Throughout a typical workday, we can generally expect to encounter one or more of the following: a frequently ringing phone, a plethora of emails and text messages, and at least a couple interruptions from (albeit well-meaning) friends and co-workers.
Sometimes, it all adds up to make it feel like we’re living a lot of our lives distracted . . .
. . . and according to research, not only does that impact our brain (and our concentration skills) in the here and now, it might also affect our lives going forward as well.
In this video clip, Daniel Goleman, PhD, author of Emotional Intelligence and most recently, Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence, explains why getting around distraction and moving toward better focus can be so important on several levels, and he shares a simple but effective technique that can help boost concentration
Check out the clip below, it’s only 3 minutes.
To hear more focus, check out our series on Practical Brain Science.
How do you keep your brain focused? Please share your experience in the comments.
Have they found this practice of focusing attention effective with persons diagnosed with ADHD?
As non professional:
A safe environment is always good ,young or old.
Age has no much importance by doing this,I think.(idem yoga)
Reading about “heart coherence ” maybe makes things more clearly you already experienced by doing Yoga.
The link between breathing and bringing coherence ( balance) in heart and the emotional part of the brain.Tools on tjhe market to improve but I think its not allowed to name them here.
And after listening to Dr Amens course ?I suppose hormones will do the rest..
it is not so new,in the hospice my mum was (all people with dementia) they also used cuddly and started a project with animals.
They emotional capacities were still strongly there while their intellectual capacity were already gone for a long time…it really was a chock to see in the beginning.There was also a special room to cuddle!
There is a soothing effect of a cuddle (or pet) on your heart,brain.
Breathing buddies a good app for furby?
an intriguing concept-needs more exposure.
You tube :
Destressez-vous en 5 minutes avec la coherence cardiaque or
Once you know what to do in the applestore RESPIRELAX ( 5 sec breathing in and 5 sec. Breathing out…)
In his book healing without freud or prozac .natural approaches to cure stress,anxiety and depression dr,
David Servan schreiber explains how we can live with heart coherence..how we focus on our breath and the link between heart and the emotional brain….(I suppose they were doing with breathing buddies…,but the focus normally is more breathing in and out from the heart..)
The reason I began to do yoga 15 years ago was a problem with chronic hyperventilation.So the importance of breathing is clear to me.
After having strokes and finding a big hole in my heart ,the importance of having a good heart is clear to me. And due to meditation I am very aware of the importance of breath and having a good functioning heart on my brain ! Always be gratefull for the quick reaction of my husband when my brain failed!
I keep my brain focused by working in a quiet environment. The television is off, the radio is off,
my cell phone is put on vibrate and the door is closed where I’m working. Meditating every morning keeps me focused too.
I am looking forward to this webinar. Also, I hope there will be mention of the external inputs, such as was mentioned in Dr. Amen’s lecture about Vitamin D. Are there spacifiic things that could enhan- ce one’s focus. for example, there are new studies at Wake Forest Universiity’s Medical Center about having adequate insulin in the body blood, but not in the brain. Dr. Suzanne Craft’s research at the U of Washington indicated that intranasal insulin was beneficial to cognition in both normal patients and those with Alzheirmer’s. The National Institutes of Health are providing $7.9 million for this new intranasal insulin study to evaluate the benefits for those with mild cognitive impairment or mild to moderate A;zheirmer’s, as reported in Nutrition Action.
I have been working with healing MS in myself since 1986, I thank you for your insite. I am working with self biofeedback back at this time. Any additional information you have would be helpful. Thanks again for the video.
Look forward to recieving more info on the powers of integrating the mind and spirit.
look forward to this!
I am interested in learning how to incorporate more meditation in my day.
This is a great clip and a wonderful message for us all. For me, I practice concentration by intention. For example, I spend a few minutes each day working on improving my focus. Setting aside time is the first step and then I will a select an object or image on which to focus. I find that the more I practice concentration, the better I am able to achieve it and for longer periods of time. In short, I practice a form of focused meditation.
David
Dear Dr. Goleman,
There is a lot in this little clip that I like. I’ve often told my students that they can improve their concentration and also their memory with repeated practice. I know this from experience.
The “Breathing Buddies” exercise was a wonderful adaptation of a yoga practice, that teaches diaphragmatic breath, self-calming and mental focus. It is more than a concentration exercise because it has this self soothing aspect to it which is helpful and often necessary for being able to concentrate.
The question comes up for me as to what role being in a safe environment with a reassuring object helped these children improve their concentration?
As for the example of the “Marsh-mellow” test, I question the interpretation.
Was it really the case that the children who did better had better concentration or was it that they were able to delay gratification? Perhaps it is both? Perhaps it is one more than the other?
I hope these questions are useful to you. I know that I will find an opportunity to use the “breathing buddies” idea in the various disciplines in which I’ve trained. I’d like to thank the person who improvised this. It’s great. And thank you Dr. Goleman for sharing your thoughts. Best, Éva (a.k.a. Marion)
Awesome!
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