Why Your Thoughts Wander, and What You Can Do About It
When people lose focus, they tend to blame themselves. You may decide you’re not trying hard enough, or you’re not thinking the right way, but these aren’t accurate assessments. When it comes to concentration, a lot has to do with your physical health, immediate surroundings, and natural mental tendencies.
In order to improve your concentration, you need to create conditions that make it easier to focus. Once you understand what commonly interferes with attention, you can shake up your routine and shift your perspective to restore your focus.
Fatigue
It’s no surprise fatigue can sap concentration. Since the mind and body are connected, depleting the body’s energy will surely encourage fuzzy thinking and problems with focus. Indeed, studies show that sleep loss impairs a variety of brain functions, from attention span to memory.
But did you know staying up just one hour longer than usual can affect your focus the next day? Not only is fatigue one of the strongest concentration-killers, it also adds up more quickly than you might imagine. Every person has slightly different sleep needs, but if you’re getting less than seven hours a night, consider making some adjustments to allow for a bit more shut-eye.
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