TIME TO REBOOT YOUR BRAIN

SHARED FROM

10 TRICKS TO REBOOT YOUR BRAIN

Feel sharper, concentrate better, and stop brain fog with these smart moves

By Ann Hettinger

http://www.prevention.com/health/brain-games/brain-tricks-stay-sharp-and-improve-your-memory

 

According to a joint study by Harvard University, Dartmouth College, and the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, our brain is naturally primed to wander whenever it can.  Researchers found that brain regions responsible for "task-unrelated thought" (that is, daydreaming or mind wandering) are almost constantly active when the brain is at rest or performing a task that doesn't require concentration.  Thus the incident of walking into a room and forget why you entered?  Or completely space out during an important meeting at work?  As frustrating as it is, experts say it's actually normal.  Brain experts say it's possible to corral that brainpower, filter out distractions, and master any task by improving your concentration.  Top tips for refocusing during key moments when your mind starts meandering:

Nos.	Environment	Situation	Tricks
1	At work	·         Among 124 people, mind wandering occurred about 30% of the time, even during crucial tasks—adding up to many hours of lost productivity ·         Boredom, fatigue, and stress all spur mind wandering, says study author Michael Kane, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro ·         women were no more likely than men to lose focus, they reported general worrying and anxiety when their attention drifted ·         Some mind wandering is simply your brain taking a healthy break, although sometimes it's best left for another occasion	Get organized ·         If there are several to-dos, decide what to tackle first, and clear all other projects off the desk and computer screen ·         Go easy on your cubicle's decor.  "Even family photos are potential thought stealers," Kane adds, because they're people you're prone to worry about. Participate ·         If you daydream during meetings, challenge yourself by thinking of questions and actively joining the discussion, suggests Jonathan W. Schooler, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. ·         You may miss a moment if you're formulating a question, but you'll stay focused on the current topic. Change your scenery ·         When you start to lose concentration, leave your desk and take a walk outside or to the office common space for a mental breather. This way, your brain associates your desk only with work, not mind wandering. ·         Warns Schooler: "If you don't take regular breaks—especially when you're not enjoying your job—your brain will take them for you."
2	In the car	·         Research shows we're most likely to space out during activities we can do automatically.	Tie a string on the steering wheel ·         When anticipating the day's workload, or what to cook for dinner—your brain begins to associate the car with zoning out, says Kane. ·         Visual cue such as a coloured string or dashboard sticker can snap you out of your "dream-driving" habit. Play a game ·         Those involving counting and geography are great ways for kids to pass the time en route—for good reason: The contests use items that you should be aware of while driving. Try tallying all the states represented by the license plates of the cars in front of you.
3	When you read	·         "Mindless reading" is common and requires considerable effort to control, says Schooler, who found that readers are actually mind wandering about 20% of the time: "Their eyes move across the page, but they're not thinking about the text," he says.	Take a break ·         Take time-outs to process the material; mentally recap plot points or a character's motive, for example. ·         "Periodically think over what you've read—it can improve comprehension, probably because it reduces mind wandering," Schooler says. Go backward ·         If you glossed over a few paragraphs, read them in reverse—reordering small packets of information can sometimes change how much of it you absorb. Join a club ·         A little peer pressure to finish a book by a certain date can go a long way, especially if you're expected to talk about the content. ·         Budget the number of pages you'll need to read daily, and if you own the book, write notes in the margin and mark meaningful passages to boost both concentration and comprehension.
4	If you have a personal problem	·         People who report being unhappy, usually because of a difficult problem, have more intense mind wandering during tasks than their carefree counterparts, according to studies by Jonathan Smallwood, PhD, a lecturer at the University of Aberdeen's school of psychology. ·         These feelings limit your ability to focus on anything else, he says: "You may spend a lot of time thinking about a problem when you're upset”	Get it off your chest ·         Talk about your worries with a friend or family member, either in person or on the telephone, to clear your head. ·         Writing down your thoughts may be as effective as saying them out loud: List ways to address the problem and then move on, recommends Eric Klinger, PhD, a professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Minnesota, Morris, who has studied thought patterns during daydreams. Meditate ·         a proven stress reliever, may also let you tune out distractions ·         sitting quietly for 30 minutes a day, focusing on breathing; when the subjects noticed their minds drifting, they gently guided their thoughts back to their breath ·         "Meditation trains you to put your attention where you want it and make sure it stays there," Jha says.