Has Your Concentration Shrunk?

How long can you concentrate for?
Do you find you can only concentrate on something for few minutes?
Have you noticed your ability to concentrate is lot shorter than it used to be?

I get emails from readers who are concerned and a little scared that their concentration is much shorter than it use to be. They wonder if it’s something they have to live with as they get older, or even early onset Alzheimer’s disease.

It is already challenging to focus when you have ADHD, so when you feel your concentration is getting worse, it is easy to panic and wonder how you will cope with life.

Concentration isn’t a fixed commodity. It is like a muscle that increases and shrinks depending on your lifestyle. Once you have ruled out any underlying medical conditions (by visiting your doctor), it is time to look at your style of living. With a few changes, your attention will be back to its former glory.

Here are 3 common life style factors that affect concentration.

1. Being a parentResponding to your children’s needs throughout the day is part of being an excellent parent. Your concentration moves rapidly from one thing to the next. This is nature’s way of keeping everyone safe and happy. You might not realize that your concentration span has shrunk until your children are older.
2. Your jobSometimes your job requires that you respond quickly to the demands of others. If you work in an ER, for example. Or, there might be office rules that require you to respond quickly to a phone call or email. Even though it’s not life and death, these expectations mean that your concentration is constantly diverted.
3. Multi-taskingPeople with ADHD love to multi-task. It feels exciting and stimulating. However, multi-tasking isn’t good for you. Your IQ drops, you are less productive (even though you don’t realize it). When you multi-task, your attention is rapidly moving from one thing to the next; which means you only need to concentrate for short periods of time.

5 ways to improve your concentration

1. Take an Omega 3 supplement every dayIt helps with all cognitive functions, such as attention and memory. Watch how Omega 3 helped Elliot.https://untappedbrilliance.com/omega-3-memory-and-concentration/
2. Have protein for breakfast every dayProtein is turned into amino acids; which is, in turn, made into neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are the chemicals in the brain that allow you to focus and concentrate.https://untappedbrilliance.com/the-adhd-breakfast/
   
3. Make sleep a priorityBecause lack of sleep affects your ability to concentrate, learn everything you can about how to sleep very well when you have ADHD. (“I’m Going to Bed Now–For Sure” is one course available in my membership program The Untapped Brilliance Club!)
4. Learn a martial artMartial Arts are fabulous if you have ADHD and want to improve your concentration. It is because they combine the use of cognitive functions like focus, concentration and memory with physical movement.
5. Single-Task
   Switch off your phone, close down all the open windows on your computer, and give one task all your attention. Start by concentrating on one thing for 10 minutes at a time and gradually build up to 30 minutes.  It will feel very strange at first, but when you get to 30 minutes, you will feel like a winner!https://untappedbrilliance.com/single-tasking-and-adhd/