Attention and Focus

Attention is the key to taking in information from the world around us and storing it. It is the step that comes before memorizing, and if we are not able to pay attention, our ability to form memories will suffer.

Several disorders and health conditions are linked to attention problems. The one most directly related is ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder). But there are other conditions, such as schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease and depression, among others, that can affect alertness or attention.

Often, our ability to pay attention to what is around us is reduced by circumstances such as stress, tiredness or anxiety.

Here are some tips to improve your attention so you can be more effective in your daily tasks:

• Playing sports has proven to be one of the best habits, since it is a protective factor against a number of illnesses.
• It is important that your workspace or study space does not have too many things that could distract you. It is a good idea to keep distractions like your cell phone out of reach. A good solution can be to turn it off or put it in "airplane mode" while you work on a specific task.
• We humans are not able to focus our attention for 8 hours straight; it is impossible, although the amount of time we can perform at our best varies from person to person. Two breaks of 15 to 20 minutes during the workday are recommended.
• It helps to plan your workday by alternating different tasks so you do not end up doing them on autopilot. That way your interest does not fade and you can improve your attention. When we pay attention to the same task or the same stimulus for a long time, we get bored and our performance drops.
• Keep the idea of sleep hygiene in mind. It is about improving the way we go to bed so we can fall asleep and get restful sleep. For example, use your bed only for sleeping and not for watching TV, do not go to bed on an empty stomach, practice relaxation exercises before bed, and so on.
• Focus your attention. Staying centered on one task instead of doing several at once is better for your performance. Plan the day's tasks, estimating how long each one will take and trying to stick to it. A good habit is to write down, every day before you start working, everything you need to do and how long you expect it to take.