Busy busy busy; you might recognize the feeling. You are very busy and it feels like your tasks are not being completed. Distraction lurks around every corner and is your own worst enemy. You would like to be able to focus on different tasks without getting distracted. But what exactly is distracting you? How do you stay focused? In this blog I will explain how you can improve your concentration through a number of tips & tricks.

What is distracting you?

As a first step, it is important to find out what exactly is distracting you. Below are some examples:

1. Daily chores that you want to have done, but that are not work related.

“Ill first clean up before I continue with this report” or “I ll just clean out the dishwasher”.

2. Negative thoughts about yourself that make you lose concentration.

“I can’t do this in this amount of time anyway” from “You see, I’m all over the place again today”.

3. Negative thoughts about your work environment.

“My colleague isn’t going to agree, so it makes no sense to do this now,”.

4. External situations which grab your attention.

A sick relative, a friend asking for help or an argument with your partner.

5. External factors that lead to choices that feel good in the short term, but won’t help in the long term.

For example, a friend who asks you to go for a walk or have lunch. Which sounded like a good idea at the time, but actually leaves you in a difficult situation. 

In which of the above examples do you identify with?

Making a change

Once you are aware of what exactly is distracting you, it is time to make a change! How can you make sure that you stay focused?

1. Make your task or goal concrete

Write it down and visualize what it will take to reach this goal. By keeping an eye on the goal, you are less likely to be distracted. A friend who wants to call or go for a walk with you? As nice as it sounds, now is not the time, maybe later.

2. Dedication

Take your goal seriously and make the right decisions regarding your goal. Correct yourself when you are being distracted and remind yourself of the task at hand. Dare to say no to your friends and colleagues; for example to a colleague who asks for extra help.

3. Discipline

Discipline is needed to start tasks, but also to complete them! You can train discipline, a bit like a muscle, by rewarding yourself for completing tasks. For example, give yourself a walk as soon as you have completed a task. Discipline creates a feeling of accomplishment and a clear mind, which in turn, will increase your self-esteem. How are you going to reward yourself when you have accomplished something?

4. Self-confidence

Are you being held back by doubt or indecision because you don’t have trust in your own abilities? Focus your attention on the task. It’s just a job; sometimes they are fun and sometimes not. Get started and when in doubt, ask for help.

5. Be realistic

Poor concentration and too many tasks? These two reinforce each other. When you have taken on too many tasks, your mind is less clear and more ‘noisy’ making it difficult to concentrate and perform your tasks to a good standard. Is your head too ‘full’? It can be helpful to take on less. Be realistic and critical in what is feasible for you: this can always change.

6. Start with the urgent or tedious tasks

As Brian Tracy, author of the book “Eat the Frog” says, do the difficult tasks you dread first (in the morning) and the easy things later. By doing this you avoid procrastination and ultimately the day ends up not being too bad.

Work on yourself

Finally, it is important that you consciously try to work on this. Schedule a day and keep the above tips in mind:

• Limit external distractions
• Make a clear overview of tasks for that day
• Correct yourself when your attention deviates
• Earphones in and binaural beats on (huh, binaural beats?)
• Be realistic: what is feasible for today?

Schedule in the assignment via “plan activity” in NiceDay and tick it off at the end of the day. How did it go? Also check out the article “Train your attention with these tips”.

Concentration is the capacity to control your attention in such a way you can focus on 1 task, object or thought. Controlling your attention is important to prevent distraction. In the busy world of today we’re used to do all kinds of things at the same time and we process a lot of data during the day. This causes our brain to adapt and gets used to rapidly shifting your attention to different things. 

Maybe you recognize it that you want to study, but you also to respond to a message or you promised your grandma to call her. Because you’re spending time and attention to everything at the same time, you’re in fact way less efficient. 

If you have trouble concentrating, there’s a big chance you will quit doing your tasks faster. Because what’s the point if you just can’t concentrate? Luckily, concentration is a skill, which means you can improve it. 

Tips to learn to concentrate

Below you will find exercises that help you improve your concentration.

1. Try focusing on a simple task. For example making a puzzle or color a picture. Try to do it for 10 minutes straight. Do you notice any distraction? Try to force you to finish those 10 minutes first. If you are able to complete simple tasks fully concentrated, you will notice you will get better at doing more complex tasks too.
2. Play some music and practice shifting your attention by listening to the different elements in a song. Listen for example 10 seconds to the vocals first, then move to the drums and then listen to the melodies. If you think 10 seconds are easy, try adding 5 seconds each time.
3. Count back from 100 to 0 in your head. If this is very easy for you, try skipping 3 numbers each time. So 100, 97, 94 and so on.
4. You can practice your concentration while walking outside on the streets too! Try paying attention to your surroundings and count all the red cars you’re seeing for a few minutes. Done? Then switch to counting all the blue cars. If you feel this is becoming easier, you can try to count both the red and blue cars at the same time. Challenge yourself!
5. Take 5 minutes to relax and sit down and focus on everything you sense. What do you see? What do you hear? What do you feel? What do you taste? What do you smell? If you notice your thoughts are wandering off, try to focus on your breathing. Or focus on a central point, for example a wall.

Do you notice that you are getting better with these exercises? Challenge yourself and make the exercise more difficult! Maybe you’ll discover you are able to visually concentrate very well, but sounds are still very distracting. Then you can aim your exercises to practice with sound. 

The exercises are mostly meant to be examples. Try applying them on your own creative way! If you notice you’re having a hard time, you can try to do a relaxation exercise first. That will always help!

A lot of different and interesting things happen around us all the time. There are many interesting noises, extraordinary images or fascinating people; our brain likes to wander off and loves to seek intriguing things. Do you recognize this feeling? You are writing an important email and at the same time you receive an interesting text for example. Meanwhile, your co-workers are talking about something that draws your attention and at the same time your favorite song is playing on the radio. And it’s gone… you can’t focus on writing the important email.

Our thoughts are usually all over the place. We think we can multitask but in fact, nothing could be further from the truth. Our intelligence is even at risk when we try to multitask. Maintaining focussed and staying concentrated… how do you do it? And how can music enhance your concentration?

I am trying to stay concentrated while writing this article and that is the reason why I am listening to binaural beats at the same time.

What are binaural beats?

Binaural beats are songs with a specific low frequency (pitch). According to some researchers our brain really likes to follow the binaural music. Binaural beats seem to be good for relaxation, reducing pain and enhancing focus. The story behind binaural beats is very technical. Simply put, one sound is being sent to your left ear and another sound is being sent to your right ear. Because there is a mathematical difference between the sounds in left and right, these soundwaves start to vibrate. And the difference between left and right makes a perfect frequency for our brain and causes us to relax and focus.

Do you want to try it out?

1. Make sure you have good headphones. Headphones are able to reproduce low frequencies of better quality. It is also important that external noises cannot disturb you. Click on this link for our binaural sounds Spotify playlist.
2. Start doing the task that requires your attention. Try to eliminate distracting factors. For example: put your phone away or try to work in a quiet room.
3. Focus on your task, try not to focus on the music.

According to researchers, the following will happen: you will be more alert, you are more focused on your tasks and your IQ will even increase a little bit. (For the nerds: frequencies in the Beta range have the biggest impact when it comes to attention span. The Beta range is from 14 to 30 Hz.)

NiceDay

In NiceDay you can plan activities. Try to plan an music activity and discover if music enhances your concentration span. Click on this link to listen to the binaural beats our NiceDay coaches picked out for you!

In general, work involves a lot of stress. Usually everything gets done at the same time, and often this has to happen as quickly as possible. The downside of this is that you are less productive and experience less pleasure in your work. How good will it be if you experience less stress at work through mindfulness and therefore feel better about yourself? Read in this article how you can be more mindful during work.

Say goodbye to multitasking

The American psychologists David Strayer and James Watson say that our brain is not made for multitasking, because we can only focus on one thing at a time. If you do two things at the same time, you have to constantly switch your attention back and forth, and this has major consequences on your productivity. It makes no sense to answer emails during a meeting and to start working on an approaching deadline. In order to be mindful at work, for example, you can start a meeting with one or two minutes of silence, alone or with your colleagues. During this mindful moment, you pay attention to the moment itself.

To-do list

Make a priority list! This list contains the tasks you can accomplish for that day. It is important that these tasks are reasonable, because it does not make sense to complete 20 tasks in one day. It is also important that you plan at least three moments of rest on this list. You can stretch your legs for a few minutes, get coffee / lunch, or get a fresh breath of air. By giving your mind a little break, you recharge yourself and you can get back to work!

Meditation at work

When people hear the word ‘meditation’ they often think about sitting on the floor in a particular position. However, meditation is also possible without anyone noticing it. During this meditation moment you take some time for yourself with the aim to let your thoughts come to rest. You can do this while walking to a meeting, getting coffee, and even when you’re in the restroom. It is about being aware of your thoughts and being in the moment. Also pay attention to your breathing and body posture.

NiceDay app

Do you want to be more mindful at work? Plan ‘mindful moments’ in NiceDay and write in your diary how this has been for you.

How do you train your memory? Everybody forgets something from time to time, some more than others. There are several reasons that you are forgetful, but mostly it’s nothing to worry about. However, it can be quite frustrating. This article discusses what you can do to stimulate your brain.

Train your brain?

At first it’s important to know that your memory isn’t a muscle, so ‘training’ your brain might not be the right word. However, you can help your brain a little, for example by using a mnemonic. This will make remembering easier for you. In addition, it’s very important to keep your brain healthy. You can do this in different ways. For example, it’s important to exercise, get enough sleep and to eat healthy.

Exercise

We know that enough exercise is important for our health, but it also has a positive effect on our brain! Your brain produces a special chemical during movement which creates new brain cells and connections between brain cells. Also, it reduces the breakdown of dopamine. Dopamine is responsible for muscle movements and helps to find more pleasure and joy in life.

Sleep-learning

A good night sleep, of about seven hours, will literally make you feel more awake. This will make you more aware of your environment, so you don’t miss out on important information.

Good food is good mood

A varied and healthy dietary pattern is important for the brain. There are many nutrients that support the function of the brain. For example, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fatty acids. These nutrients have a positive effect on the way you’re processing information, on your concentration and on your memory. In order to consume as many nutrients as possible, it’s useful to eat as varied as possible. Vitamins, minerals and antioxidants are in vegetables, fruit, eggs, dairy products and meat.

NiceDay: Set some goals for yourself. Start easy, for example with walking for at least 30 minutes a day or taking an extra piece of fruit daily. Maybe it helps you to get a steady sleeping pattern, then try to go to bed on time.

Do you also love the smell of fresh coffee beans? A lot of people drink coffee everyday. Do you also like to start the day with a cup of coffee? People think coffee is not good for them because of the caffeine it contains… However, drinking a couple cups of coffee a day is not that bad!

Healthiness

There is prove that drinking two to four cups of coffee a day can decrease the risk of heart diseases with 10%. The same thing for a stroke, also here is the risk 10% lower. Another positive effect is that drinking one or two cups of coffee improves the concentration.

Negative effects of coffee

The caffeine in the coffee causes these health effects, but it can also have a negative effect. Negative effects occur when you drink too much coffee, you can get anxiety, rushed feelings and trouble with sleeping. Whether this happens or not differs per person.

So, is coffee healthy or not?

Coffee is not bad for your health when you drink one to four cups a day. Also you need to consider how you drink your coffee, for example milk and sugar. Drinking coffee just black is the healthiest. If you don’t like black coffee, you can use a sugar alternative or normal milk instead of coffee milk. Also you can consider to drink caffeine free coffee. This will not affect your energy level.

NiceDay: Write down how you feel when you drink coffee. Do you experience the negative or positive effects?  

Nuts are healthier than we think! They contain many nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, which are essential for good health. We used to believe that eating nuts makes us gain weight, because it contains a lot of fat and kilocalories. Nevertheless, nuts fit in everybody’s diet and here are four reasons why:

More nuts, less kilocalories

Huh, less kilocalories? That’s right. Next to kilocalories, nuts also contain unsaturated fat, protein and fibers. This gives you a fuller feeling when eating nuts. Because eating nuts can be filling, therefor you won’t put much food on your plate. As a result, you aren’t putting on weight that fast and you don’t have that hungry feeling.

Would you like to know which nuts contain which nutrients? Click here!

My heart beats for nuts

Hm, eating a handful of nuts everyday? Don’t mind if I do! It’s delicious, but also healthy for the heart. Nuts contain unsaturated fat, fats from vegetable products. By eating products with unsaturated fats, your cholesterol level will drop. This decrease reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. Saturated fats increase cholesterol levels. You can find saturated fats in animal products like meat and full-cream milk, but also in cake and snacks.

Smarter eating

Some nuts contain omega-3-fatty acids, these are unsaturated fats. These fatty acids are important for brain communication. The myelin layer of the axons is maintained by the omega-3-fatty acids. Myelin is responsible for quick communication. Too little omega-3-fatty acids can lead to cognitive problems, such as forgetfulness or a reduced concentration. In unsalted nuts contain a lot of omega-3-fatty acids. But you also can find it in fatty fish, such as mackerel.

Chewing to a better concentration

Scientist are still researching how chewing influences your brain. Chewing causes blood flow in different areas. Chewing influences the memory and your concentration. However, chewing during a task can have a negative influence on your concentration, you can get distracted by your own chewing. Therefore it’s best to eat a handful of nuts prior to a task, so you can chew to full concentration.  

NiceDay: Plan a moment in your Daily Planner to eat some nuts. Did it improve your concentration level?

Your feelings are extremely important to your well-being. If you are feeling under the weather, you’ll notice the influence on all kinds of things, like motivation, productivity, and amount of activities you’ll attempt. On the other hand, positive feelings ensure the improvement of these things. If you engage in enough activities, if you’re productive and enjoy things, it will maintain your well-being. Nutrition also plays a major part here. Whether you want to lift your bad mood, want to reduce stress or simply want to be comfortable with yourself, food can never be skipped.

Reduce physical stress
First of all, it’s important to know that people who feel mentally unwell for a long period of time, often have an increased number of inflammatory markers. These markers are body-own proteins. During periods of physical stress, such as an open wound or fever, these proteins help restore your body.

Optimize your diet
It is possible to reduce these inflammatory substances through food, making you feel literally more comfortable. The major causes of these inflammatory substances are added sugars, processed cereal products, and processed meat. Within two weeks, eating more fruits, vegetables, fatty fish and nuts, can reduce these inflammatory substances by 33%. This gives the body less stress and more rest, lifting your mood and reducing complaints. In addition to these foods, you should, of course, also avoid too much stress in your daily life.

Antioxidants
There is also a link between dietary antioxidants, and keeping your brain healthy. Similar to an apple that turns brown when you leave it for some time, your body cells will oxidize through free radicals. Antioxidants from nutrition restrain this process, just like citric acid that keeps the apple fresher. Keeping your brain healthy, for example, affects strokes and Alzheimer’s, but also improves your memory and mood!

Nutrition with antioxidants
Blackberries, blueberries, currants and strawberries contain a lot of antioxidants, so take them as a snack or as an addition to a dish. Also onions, garlic and herbs, such as cinnamon or turmeric contain many antioxidants. Lastly, don’t forget about red wine, pure chocolate, tea and nuts. Consume these products moderately to make you feel better … not just by the taste!

Gain for your brain
Just as important as antioxidants, is consuming enough healthy fats. Often our omega-3 intake is less than ideal, while this fat is repeatedly associated with your mood, brain ability, and feelings of pleasure. A higher intake of omega-3 rich foods, such as fatty fish and eggs at an evening meal, nuts such as walnuts as a snack, or flaxseed and chia seed to add to your breakfast or shake, literally cause chemical reactions in your body that make your brain experience more comfortable feelings.

Therefore, remember to pay some extra attention, once in awhile, to what you eat if you do not feel comfortable mentally. As you step over that threshold you will notice that you can feel better with good nutrition!

Goals: Set Eat Goal for more structure in your eating pattern. Remember in advance what products you want to fetch to make you feel better. Note in the Feel Goal whether it affects overall well-being. In Free Goal, schedule healthy eating for a minimum of 4 dinners a week, for example.