How Baby Boomers Can Improve Concentration

A lot of us baby boomers struggle with lack of concentration. No matter how hard we try, sometimes we just can't get our minds to focus on a given task. Our random thoughts create a web of confusion in our minds…and our mind teases us by dangling distraction after distraction in front of our eyes! So, how do we deal with this menace? Here are few tips:

Meditation

Regular meditation can help boomers improve stress resistance and overall concentration power. Meditation involves focusing your attention on a mundane or repetitive task, such as your breathing, a chant or mantra. Regular practice will train your mind to focus on any task with full attention.

Set rewards

Whatever you start with, decide how you will reward yourself once you accomplish it. An incentive will give you a reason to concentrate on your task. Don't be too lenient on yourself; tell yourself you'll get the reward only after you complete the task.

Take mini breaks

Taking mini breaks like a walking around your house, doing a little chore, watering the plants or watching TV for 10-15 minutes. This will help you refresh your mind, so that you can get back to your task with a clear mind.

Ensure that you sleep well

Lack of sleep sometimes affects our concentration levels. Therefore ensure that you follow a sleeping routine, 7-8 hours of a good night’s sleep is a must if you want to feel active and alert in the morning. Keeping the following points in mind may help you follow a good sleeping routine:

-Don’t eat a heavy or spicy meal for dinner, as it may interfere with your digestion and make it difficult for you to sleep

-Try and sleep at the same time everyday

-Ensure that your room is comfortable and dark

-If you find it difficult to sleep, try this little meditation exercise:

· Lie down straight

· Close your eyes

· Focus on your breathing

· Pay attention to every in breath and out-breath

· In a while you'll feel relaxed enough to sleep

Mind clearing visualizations

When your mind is cluttered with too many thoughts, you might find it difficult to concentrate on a task without getting distracted. Practicing the following mind clearing visualization once a day may help you build your concentration power by de-cluttering your mind:

· Sit or lie down in a comfortable position

· Close your eyes

· Deep breathe. Imagine that you are taking in light and energy with every in-breath and exhaling all your stress and anxiety with every out-breath.

· After a few minutes you will start feeling calm and relaxed. Now imagine that a beam of white light is entering your body from the top of your head

· Let the beam of light penetrate into your scalp, feel every cell relaxing

· Let the light now travel to your neck and upper back area, feel every muscle going limp

· Imagine that the white light is now circulating inside your head

· Imagine that all your thoughts are dissolving away into this white light

· Let your mind become devoid of all thoughts

· Relax

· Slowly, open your eyes

Lack of concentration and focus, and even many senior moments, can be self created; these therapies work by influencing the mind in subtle or direct ways so that it can focus more on building your concentration power instead of looking for ways to distract you.

Want to learn more self-help techniques? Sign onto boomeryearbook.com for daily self-help and coaching techniques. Join others at BoomerYearbook.com and let your voice be heard. Boomers changed the world. We're not done yet!

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