5 Tips to Improve Your Concentration

When TV newscaster Diane Sawyer was asked the secret to her success, she said, “I think the one lesson I’ve learned is there is no substitute for paying attention.”

Are you thinking, “I agree, but HOW do we improve our ability to focus and maintain attention — no matter what?”

These five FOCUS tips can help you concentrate better — whether you’re working in a busy office, studying at school, sitting in a meeting, or trying to finish a project.

F = Five More Rule
There are two kinds of people — those who have learned how to work through frustration, and those who wish they had. From now on, if you’re in the middle of a task and tempted to give up — just do FIVE MORE.

Read FIVE MORE pages. Finish FIVE MORE math problems. Work FIVE MORE minutes.

Just as athletes build physical stamina by pushing past the point of exhaustion, you can build mental stamina by pushing past the point of frustration.

Just as runners get their second wind by not giving up when their body initially protests, you can get your “second mind” by not giving up when your willpower initially protests. Continuing to concentrate when your brain is tired is the key to S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G your attention span and building mental endurance.

O = One Think At a Time
Samuel Goldwyn said, “If I look confused, it’s because I’m thinking.” Feeling scatter-brained? Overcome perpetual preoccupation with the Godfather Plan — make your mind a deal it can’t refuse. Yes, the mind takes bribes. Instead of telling it NOT to worry about another, lesser priority (which will cause your mind to think about the very thing it’s not supposed to think about!), assign it a single task with start-stop time parameters.

For example, “I will think about how to pay off that credit card debt when I get home tonight and have a chance to add up my bills. For now, for the next thirty minutes from 1-1:30 pm, I will give my complete focus to practicing this presentation so I am eloquent and articulate when pitching this proposal to our VIP clients.”

Still can’t get other concerns out of your head? Write them down on your to-do list so you’re free to forget them. Recording worrisome obligations means you don’t have to use your brain as a “reminder” bulletin board, which means you can give your undivided attention to your top priority task.

C = Conquer Procrastination
Don’t feel like concentrating? Are you putting off a task or project you’re supposed to be working on? That’s a form of procrastination. R. D. Clyde said, “It’s amazing how long it takes to complete something we’re not working on.”

Next time you’re about to postpone a responsibility ask yourself, “Do I have to do this? Do I want it done so it’s not on my mind? Will it be any easier later?” Those three questions can give you the incentive to mentally apply yourself because they bring you face to face with the fact this task isn’t going away, and delaying will only add to your guilt and make this onerous task occupy more of your mind and time.

U = Use Your Hands as Blinkers
Picture your mind as a camera and your eyes as its aperture. Most of the time, our eyes are “taking it all in” and our brain is in “wide-angle focus.” We can actually think about many things at once and operate quite efficiently this way (e.g., imagine driving down a crowded highway while talking to a friend, fiddling with the radio, keeping an eye on the cars beside you, and watching for your exit sign.)

What if you want to switch to telephoto focus? What if you have to prepare for a test and you need 100% concentration? Cup your hands around your eyes so you have “tunnel vision” and are looking solely at your text book. Placing your hands on the side of your face blocks out surroundings so they are literally “out of sight, out of mind.” Think about the importance of those words.

Want even better news? Does the name Pavlov r-r-r-ring a bell? If you cup your hands around your eyes every time you want to switch from wide-angle to telephoto focus, that physical ritual becomes a Pavlovian trigger.

Remember? Pavlov rang the bell, fed the dog, rang the bell and fed the dog, until the dog started salivating as soon as he heard the sound of the bell. Similarly, using your hands as blinkers every time you want to narrow your focus teaches your brain to switch to “one track” mind and concentrate on your command.

S = See As If For the First or Last Time
Want to know how to be “here and now” and fully present instead of mindlessly rushing here, there, and everywhere? Frederick Franck said, “When the eye wakes up to see again, it suddenly stops taking anything for granted.” Evelyn Underhill said, “For lack of attention, a thousand forms of loveliness elude us every day.”

I constantly relearn this lesson. One time I was giving my sons their nightly back rub. Although I was sitting right next to them, I might as well have been in the next country because I was thinking of the early morning flight I needed to take the next day and wondering if I had packed my hand-outs, if my ticket was in my purse, etc.

Suddenly, my unfocused eyes fell upon my sons and I truly SAW Tom and Andrew as if I was looking at them for the first time. I was immediately flooded with a sense of gratitude for these two healthy, thriving boys. I felt so blessed to have been gifted with such wonderful sons. In an instant, I went from being absent-minded to being filled with a sense of awe and appreciation for their presence in my life.

Next time your mind is a million miles away, simply look around you and really SEE your surroundings. Study that exquisite flower in the vase. Get up close to the picture on the wall and marvel at the artist’s craftmanship.

Lean in and really look at a loved one you tend to take for granted. This will “Velveteen Rabbit” your world and make it come alive in your mind’s eye.

What people have said about concentration
“I used to think the human brain was the most fascinating part of the body, and then I realized, ‘What is telling me that?’” – Emo Phillips
“I’m getting so absent-minded and forgetful. Sometimes in the middle of a sentence, I . . . ” – Milton Berle
“Iron rusts from disuse, stagnant water loses its purity and in cold weather becomes frozen, even so does inaction sap the vigors of the mind.” Leonardo da Vinci
“Tell me to what you pay attention, and I will tell you who you are.” – Jose Ortega y Gasset
I would go without shirt or shoe sooner than lose for a minute the two separate sides of my head.” – Rudyard Kipling
“It’s not that I don’t want to listen to people. I very much want to listen to people. I just can’t hear them over my talking.” – Paula Poundstone

The Right Brain vs Left Brain test

Do you see the dancer turning clockwise or anti-clockwise?

If clockwise, then you use more of the right side of the brain and vice versa.

Most of us would see the dancer turning anti-clockwise though you can try to focus and change the direction; see if you can do it.

LEFT BRAIN FUNCTIONS
uses logic
detail oriented
facts rule
words and language
present and past
math and science
can comprehend
knowing
acknowledges
order/pattern perception
knows object name
reality based
forms strategies
practical safe

RIGHT BRAIN FUNCTIONS
uses feeling
“big picture” oriented
imagination rules
symbols and images
present and future
philosophy & religion
can “get it” (i.e. meaning)
believes
appreciates
spatial perception
knows object function
fantasy based
presents possibilities
impetuous
risk taking

Can you see the pink dots circle faster and become a green dot?

How many horses can you find?

Your eyes playing tricks on you.

What do you see? A music man or woman face?

8 Mind-Boggling Optical Illusions

Test your perception with these wild designs.

If you’ve ever felt like you go a little cross-eyed after taking a peek at an optical illusion, then you know they can be a pretty intense phenomenon. What your eyes perceive when looking at one of these images is actually a visual illusion; you see the image as something different than what it is because the different cells and receptors in your eyes distinguish images and colors at dissimilar speeds. The eye can only receive a limited amount of visual stimuli, but as your brain constantly processes the visual information, it gives you the illusion of continuous sight. Whether it’s an optical, physiological or cognitive illusion, the design plays a trick on your eyes (and mind). Check out some of the interesting illusions below—but beware, you may not be able to absorb them all in one sitting.

FLOWING LEAVES

The brown leaf shapes against a green background make this look as if the entire group is flowing—making waves if you focus on the picture as a whole. Photo from Flickr

PULSING VORTEX

If you stare at this one long enough you’ll notice a fast and pulsing multicolored vortex. Photo from Flickr

WAVES

The blue almond-shaped objects look as if they’re all passing over three separate columns. Photo from Flickr

HYPNOSIS

Although this image is comprised of simple purple and green squares outlined in black, it looks like it is bulging out in the center. Photo from Flickr

KALEIDOSCOPES

A collection of black, blue, green and white shapes appears to be five different kaleidoscope-type figures—each swirling toward their centers. Photo from Flickr

WORMHOLE

The black and white circular lines make this illusion seem as if there are various depths in the image, creating different entryways and tunnels. Photo courtesy of Paco Calvino

BULL’S-EYE

If you stare at the center of the image, it looks as if the outer rings are rotating in alternating directions—an effect meant to mesmerize the viewer. Photo courtesy of Todd A. Carpenter

STARBURSTS

These bright purple and green star-like shapes appear to be moving, which can be a little nauseating if you stare at it for too long. Photo courtesy of Angie Armstrong

High blood pressure

What Is High Blood Pressure?

High blood pressure (HBP) is a serious condition that can lead to coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, kidney failure, and other health problems.

“Blood pressure” is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps out blood. If this pressure rises and stays high over time, it can damage the body in many ways.

About 1 in 3 adults in the United States has HBP. HBP itself usually has no symptoms. You can have it for years without knowing it. During this time, though, it can damage the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, and other parts of your body.

This is why knowing your blood pressure numbers is important, even when you’re feeling fine. If your blood pressure is normal, you can work with your health care team to keep it that way. If your blood pressure is too high, you need treatment to prevent damage to your body’s organs.

Blood Pressure Numbers

Blood pressure numbers include systolic (sis-TOL-ik) and diastolic (di-a-STOL-ik) pressures. Systolic blood pressure is the pressure when the heart beats while pumping blood. Diastolic blood pressure is the pressure when the heart is at rest between beats.

You will most often see blood pressure numbers written with the systolic number above or before the diastolic, such as 120/80 mmHg. (The mmHg is millimeters of mercury—the units used to measure blood pressure.)

Blood pressure tends to rise with age. Following a healthy lifestyle helps some people delay or prevent this rise in blood pressure.

People who have HBP can take steps to control it and reduce their risks for related health problems. Key steps include following a healthy lifestyle, having ongoing medical care, and following the treatment plan that your doctor prescribes.

Genetic and environmental influences

An international research team has identified common genetic variants associated with systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and high blood pressure (hypertension), suggesting potential avenues of investigation for the prevention or treatment of high blood pressure.

About 1 in 3 adults (approximately 72 million people) in the United States has high blood pressure. High blood pressure can lead to coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, kidney failure, and other health problems, and causes over 7 million deaths worldwide each year.

While the environment (diet, physical activity, stress, etc.) affects blood pressure, genetics also plays a substantial role and may increase some people’s risk of developing high blood pressure under specific environmental exposures; however, many genes involved in blood pressure regulation remain unknown.

To identify genes involved in blood pressure maintenance and high blood pressure, the researchers analyzed differences in the genomes of nearly 30,000 people of European descent whose average systolic blood pressures ranged from 118 mm Hg to 143 mm Hg and average diastolic blood pressures ranged from 72 mm Hg to 83 mm Hg. These individuals were part of a long-term study of cardiovascular health and disease supported by the National Institutes of Health called ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities). The researchers looked for genetic differences that correlated with high blood pressure and found 11 variations or changes in DNA sequence that appear to regulate blood pressure levels.

Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), and expressed with two numbers, for example, 120/80 mm Hg. The first number (systolic pressure) is the pressure when the heart beats while pumping blood. The second number (diastolic pressure) is the pressure in large arteries when the heart is at rest between beats.

The researchers found that the top 10 gene variants for systolic and diastolic blood pressure were each associated with around a 1 and 0.5 mm Hg increase in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, respectively. The prevalence of high blood pressure increased as the number of variants increased.

People who carry very few blood pressure genetic risk variants have blood pressure levels that are several mm Hg lower than those who carry multiple risk variants. In practical terms this is enough to increase the risk for cardiovascular disease. A prolonged increase in diastolic blood pressure of only 5 mm Hg is associated with a 34 percent increase in risk for stroke and a 21 percent increase of coronary heart disease. The new insight into how the kidneys govern the balance of salt in the body, a crucial task for regulating blood pressure. And, it reveals how a gene already linked to behavior and mental health can play a role in the body, as well as the brain.

Take a Blood Pressure at Home

Knowing your blood pressure is a good idea because it shows how at least in part how healthy your lifestyle is. Some people have high BP genetically but good exercise and diet habits can help lower it. First, you need to know the normal healthy ranges of an adult blood pressure. The standard healthy B/P as of now is 120 systolic / 80 diastolic. The systolic pressure measures how hard the left ventricle pumps during systole (contraction phase) and the diastolic pressure measures how much the heart relaxes during diastole (relaxation phase). To take a blood pressure, you’ll need a blood pressure cuff and a stethoscope. In order to get an accurate reading, you must make sure that the edge of the cuff is 40% of the circumference of the person’s arm between the inner elbow and the shoulder. If this isn’t the case, the reading can be a false high or a false low.