Lack Of Concentration: Causes And 10 Tips To Combat It
We are constantly carrying out complex actions and tasks that require a high level of concentration. Intense physical exercise, reading, working or studying, or even something as relatively simple as following the thread of a conversation require that we invest our mental resources in carrying out said action. But we often find that for different reasons we are not capable of doing so. We lose the thread.
And there are different elements that generate us lack of concentration which is noticeable in performance and daily tasks. Let’s see how to recognize these symptoms and what to do to overcome them.
The concept of concentration is not exactly new or unknown. All of us have used the term more than once, we know what it refers to and that we have this capacity to a greater or lesser extent. However, before starting to talk about when we are missing, it might be useful to make a brief description of what we understand as such.
Concentration is understood as the ability or capacity of the human being (and other species) to focus your cognitive resources on a stimulus or action, in such a way that the rest of the environment remains blurred and partially unattended unless some stimulation catches our attention. In other words, it can be understood as focusing attention on specific elements, selecting the stimulation and maintaining it. It allows us, as mentioned in the introduction, to follow the thread of a task and carry it out successfully.
In this skill The degree of motivation has a lot to do with it regarding what we are doing: it is much easier to concentrate when we want and like to do what we do, when it absorbs us. In fact, there are concepts, such as engagementbased on it.
Problems due to lack of concentration
But on more than one occasion we may not be able to maintain attention or invest enough mental resources to really concentrate on something, resulting in a lack of concentration. This at first glance may not seem particularly serious, especially if we take into account that we live in a society in which the most basic needs for survival are generally covered, but the truth is that it can represent a big problem and be disabling. to carry out an action effectively and efficiently. And it can have repercussions in various areas.
For example, at an academic or work level, our ability to concentrate allows us to carry out the tasks that are required of us or properly record what we have to do or keep in memory. Not being able to concentrate properly will mean that we need much more time to perform each action, or even that we will not be able to do it at that moment. It is something that has happened to all of us at some point, but it is very common and can lead to poor performance.
In more extreme cases, in which the subject was not able to concentrate at all for a long time, it could lead to school failure, conflicts at work or, in extreme cases, dismissal.
On a personal level, the lack of concentration also translates into little desire to act. If we want to do something but at the slightest we lose the thread We end up getting frustrated, and leaving it for another time.
When it comes to social relationships, it can also cause some difficulties. If we disconnect from the conversations they are having with us (which in general can be easy for the other to see), the other person may get the impression that we do not want or are not interested in the interaction, which can generate discomfort and even conflicts.
But there is no need to take it to the extreme either. All of us often have some moment of lack of concentration, and although it is experienced as something negative by the majority, under certain conditions it could even be adaptive: basically our mind is informing us that we have something that worries us more at that moment, or that our attentional resources are low at that moment and we need rest. Whether it is dysfunctional is mainly due to the need to carry out the actions in question, and may depend on the situation.
Possible causes of problems concentrating
As we have mentioned, we all have moments from time to time when our concentration fails. In most cases we are not talking about a disorder, although in some disorders and diseases we may be faced with a continued or repetitive lack of concentration as a symptom. Let’s look at some common causes.
1. Distractors
When we do something, we don’t do it in a vacuum. We are located in a certain environment and context, in which we constantly different stimulations appear that can interfere with our performance by demanding our attention.
2. Task competition
Doing two things or more things at the same time, unless we have one of them highly automated, is complicated. Although we have some capacity for divided attention, concentrating on something requires applying a lot of our attention to it, and the other task can be distracting.
3. Worries and thoughts
One of the most frequent distractors that usually harms our concentration is the existence of thoughts or worries that absorb our attention and make it difficult to keep our attention focused on something. These thoughts or worries can be both important and banal.
4. Tiredness
It has been mentioned before, but fatigue is one of the most common causes of lack of concentration. Our attentional resources are exhausted and we cannot keep them fixed on a specific element. This is one of the most frequent causes of concentration problems.
5. Demotivation
If we do something we don’t like and we would prefer to be doing something else, it is more difficult to stay focused. And motivation is a very important element when it comes to keeping our attentional resources focused.
If we feel bad, we are nervous or we have just had some type of discomfort, concentrating continuously can be complicated, since the discomfort itself (in addition to the possible worries and associated thoughts) will be demanding part of the subject’s attention.
7. Excessive expansiveness, extreme joy and energy
The opposite of the previous point can also make it very difficult to stay focused. The joy we feel also demands some attention, and unless what we are doing is its source, concentrating on other things becomes difficult. High energy levels can cause attention to skyrocket and move from one point to another, making it impossible for us to concentrate.
8. Aging
Mental abilities such as memory or the ability to concentrate are not always stable, but as a general rule They usually decrease little by little with age. We are talking about a normative loss, it is not necessary to suffer from any type of dementia.
Disorders and diseases in which lack of concentration appears
Although the above causes are common in the entire population, as we have indicated in some disorders and diseases, concentration fails due to the alterations generated by these conditions. A few of them are the following.
1. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
ADHD is characterized precisely by the difficulties in maintaining concentration and the ease of these people being distracted, whether they have hyperactivity or not. Those who suffer from it are easily distracted, tend to forget objects and things to do, and have difficulty completing tasks. In cases where there is hyperactivity, there is also agitation nervousness and impulsiveness.
2. Alzheimer’s and other dementias
Dementia and neurodegenerative diseases often cause problems with attention and concentration as brain deterioration occurs. Along with memory problems, the ability to concentrate is often one of the first skills to decline.
3. Schizophrenia
Although the first thing that comes to mind when talking about schizophrenia is hallucinations, another of the frequent symptoms of those who suffer from this disorder is the presence of difficulties in attention, especially in those who suffer some deterioration. This is without taking into account the presence of a possible psychotic break, in which concentration usually leads to hallucinations.
3. Mood disorders
People with depression often have difficulty concentrating, with their minds often occupied with negative thoughts. Sadness and automatic thoughts that are generated in depressive episodes, the anhedonia, apathy and passivity that usually accompany it make it very difficult for the patient to concentrate.
Regarding people who suffer from bipolar disorder, in addition to the problems typical of depressive episodes, they will also have a lack of concentration when they are in a manic phase. In a manic episode the person is expansive, energetic, accelerated, agitated and may even be irritable. Focusing and maintaining attention on a specific stimulus is much more complex, jumping from one stimulus to another.
4. Substance use
A large number of drugs and other substances greatly hinder the ability of those who take them to concentrate, either due to depression of the nervous system or excessive stimulation. On the other hand, other substances such as coffee can increase the energy level of someone who is tired, or others such as lime blossom. relax someone nervous to the point of facilitating your concentration.
Lack of concentration can be annoying and cause various problems in our daily lives. That is why training it is highly advisable. Some ways to hinder lack of concentration or even strengthen this skill are the following.
1. Practice physical exercise
Regular exercise and sports contribute greatly to improving the ability to concentrate, in addition to burning energy and allowing endorphins to be released that will make us feel better.
2. Get enough sleep
We have already indicated before that fatigue is one of the factors that causes a lack of concentration in our tasks. It is necessary that we sleep and rest enough to be able to recover our energy and resources.
3. Disconnect
Linked to the previous point, we find the need to disconnect occasionally from our duties, our work or studies. It is necessary to have some time for yourself, without always being absorbed by the same task. If we don’t disconnect we will end up exhausting ourselves, whether we sleep or not.
4. Don’t surround yourself with distractions
The cell phone, the computer, the television, people talking around us… If we have a good capacity for concentration, they may not bother us, but most people will see how their attention is captured by these types of distractors. Even if they don’t sound, their presence allows attention to be diverted (does anyone have the idea of starting to look at Facebook, WhatsApp or surf the Internet even though they should be doing that work that they have to hand in next week?).
We’re also not saying that we should completely isolate ourselves to do anything, but we must be aware and not self-boycott.
5. Seek to find motivation in what you do
Setting goals that really motivate us and linking them to what we are doing makes it easier to stay focused. If what we are doing does not motivate us, we can try to give it meaning by linking it to our daily life or establish it as a necessary step to achieve said goal.
6. Practice meditation
Meditation has been shown to be effective in stimulating attentional capacity, In addition to being a practice that allows us to relax and visualize things in a more objective way.
7. One thing at a time
Taking care of several things makes it difficult to keep your attention on one thing and leads to lack of concentration. Get organized and dedicate yourself to a single task It makes it easier to stay focused on what we do.
8. Where is important
Carrying out each action in a context that facilitates it is of great help. Studying in bed, for example, makes it easier to fall asleep doing something (and in turn, when it’s time to sleep it is more difficult for us to do so) while working at a desk makes it easier to work with a computer, write or read. Light and sound conditions are also important.
9. Read and write
Reading and writing are actions that, although once we have learned they may seem simple, they usually require high doses of concentration. Especially if we do it by hand. Furthermore, structuring a speech to express what we want to express forces us to focus on finding a way to do it.
10. Create a schedule
One way to strengthen concentration, as well as the ability to discipline, is to develop a planning that takes into account what we are going to do. In this planning we must incorporate not only what we have to do, but also rest periods. Now, it is important that the planning is realistic, otherwise it can generate demotivation.
