put all the chances on your side to have optimal concentration. For parents of scattered children, aim for interest! If you force them to do tasks that turn them off, no wonder they can’t fix their attention. Observe them, give them a frame and you will find the solution yourself. Because we must keep in mind that the lack of concentration is not a disease! Let’s not invent new diseases all the time. We should not systematically consider things from a medical point of view! An inability to fix one’s attention requires introspection and analysis, and not “It doesn’t mean drugs or miracle cures. Just a little logic and a review of your lifestyle”, underlines Doctor Lejoyeux.
Thanks to Dr Michel Lejoyeux psychiatrist at Bichat hospital, author of “The 4 times of rebirth”, published by Jean Claude Lattès
Also read:
- Can’t concentrate at work? Here are 9 sophrology exercises
- Anxiety: 12 remedies from shrink to get better
- 6 tips to maintain your brain
