Concentration is a complex cognitive process involving various parts of the brain, mainly the frontal lobe, which is responsible for focus and attention. It is also related to short-term (working memory) and our long-term memory. How you use your brain determines your concentration.
1. Medical aspects of concentration
From a medical or neurological point of view, concentration is a function of brain activity involving networks of areas. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays an important role in the outer prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), especially involving in executive functions such as attention maintenance, working memory, and cognitive flexibility. Neurotransmitters, which are chemicals that transmit signals in the brain, also play a crucial role in concentration. Dopamine and norepinephrine are especially important. These neurotransmitters help regulate attention and attention. When the levels of these neurotransmitters are balanced, concentration is generally easier. However, if the levels are not correct, you may experience focus problems. For example, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often causes problems with concentration and concentration due to defects in the production or control of these neurotransmitters.
2. Psychological aspects of concentration
1) Synchronization:
If you are interested in something or feel that it is fun, you are more likely to be able to focus on it. Conversely, tasks that are boring or meaningless can be more difficult to focus on.
2) Psychological aspects of emotional state:
If you are stressed, anxious, or angry, these feelings can make it harder to concentrate. On the other hand, if you are calm and satisfied, it may be easier to concentrate.
3) Mental fatigue:
Just like your body, your mind can get tired. If you concentrate for a long time, you are generally tired, or you don't get enough sleep, you can lose your concentration.
4) Psychological change by environment:
Concentration can be affected by the environment. It can be difficult to concentrate in noisy, busy, or chaotic environments, while it is easy to concentrate in a quiet, tidy space.
5) Health and lifestyle:
Common health and lifestyle factors can also affect concentration. Regular exercise, a healthy diet, and enough sleep can improve concentration. On the other hand, sedentary lifestyles, bad diets, and lack of sleep can make concentration harder.
3. Medical reasons for people with good concentration
The ability to strengthen a high degree of concentration depends primarily on various areas of the brain. The main areas involved are.
1) The frontal lobe cortex (PFC):
The frontal lobe is a cerebral lobe located in the anterior part of the cerebral hemisphere. Along with the parietal lobe, temporal lobe, and occipital lobe, it is one of the main areas that make up the cerebral cortex. It is known to be involved in reasoning, planning, exercise, emotion, and problem-solving, especially in the prefrontal cortex located in the front of the frontal lobe, it controls higher behavior such as memory and thinking, and adjusts information and behavior from other allied areas. The PFC, located in the front of the brain, is considered a control center for "executive functions" These functions include attention, prediction of outcomes of behavior, impulse control, and emotional response management. PFC helps us focus on tasks, manage distractions, and maintain our mental effort to complete tasks. In the frontal lobe, dopamine regulates the flow of information from other parts of the brain. In this area of the brain, dopamine disorders can affect neurocognitive functions, especially memory, attention, and problem-solving functions. Lack of dopamine in the prefrontal cortex can cause attention deficit.
2) Front Cingulate Cortex (ACC):
The anterior cortex of the brain is involved in decision making, emotion regulation, and error detection. You can focus your attention on tasks and maintain them over time.
3) Parietal lobe:
Parietal lobes process sensory information from the outside world, which plays an important role in where we pay attention.
4) Dopamine:
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter present in the central nervous system and is also a precursor to adrenaline and noradrenaline. In other words, it's before adrenaline and norepinephrine are synthesized. It is secreted by dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra (SN) and ventral tactile area (VTA) areas of the brain and is involved in the brain in various ways, including motivation, happiness, memory, cognition, and motor control. Excessive or insufficient dopamine in the brain affects the causes of ADHD, schizophrenia, dementia, and depressive disorders. Parkinson's disease is a disease in which cells that produce black dopamine are uniquely destroyed and exercise ability is gradually reduced. In other words, studies have shown that patients with Parkinson's disease lack dopamine in their brains. So dopamine is being used to treat Parkinson's disease. Dopamine, often associated with pleasure and reward, also plays a crucial role in attention and concentration. The optimal level of dopamine is needed for continuous concentration. Too much or too little can cause attention problems.
5) Norepinephrine:
It is a hormone and a neurotransmitter. It serves to control attention and response behavior. Higher norepinephrine activity in the brain promotes attention and concentration.
6) Acetylcholine:
This neurotransmitter is especially important for attention and memory. It helps the brain filter out irrelevant information, improving concentration and attention to related inputs.
7) Healthy brain function:
People with good concentration are likely to have a well-functioning PFC and a balanced level of these important neurotransmitters. In addition, good concentration is often associated with overall brain health, which can be affected by factors such as regular physical exercise, a well-balanced diet, proper sleep, and good mental health habits.
4. Training to improve concentration.
1) Mindfulness Meditation:
Mindfulness involves paying attention to the present moment without judging. Regular practice of mindfulness meditation can help improve concentration. To get started, take a few minutes each day in a quiet space and focus on your breathing. If your mind starts to wander, gently return to your breath.
2) Increased exercise and concentration:
You can get many effects through exercise. Some of them can be obtained immediately, which has the effect of feeling good right after exercise. On the other hand, in order to improve concentration, the longer you continue to exercise, the greater the effect. This article highlighted the relationship between brain and concentration, but exercise can relieve stress and improve memory. Regular physical activity is good for brain health. It can improve blood flow, manage stress, and improve concentration. A little walk can help. Choose your favorite activity to increase your chances of continuing.
3) Get plenty of sleep:
Lack of quality sleep can have a significant impact on concentration during the day. Try to maintain a regular sleep schedule, create a quiet and comfortable sleep environment, and ensure good sleep hygiene by avoiding screens before going to bed.
4) Pomodoro Techniques:
This technique involves dividing tasks into intervals (typically 25 minutes of work followed by 5 minutes of rest). This can help prevent mental fatigue and improve concentration.
5) To practice active reading:
When reading, try to participate in the material by taking notes, emphasizing important points, or summarizing what you read in your own words. This can help you concentrate and preserve your information better.
6) Restrict Obstacles:
Create a dedicated space for your work or study. Turn off notifications from your phone or computer and let others know not to get in the way during intensive working hours.
7) Train your brain with puzzles and games:
Brain training games and puzzles such as Sudoku, Crossword, or memory games can help improve concentration and attention.
8) Eat a healthy diet for your brain:
Some foods can improve brain health. Omega-3 fatty acids (found in fatty fish, walnuts, and tooth seeds), antioxidants (found in berries, tea, and dark chocolate), and whole grains can all contribute to better brain function.
9) Deep Work Practice:
"Deep work" is a concept developed by Cal Newport that involves focusing on tasks that are cognitively required. Technology that can quickly acquire complex information and produce better results in less time.
10) Conscious breathing:
When you find your mind wandering, try a quick mental breathing exercise. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths, focus on the sense of breath that enters and exits your body. This allows you to refocus.
5. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
1) Symptoms
The main symptom is that you can't concentrate, move around a lot, and act impulsively. I get tired of everything and I can't concentrate because I'm distracted when I study. There are cases in which addition and subtraction are not possible even in the second or third grade of elementary school due to poor learning skills for about two years and poor writing and calculation. If carelessness and hyperactivity are severe enough to interfere with daily life or classes, you should suspect ADHD first.
2) For exceptions
But busy and distracting may not all be ADHD. There are also quiet ADHDs with no hyperactivity and no concentration. Some children can't concentrate on other things for a moment, but they show symptoms of "attention control deficiency" that they focus on for hours when they play computer games and the Internet. ADHD is a disease that inevitably appears in modern times. This is a lifestyle disease caused by a combination of a Western-style diet that accumulates anger, nuclear familyization, individualism, selfishness, excessive protection for children, addiction to electronic devices such as TVs and computers, and stress.
6. Healthy food for the frontal lobe
1) Green tea
It relieves anger well, but when anger goes down, the head and eyes become clear. It removes burnout, stabilizes your mind, relieves your diet, and urinates well.
2) A lotus leafs
It cools the heart and cleans the mind.
3) A bamboo leafs
It has a cold temper and tastes calm and a little sweet.
It cools the heat of the heart and stomach. It treats fever and insomnia caused by fever, stuffy chest, thirst, red urine and difficulty coming out, and inflammation of the mouth and tongue. People with a short temper and red face and tongue should eat it often. People with very weak energy and low fever should eat carefully.
4) A rice rolls
▶ Ingredients: 30g coalition, 30g lotus roots, 200g rice
▶ Recipe: Soak lotus rice in water for about 2 hours, and grind lotus roots to juice.
▶ Efficacy: Lotus rice and lotus roots help the heart, spleen, and kidneys as they relieve heart anger. Develop your mind, stop diarrhea. Black bean rice or millet rice is also good for children, but it is best to add kites.
▶ How to take it: Take it once a day frequently.
▶ Caution: Do not allow constipation or indigestion.
5) Water parsley juice and jujube soup
▶ Ingredients: 200g of water parsley, ten jujubes
▶ How to cook: The water parsley is juiced and boiled for about 30 minutes with jujube to cool.
▶ Efficacy: Water parsley is a healthy food for children. Stopping the stuffy and thirsty, cultivating the mind, and replenishing the affection of the kidneys. Water parsley juice removes heat poison and jujube strengthens the blood of the liver and stabilizes the mind. It treats headaches, dizziness, and insomnia caused by stress, so it is also good for neurological hypertension in adults.
▶ How to take it: Take it once or twice a day often. You can drink it with a little brown sugar. If you add water parsley juice to the boiled water, it is better to cool down.
'English Version' 카테고리의 다른 글
Man, wear your underwear beautifully! (15) | 2023.05.18 |
---|---|
Surviving by Dodo's law (11) | 2023.05.17 |
Unbelievable washing method (12) | 2023.05.15 |
How to get out of night enuresis (9) | 2023.05.14 |
How to get rid of the cold sweat (8) | 2023.05.13 |
댓글