Are you feeling less productive than you’d like? Are you easily distracted? Have you noticed that your reading comprehension isn’t what it used to be, and you can’t remember names and faces like you used to? How often does a phone or email throw you off course when you’re working on a project and it takes a long time to get back on track?
While it may be tempting to dismiss this as exhaustion, aging or cognitive overload and simply continue to be frustrated, brain health experts say there are affordable steps you can take to improve your brain’s function. Read on for their tips.
Recognizing what is happening
Jim Quick is an internationally recognized brain optimization expert and author of the bestselling Limitless Expanded Edition . Overcoming learning challenges related to childhood brain injury inspired him to help others improve their memory and learning. It pays attention to the impact of our electronics. Although many people think they just forget more easily, he points out that because of the constant array of distractions, “they never really paid attention to begin with. So they blame the withholding of information, but actually the reason is more in their attention».
He adds: “A lot of people read something and get easily distracted. No wonder they can’t remember many things — their minds wander. One reason is that we struggle with digital distraction these days. Every ring, ping, and notification from a social media alert app distracts us. And we wonder why we can’t focus and remember the things we need to do in meetings or with our family.”
«You humans aren’t the only ones struggling with digital distraction,» Quick says, «there’s something called digital dementia. It’s a phenomenon where we hand over our memory to our devices, which remember things for us: our calendars, our to-do lists. We’ve lost the ability to remember a phone number or our PIN or our access password or something we’ve just read.”
Change your way of thinking
Dr. Carolyn Leaf is a communication pathologist, clinical and research neurologist, podcast host, and author of numerous books on brain health, including Clearing Your Mental Clutter, Think, Learn, Succeed, and Think and Eat Smart «. She points out that another common culprit is simply pushing ourselves too hard. «One thing that makes it difficult for women to feel focused and productive is the belief that they have exhausted their resources of compassion, empathy and energy. This mindset is crippling to focus and productivity.” In reality, she points out, anyone can become exhausted from a chaotic thought life that doesn’t include enough time to recharge.
Another thing to keep in mind is that stress and too many tasks on our list also make it very difficult to focus. After listening to yet another podcast or seeing yet another productivity expert’s social media post, you might think you need yet another tool, but maybe you need a break—or less work.
Dr. Leaf says that instead of worrying about feeling like we’re losing focus and productivity and that there’s something wrong with us, we should shift our mindset to something like, «I have an unlimited supply of energy, productivity, and focus, I’m just tired and I need to give my mind and brain a chance to reset”.
Knowing you need to change and actually changing, however, are two different things. «Knowledge has the potential to be power,» says Quick, «but it only becomes power when we use it.» «Some people could learn a lot, they could read books, but their lives will not change unless they take some new action based on what they learn.» So knowing that you’re overwhelmed can be a useful insight, but for it to make an impact on your experiences, you have to actually do something about it.
Fortunately, it doesn’t have to look like taking a vacation to go lay on the beach for six months. Just a few minutes a day can make a big difference.
«Designate a time during the day and week to slow down, meditate, and let your mind wander,» says Dr. Leaf. «These moments give your brain a break and allow it to reset and heal, which can increase your clarity of thought, help you cope with stress and improve your mood.» She calls these breaks «thinking moments.» She explains that in these 30-second to two-minute breaks, we «turn off the external and turn on the internal,» which gives the brain a chance to recharge so we can focus better and feel more productive.
Train your brain
Quick says, “Focus is a muscle. If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it. This is why mindfulness training is so important.” He explains that extensive research supports the role of mindfulness in improving memory, cognition and other aspects of mental and even physical well-being. «Another thing that can improve your memory is visualization,» Quick adds. «Let’s say you want to get better at remembering people’s names. There’s a saying that goes, «What you hear you forget, what you see you remember, what you do you understand», so you’ve heard the name, you’ve forgotten it. You’ve seen the face, you’ve remembered it.”
He recommends visualizing what you want to remember because «the visual cortex takes up a lot of space in your brain.» He advises coming up with images to associate with pieces of information you want to remember. This might look like coming up with a visual image to remind you of someone’s name.
If you default to multitasking, this can also drain your mental energy. Dr. Leaf points out that «research shows that deep, intellectual thought compared to multitasking in the brain activates the prefrontal cortex in a positive way,» leading to reduced distraction, better concentration, «and an overall increase in our ability to do things». It has also been found to benefit emotional regulation and decision-making.
If multitasking is a long-standing habit for you, Dr. Leaf encourages taking steps to train yourself to choose what to pay attention to in order to make this way of working more accessible. “It’s possible to get more done better in less time without multitasking! It can be something as simple as choosing to put your phone on silent during a meeting or asking people not to disturb you while you’re working on a deadline.”
Look at your diet
Dr. Uma Naidu is a Harvard-certified nutritional psychiatrist, professional chef, nutritional biologist, and author of the new book Calm Your Mind with Food and the international bestseller This Is Your Food Brain. To help your brain function better, she recommends paying attention to what you eat.
«A healthy diet consisting of a variety of whole foods ensures that the brain receives enough vitamins, minerals and nutrients to perform the many biochemical functions that keep us alive and emotionally well,» explains Dr. Naidoo. «Food also provides the body with necessary antioxidants and essential fats that help the brain fight damage from environmental toxins, protein to maintain healthy tissues, fiber to reduce neuroinflammation, amino acids that act as building blocks for hormones , and total calories that provide us with energy.”
A few foods that Dr. Naidu recommends to support better cognitive function include:
- Green leafy vegetables – “They are full of fiber and folic acid. Fiber nourishes the microbiome and reduces neuroinflammation, and folic acid regulates neurotransmitter function.”
- Fruits – “They are an excellent source of antioxidants that help reverse damage from oxidative stress.”
- Nuts and seeds – “They provide healthy fats that support healthy brain tissue.”
- Herbs and spices (eg turmeric combined with a pinch of black pepper, saffron, basil, parsley) – “These contain antioxidants and trace elements that help reduce neuroinflammation.”
- Fermented foods (eg, kimchi, sauerkraut, plain yogurt, kefir) – “Fermented foods contain natural live cultures that support a diversity of good bacteria in the gut” that have been shown to play an essential role in brain function.
Stress management
Stress is another factor that makes us lose focus and feel like we can’t get as much done. Chronic stress can shrink the human brain and put you in fight-or-flight mode, making you hostage to survival thinking and taking you away from executive functioning, from creativity, from problem-solving.”
Since eliminating stressors is not always possible, it is essential to manage your stress. Quick recommends figuring out what mechanisms you have in place to deal with it . «Some people use meditation, others exercise, still others nature or bodywork.» It also emphasizes the importance of prioritizing restful sleep to protect your physical, emotional and mental energy.
Dr. Naidoo recommends turning to certain foods that have been shown to counteract the effects of stress and promote feelings of relaxation. In addition to the foods recommended for overall brain health, she says, «you can also reach for soothing teas like chamomile, lavender, or passionflower, as well as magnesium-rich foods like avocados and dark, natural chocolate.»
Include time for mental recharging
Scheduling mental breaks into your day and even including them on your calendar can help you make recharge time a part of your routine. Dr. Leaf says, «We must not forget that while our mind is always active, our physical brain needs a break from time to time, which is why thinking moments are so important.» She adds, «Reflective moments can also help improve your sleep schedule, which is important not only for clearing your mind and increasing performance, but also for your mood.»
She shares something that she personally finds very helpful. «At least seven times a day (or, ideally, every hour if possible) I schedule a few seconds where I just let my mind wander, which really helps me focus and feel less stressed. I also take breaks during the day where I just dream for a few minutes, which activates the alpha wave, calms me down, increases the feeling of happiness and helps me relax. This is especially effective outside in the sun, especially if I’ve been «locked» in the office all day staring at the computer.»
She recommends setting a time on your electronic calendar or phone as a reminder of these moments. According to her, meditation, breathing exercises and even drawing are also great ways to help yourself calm down and let your mind wander. The latter, she explains, is especially helpful if you feel that your worries are preventing you from letting your mind relax and wander.
When to seek help
If you try the above tips and still don’t feel better, talk to your doctor about how you’re feeling. It can check for hidden problems such as nutrient deficiencies, health conditions or sleep disorders that can affect mental function and energy. Talking to a therapist can also be a valuable tool, especially if you find that stress and overwhelm are at the root of your difficulties with focus and productivity.
