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9 Easy Ways to Fix Your Focus and Improve Concentration
We can do strange things when we multitask and lose focus. Here are some ways to keep your focus from wandering.
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Nov 02, 2023
Nov 02, 2023
Your HealthSheryl Kraft, a freelance writer and breast cancer survivor, was born in Long Beach, New York. She currently lives in Connecticut with her husband Alan and dog Chloe, where her nest is empty of her two sons Jonathan. Sheryl writes articles and essays on breast cancer and contributes to a variety of publications and websites where she writes on general health and wellness issues. She earned her MFA in writing from Sarah Lawrence College in 2005.
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Have you ever heard the story about the woman who lost her cell phone and found it, days later, in her freezer?
And what about the time someone you know sat through an entire movie but couldn't remember what it was about?
It's not always dementia, or memory loss. Sometimes it's a matter of mental focus.
We all do wacky, strange, head-scratching things when we don't focus. And “that” woman I described above? You've probably already figured out that it was me.
Some of this is entirely normal when you think about how our lives are filled with so many details and worries about work and family. Keeping so many details straight makes it tough to focus on just one thing and even tougher not to multitask in the interest of time and efficiency.
The problem is that our minds are not meant to multitask. Rather, we do things better and more thoroughly when we complete one task at a time. If you've ever tried to do more than one thing at a time, I can guarantee neither one of those things was done as well as they'd be if they were the one and only thing you were doing.
When we multitask, we tend to lose focus and, in return, lose out on precious productivity. Not only that, but our attention is shattered and scattered — along with our sense of calm. Some call that inability to focus a “runaway mind.”
There are lifestyle changes and things you can do in the moment that can help your focus problem.
So far, my cell phone has steered clear of a return visit to the freezer (which happened, by the way, when I was talking on it, searching for a buried bag of frozen veggies and listening to a podcast at the same time).
And when I watch a movie, my hands are totally free. I leave my cell phone behind, put away my reading materials and just watch the movie.