“Focus!”
Focus Friday: Oh Look! There’s a chicken…
Feeling a little scatterbrained these days (or as a few of my mom friends and I like to explain it, suffering from mom-brain)? It’s Friday and you are most likely having a hard time staying focused with your tasks. The weekend is calling your name. Or, let’s face it if you are like me maybe you just have a hard time staying focused on a regular basis. I like to “blame” it on the chaos called having children. Turns out, however, that feeling unfocused for the majority of us is not ADHD, a personality trait, or having “mom-brain.” Instead, it’s simply a habit, according to writer Camille Noe Pagan in her August Oprah magazine article titled “Focus!.” She points to four tiny lifestyle tweaks to help you regain your focus: swap caffeine for cardio, drink more water, get serious about shut-eye, and wiggle your toes. Sounds relatively simple, right? Let’s expand a little.
Swap caffeine for cardio. WHAT? Give up my daily latte (or in my case a beautiful cup of Earl Grey tea)? Why would I want to go for a run, when I could just switch on my Keurig and fill up my cup? Well, according to Charles Folk, PhD, director of the cognitive science program at Villanova University, if you rely on triple lattes to pay attention, you’ll likely find it harder to focus when you’re not buzzed and your brain will begin to operate as though it requires caffeine to be alert. He points out that physical activity has been shown to sharpen focus, in people with ADHD and without, possibly because it can help trigger the release of chemicals in the brain that are thought to affect learning and memory. I’m not sure that I will totally give up my cup of joyful tea every once in awhile. However, the cardio and physical activity is something I CAN do. So can you!
Water, high quality H20, hydration for the soul. It’s a beautiful thing. The article (and mounds and mounds of scientific studies) will agree. Pagan writes “[a] 2012 study in The Journal of Nutrition found that mild dehydration (so subtle that you don’t really feel it) can lead to inattention…Thirst is not the best measure of hydration, so a decrease in your ability to focus is an early warning signal that it’s time to drink up.” I know that I am not great at drinking the appropriate amount of water everyday. It is recommended that you take your body weight, divide it in half, and drink that many ounces of water each day. It might seem like a lot of water, but just fill up a bottle that has the ounces marked on the side and make it your best friend everyday!
Sleep, oh glorious sleep. I can speak for most moms out there that wish for the ability to get more sleep. Sometimes it just isn’t possible due to little angels that feel the need to check out the dark nights sky instead of closing their eyes for a full 8 hours. However, the “Focus!” article discusses the importance of trying to get more sleep if you want to be more attentive. Vatsal G. Thakkar, MD, writes “the inability to concentrate is often caused by a lack of delta sleep (the slow-wave stage that precedes REM sleep when the brain powers down). If you’re regularly dipping below seven hours, you’re likely cutting in to the delta phase, and this can make it difficult to focus when you’re awake.” If the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep for at least two weeks to improve concentration are not possible, it would probably be best to at least try.
When I read the wiggle your toes headline, I was like “what? Why would I wiggle my toes to help me focus?” I didn’t get it. I read on a little further, and the author talks about how people often have a hard time holding a conversation due to technological nature of our society. “The frenetic nature of our society–constant updates via e-mail and Twitter, for example–provides some sort of excitement every few minutes, and we’ve become trained to expect that. If we’re not stimulated after a short period of time, we look around for something that will do the job.” To be a more attentive listener when holding a conversation, it is suggested to take a moment to focus your attention on your toes. This mindfulness trick will instantly bring you back to the present. Who knew? If you see me wiggling my toes when I’m talking to you, don’t be offended. I’m just trying to stop the hamster wheel inside of my head from spinning!
I especially needed this advice today, because I have had a lot of “mom-brain” moments over the last few weeks. So, I think I will skip the cup of tea I am REALLY wanting this afternoon, pop in one of my Focus T25 workout DVDs (very fitting name…coincidence? I think not.), fill up my best friend the water bottle, look forward to a full nights sleep, and remember to wiggle my toes when talking to my husband about tractors (hehe). Happy Focus Friday!!
Pagan, Camille N. 2013, August. “Focus!.” O: The Oprah Magazine. Volume 14: 8.