Whether you are driving with kids screaming within the backseat or trying to read a book at a coffee shop while someone talks loudly on the phone, attention is important to navigating and interacting with the world.
However, attention has a limited capability, which suggests we will only process so many things directly. That is why it’s so essential to have the ability to filter out distractions that will distract you from the duty at hand.
New research highlights the importance of every day meditation, exercise and sleep for improving executive functioning, the element of attention that helps us prioritize what we wish to do and filter out unwanted distractions.
I’m currently conducting doctoral research on the University of Klein Lab at Dalhousie University, which explores all things related to attention. This includes each basic research on how different areas of the brain influence how people interact with the world, and applied research to develop game-like tools that measure kid’s attention. I recently published a review of over 70 studies taking a look at how different elements of lifestyle affect attention.
Executive function
(Pixabay/Gerd Altmann)
When we study attention within the laboratory, we break it down into various unique components that serve different purposes. Executive functioning is what kicks in while you’re trying to focus in a distracting environment, comparable to having a conversation while your favorite TV show is playing within the background, or while you’re coping with an impulse, comparable to resisting the temptation to have one other potato chip.
Executive functioning also involves monitoring distracting thoughts, like getting lost in a dream. This is brought on by various different disorders, including: attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) i depression.
My review shows that by implementing every day meditation, consistent exercise, and maintaining healthy sleep habits, you possibly can increase the effectiveness of your executive functioning. So when you want to improve your productivity and reduce impulsivity, chances are you’ll want to consider making these changes to your routine.
Meditation
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Meditation is among the best ways to improve executive functioning. Even after only five days and 20 minutes of meditation day-after-day, an improvement within the efficiency of filtering distracting aspects was observed. There didn’t seem to be a greater meditation technique so long as the major goal was meditation attention control (specializing in something specific). A typical technique used to gain attention control in meditation is to deal with your respiration and try to let go of unwanted thoughts.
Some studies have also checked out yoga, which incorporates meditation-like elements. However, yoga didn’t improve executive functioning as did other techniques whose primary goal was attention control. although yogis improved overall response speed.
It’s unclear how long these improvements in attention last after meditation, however it’s clear that for anyone looking to improve their executive functioning, attention ought to be a part of their every day routine.
Exercises
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The Government of Canada recommends that folks over the age of 18 receive it 150 minutes of exercise per week to stay healthy. It also plays a major role in executive functioning. I examined how various aspects influenced executive functioning, including how often individuals exercised, how intensely they exercised, and what exercises they performed.
People who reported receiving it six hours of physical activity per week showed improved executive functioning compared to sedentary people. Additionally, people participating in a high-intensity sprint program for a two-week period not only did they outperform the control group on measures of executive functioning, but in addition they made fewer errors.
Although standing and treadmill work did produce improvements in other elements of physical health after just 4 days, they didn’t obtain the cognitive boost seen with other moderate-to-high-intensity exercise. This signifies that when you want to improve your cognitive function, you might have to really get your heart rate up.
To sleep
(Pexels/Andrea Piacquadio)
It can also be essential to consider the quantity of sleep, as people often limit their rest due to work and social responsibilities. Although several studies included within the review found that reduced sleep resulted in poorer executive functioning, the more common result was poorer overall performance. Reduced sleep didn’t affect specific elements of attention in the identical way as meditation and exercise. Instead, it made people slower to react and more prone to making mistakes.
However, many of the sleep studies included on this review focused on keeping people awake for twenty-four hours. This will not be very representative of how most individuals experience reduced sleep. Future research should consider how people’s sleep quality affects their executive functioning. This information is especially essential for people working in situations where lack of attention poses a possible risk, comparable to air traffic controllers or operators of heavy machinery.
There are many elements of our cognition that we’ve got no influence on. Executive functioning capabilities are largely genetically determined. However, this review provides promising evidence that there are changes you possibly can make to your every day routine that may positively impact your concentration.
So when you want an additional edge, start meditating, get your heart rate up and go to bed early!