The Focus Crisis – April Morgan

This is something that I’m pretty sure we are all aware of but we are just existing in a world of constant distraction. Johnann Hari states “we are living in a global attention crisis” which is in turn faltering our goal progression. James Williams Ph.D, a philosopher, who spent 10 years at Google and witnessed the methods of how technology companies monopolize people’s attention. The rise in technology and the reliance we now have on it means on average our attention span is being attacked 8 hours a day – this is through ads that come up on our laptops/phones/socials through tracking what we listen to, shop for etc, constant notifications through emails/socials/texts/apps and social media blasting us with clever strategies like 15-60 second clips – suddenly an hour has gone by…the list goes on…The way we constantly switch between tasks has made us unproductive more than ever. In fact we lose 10 IQ points from switching between tasks. If we were to smoke a joint however but remain on the same task we would only lose 5 IQ points! Crazy right? On top of this, we are targeted by neuro toxic (junk food) food which impairs cognitive function – your ability to focus, remember, learn, reason and problem solve.

LIFESTYLE

Ultimately we need to break the habit of picking our phone up all the time and change the way we work. Studies show that committing to a time frame and then having a break increases productivity. The magic number is 25 minutes, so focus for 25 minutes NO DISTRACTIONS and break for 5 minutes. Turn off and remove electronic devices that will defer from your task. Out of sight out of mind and on silent should do it! Email management – depending on your job, timetable in the day what hours and duration to look at your emails as that constant notification swipe or noise will instantly take us away from our task. Meditation :the power of this grows with consistency, giving your mind and brain that rest is super important the same way we need to rest after physical activity – your brain needs it to. Allowing your brain but more important your nervous system to calm helps with brain clarity, focus and concentration. Aim for 10 minutes daily at the start of the day to help set the tone going forward.

NUTRITION

As scientists predict us to live longer lives, ensuring our brains remain healthy and bright as we age is crucial to maintain independence and a good quality of life. Nutrition and daily diet can play a huge if not the main role here as neuroscience suggests that our gut is home to our 2^nd brain.

Our guts contain millions of neurons and around 4-5 pounds of bacteria, playing a key role in processes including muscle function, immunity, detoxification, nutrient absorption, inflammation, vitamin synthesis and hormone production. Information from the gut’s nervous system runs along the vagus nerve, directly up the spine, to the central nervous system and brain, with neurotransmitters that literally talk to the brain in their own language. We can support the health and vitality of our ‘2^nd brain’ through foods. Over 80% of the synthesis of the feel-good chemical, serotonin, happens in the gut. Similarly, the gut is vital for the production of amino acids such as GABA, which helps reduce brainwave stress and glutamate – both are vital for thought, learning and memory. So supporting our gut health is supporting our brain health. The function of the gut is related to the integrity of your microbiome, so the balance of ‘good and bad bacteria’. A gut hosting too much bad bacteria can lead to leaky gut, trigger inflammation leading to poor mental health, depression, decreased concentration and focus, poor sleep, hormone imbalances and poor immunity.

You can protect your long term brain health by switching to a heavily plant focused whole food diet. Focus on lots of good quality healthy fats, organic proteins, sustainably caught oliy fish, fermented foods that pre and probiotic rich and an abundance of fruit and veg.

INCLUDE:

A rainbow of fruits and vegetable – aim for 8 per day
Spices and herbs – all contain amazing micronutrients that are full of antioxidants and fight inflammation
Hydration – water, herb teas
Fats – our brain needs fat to thrive and function – nuts, seeds, cold pressed oils, coconut, olives, avocados, organic grass fed butter, organic full fat dairy, coconut yoghurt, unsweetened pure nut butters.
Lean protein (preferably organic) meat such as turkey, chicken or lamb, fish (make sure it’s oily fish) such as mackerel, salmon, anchovies and sardines, tempeh, organic tofu, beans, legumes, peas, pulses, nuts/seeds and organic free range eggs.
Fermented and gut friendly foods:Organic miso, olives, coconut yoghurt, organic greek yoghurt, sheeps yoghurt, sauerkraut, tempeh, kefir, kimchi, good quality organic sourdough.

EXCLUDE: