How’s your concentration? Have you found it hard to focus on what’s important because you feel scattered? You’re not alone! We live in unprecedented times where being pulled in many directions while being bombarded with information and stimulation is common. Smartphones, instant messaging, streaming video, and other on-demand conveniences can make life easier, but often times more complicated. After a while it can be hard to focus and know what’s most important.
There’s a LOT Vying for Your Attention
It’s hard to get through the day without a series of alerts letting you know you’ve got mail, a voice message, an urgent text, or something else vying for your attention. Living in a world where contact is easier than ever, also has its setbacks. Each time someone tries to connect with you, they don’t realize everything else you’ve got going on. We live in a time where busyness is a badge of honor and multi-tasking is considered a top-tier skill, but the pressure to respond and connect can keep you from being focused on one thing at a time.
Overstimulation Can Make You Scattered
Our conscious and subconscious mind is being bombarded with stimulation. Our senses are constantly being overloaded by stimuli. Light, sound, temperature, and even scents can overwhelm the senses and make it hard to concentrate. When these issues overlap it can really send you into overdrive. As your brain tries to make sense of everything and compensate for the overstimulation, it can make it harder and harder to focus. Over time, being scattered can be the default for your brain.
Age, Diet, and Toxins Can Contribute to Feeling Scattered
We’ve all laughed at the middle-age jokes taking a jab at memory loss, but age can be a contributing factor for feeling scattered. As we age, our brains need stimulation to stay sharp and help us focus. Our diet also plays a role in our ability to focus. Some foods cause brain fog, drops and spikes in blood sugar and blood pressure, which contribute to our inability to focus. Toxins in our environment can also impact our ability to focus. Short and long-term exposure to toxic substances can result in scattered thinking and having foggy-feeling brain.
Mental Fatigue Can Cause Scattered Thinking
Dealing with intense situations can cause mental fatigue and make it harder to focus. Being pre-occupied with too many problems can distract you and prevent you from thinking clearly. Being overwhelmed or burdened physically or emotionally can leave you feeling scattered and unable to focus on what’s important.
Take a Deep Breath, It’s Time to Get Focused
Feeling scattered can make it hard to know where to put your emphasis. It’s best to start by stopping anything that’s not vital. Taking a deep breath and realizing you can’t do it all, right now, can help. Realizing you feel scattered but aren’t sure where to start for your focus can help you stop and evaluate your next steps. From there you can start to narrow your focus and boost your production.
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