I can’t concentrate: causes of the problem and solutions

In this article we will tell you:

1. The essence and types of inattention
2. Symptoms of attention problems
3. Reasons for low concentration
4. Diagnosis of attention problems and treatment
5. How to increase concentration
6. 3 Ways to Develop Focus

If you find yourself thinking “I can’t concentrate,” there may be a variety of reasons for concern. As part of the modern information flow, problems with concentration have a negative impact on various areas of life: both personal and professional.

If a person is constantly distracted by extraneous stimuli, cannot do one task, is forgetful, is late for work, it is difficult for him to be in a good mood. To prevent these symptoms from developing into a global problem, it is necessary to eliminate them in time.

The essence and types of inattention

The inability to concentrate occurs in people of all ages. There are many examples of the manifestation of such a problem in childhood and its development in adolescence and adulthood.

Psychologists define attention disorder as a violation of the direction and selectivity of mental activity, the inability to perceive information from different sources, decreased concentration and difficulty switching from one object to another.

There are three types of scattered states:

• “Fluttering attention” is characteristic of school-age children and elderly people, as well as those who are overworked and weakened by illness. With this disorder, attention is difficult to control: it is easily distracted by external stimuli and cannot be concentrated for a long time.
• “Scientist inattention” is characterized by a strong concentration on one thing or one’s thoughts. At the same time, it is difficult for a person to switch attention to other processes. People with these types of disorder are prone to obsessions.
• “Abstract-mindedness of old people” combines the two previous types: it is characterized by a weak ability to concentrate and switch. Most often it occurs in elderly people suffering from cerebral atherosclerosis, and also occurs due to constant fatigue or brain hypoxia.

“I can’t concentrate on anything”: what is the reason and how to deal with it

Internet surfing - mindlessly looking at pictures, reading other people's verbal battles and absorbing a huge amount of unnecessary information - leads to the fact that the “attention muscle” atrophies. The habit of not focusing on anything, switching attention from one thing to another, while leaving it scattered, leads to problems with the perception of truly important and necessary information.

It would seem that the ability to quickly switch from one to another is a useful skill? However, with Internet surfing, the opposite is true, because a person does not delve into details and does not delve into the essence of the information, but mindlessly moves from one page to another. This is the basis for the curious phenomenon of ridiculous comments like “I haven’t read it, but I condemn it,” which is well known to popular bloggers. Out of a hundred opinions, only one or two will be from people who were able to read the text to the end and grasp its essence; the rest of the commentators will pour out free associations that arose from one phrase caught in the text out of the corner of their eye.

Lack of attention can easily be called a sign of the times. And this problem has a global scale. Total inattention can not only cause irritation to everyone around. Sometimes it leads to serious mistakes at work and even collapse in your personal life.

Many entertainment Internet resources are designed for people with attention deficits: studies show that a modern adult, on average, is able to maintain attention on any new text for about 10 seconds - then he will most likely write a comment in the style of “I haven’t read Pasternak, but I condemn” and starts watching videos with cats, completely forgetting about the information that entered his brain two seconds ago.

Lack of attention leads to an amazing phenomenon: today, any person today has access to the Cochrane library and PubMed in one click, with their help you can independently understand the problem of a healthy lifestyle; but the majority prefers to take the simple path, type into a search engine the query “gluten-free diet reviews” and absent-mindedly glance at the anti-scientific nonsense that is generated by the fevered brains of dietary fanatics. All this occurs not from a lack of intelligence, but from weakness of attention, the inability to concentrate on the text and delve into its essence. Reading several articles in English and drawing some conclusion is an impossible task for people with attention deficit.

Publishing houses take advantage of this by releasing countless pseudoscientific books and magazines: they contain a lot of information that is not substantiated by anything other than the author’s excessive self-confidence, but they are also equipped with beautiful pictures of pumped-up abs. All diets that are wildly popular, be it a raw food diet or avoidance of gluten-containing foods, are gaining many new supporters every day. This happens not because such diets work, but because their creators caught the trend in time: talk about food in three phrases and five pictures, as if the reader had the intelligence of a preschooler, and the diet will be a success. Because most readers will not understand where the facts were manipulated. Most of them have an attention deficit that they are unaware of. But readers want a new diet religion in five minutes, and then they will watch videos with funny raccoons, with breaks for the next holivar on the Internet. True, in a month the new eating style will probably be abandoned in favor of another “revolutionary technique,” ​​because low concentration is often accompanied by increased distractibility and suggestibility.

Attention is an important “cog” in the work of the psyche. Therefore, its deficiency is perceived as a feeling of “cloudy head”, difficulties with remembering, and even as a depressed mood or lack of motivation to do anything. In other words, the work of the mind without attention is impossible, and therefore its deficiency is very noticeable, although it is difficult to recognize.

How well information is remembered depends on the acuity of attention, its volume and the ability to switch while maintaining concentration. Sharp attention is also needed for personal relationships - it ensures empathy, the ability to make compromises, and resolve conflict situations peacefully and fairly.

How to improve attention?

1. Mindfulness practices. Mindfulness is a skill that helps you get out of “autopilot” mode, at least temporarily. We are used to doing a lot of things automatically: washing our face, brushing our teeth, working out on a treadmill, eating dinner while watching TV. At the same time, the person seems not to be present in the moment, but also does not engage in useful mental work, because the mind at such moments produces endless “mental chewing gum,” increases anxious thoughts and wanders aimlessly from one subject to another. Meditation helps to cope with this - any of the many techniques that can be found today using the corresponding hashtags on social networks: breathing meditation, movement meditation and others. Yoga Nidra provides an excellent effect - conscious relaxation with attention moving throughout the body. Mindfulness can be practiced while eating, turning off the TV and putting away the smartphone. Focusing on the taste, texture and other characteristics of food can help improve your relationship with your body and sometimes help you lose weight.
2. Full sleep. Another common cause of attention deficit is lack of sleep or poor quality sleep. Frequent awakenings at night, anxiety and depressive disorders, eating disorders - all this can lead to deterioration in the quality of sleep. Simple rules of sleep hygiene, such as ventilating the room, sufficiently darkening the room, and avoiding overeating at night, are sometimes sufficient to ensure complete sleep. If this does not help, you need to consult a specialist - a neurologist or psychiatrist.
3. Prevention of chronic diseases. In people with undiagnosed hypertension and diabetes mellitus, often the first sign of the disease is that same feeling of “cloudy head”, difficulty concentrating and remembering. Sometimes such a seemingly insignificant symptom as the inability to concentrate on anything turns out to be the “first sign” of a serious neurological illness. Therefore, visiting a therapist once a year and getting some tests done is a good idea in order to rule out certain diseases or identify them in time and begin to treat them.

Sharp attention is one of the secrets of high intelligence. It helps to examine objects and phenomena from different angles and find non-standard solutions to problems. Therefore, it makes sense to train your attention, like a muscle, in order to become an interesting conversationalist, a good professional and a completely satisfied person with life.

Symptoms of attention problems

1. Difficulty concentrating on the right task. “Sticking” and absent-mindedness. Doing something begins to cause difficulties, as a person does not notice details and nuances, and is unable to concentrate. For example, he is unable to understand what is written the first time he reads it. It is with this symptom that a person realizes that he cannot concentrate and begins to look for reasons.
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2. Restlessness is a trait of a person who cannot stay in one place for a long time, he is constantly distracted, remembers that he needs something. Because of this, he is unable to concentrate.
3. Impulsive actions, that is, done without sufficient conscious control. Occurs in emotional people and children up to middle school age. Under the influence of feelings, a person loses the ability to concentrate.
4. Fussiness and haste in activity, as a result - the passing of unnecessary tasks that distract from the main thing.
5. Constant fatigue. A tired person cannot be attentive, cheerful and focused.
6. Severe irritability is a symptom of long-term depression. People with this trait are unable to focus attention and use logic due to intense emotions.
7. Excessive excitability is a disruption in the functioning of the nervous system. A person reacts to any external stimuli, so he loses sight of the main thing.

Possible symptoms if you complain of difficulty concentrating

• Obsessions
• Repetitive thoughts
• Negligence
• Memory problems
• The need to check or double check
• The need or need to do everything slowly to avoid mistakes
• It's easy to get lost in thought
• Difficulty making decisions
• Feeling that something is stopping you from doing something
• Difficulty concentrating
• Need for repetition of actions

If the fact that it is difficult for you to concentrate causes anxiety, interferes with your usual activities, is repeated and continues despite rest, you need the help of a psychotherapist, since, most likely, this is no longer a natural (normal, healthy) state, but a symptom. Psychologists and psychophysiologists classify difficulties in concentrating as disturbances in the sphere of attention. Psychiatrists and psychotherapists refer to the symptom of difficulty concentrating as an asthenic symptom complex. General practitioners (general practitioners, family doctors) may not attach any importance to this complaint at all.

Should you try to overcome this phenomenon (the fact that it is difficult for you to concentrate) through willpower, special exercises or tonic activities (coffee, tea, shower, fresh air, physical activity)? And doctors (psychiatrists, psychotherapists, neurologists), and psychologists, and physiologists, all unanimously repeat: THERE IS NO NEED TO FIGHT THIS! If difficulties in concentrating are a manifestation of overwork, then overcoming this state for a while is possible, but this will lead to a “state of a cornered horse”: it will be even more difficult to concentrate, plus other asthenic phenomena will be added: irritability, tearfulness, headaches, sensations of palpitations and lack of energy. air, trembling, sweating and others. If the fact that you find it difficult to concentrate is a manifestation of some painful condition, then attempts to overcome this condition are usually unsuccessful.

Reasons for low concentration

“I can’t concentrate, I don’t know the reason” - patients come to the doctor with this request. Correct identification of the prerequisites leading to attention disorders determines treatment tactics.

• General body fatigue and depression can contribute to absent-mindedness.
• Hormonal fluctuations during pregnancy or menopause affect mental activity.
• Impaired ability to concentrate may be the result of physical or psychological problems.
• Insufficient sleep and rest impair brain function. Since it is overloaded, mental abilities suffer. Lack of sleep is an obvious and common cause of inattention.
• Fasting and an unbalanced diet can reduce your ability to focus on anything. Hunger is a signal from the body about the need to replenish energy reserves, without which the body simply cannot function. Therefore, this feeling fills all thoughts, not allowing you to concentrate on anything else. Nutritional deficiencies also reduce brain performance.

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• Severe anxiety. Everyone knows that fear and worry about something can fetter a person, blocking his cognitive abilities. Usually these feelings are temporary. But there are also suspicious people who constantly experience anxiety and worry. They find it difficult to think about anything other than their fears.
• Pain – physical discomfort of varying intensity (like the previous two sensations) reduces the ability to concentrate.
• Medicines and narcotic drugs. Certain types of medications may affect your ability to concentrate. Drugs have a negative impact on the functioning of the brain as a whole.
• Environmental factors. If a person is immersed in a noisy environment full of people and working equipment while working, this can affect the ability to concentrate.
• Individual indicators of a person. There are people who are attentive in themselves, and there are those who are absent-minded, just as some have greater flexibility of body than others. But this does not mean that you need to give up on yourself. Mindfulness can be trained like a muscle.

Diagnosis of attention problems and treatment

The best solution is to consult a qualified neurologist. It will help answer the question asked by patients: “Why can’t I concentrate, what are the reasons for poor memory?” He will also prescribe the necessary treatment or refer you for consultation to a specialist if poor attention is the result of any illness. In some simple cases, you can cope with the problem yourself.

The patient's examination begins with an examination by a doctor and tests. Modern techniques help to establish the causes of inattention:

• pathopsychological diagnostics – tests with stimulus material;
• double stimulation method – study of violations of modality-specific factors;
• MRI (magnetic resonance imaging);
• EEG (electroencephalography);
• angiography.

Therapy involves taking medications designed to get rid of the disease that has caused deterioration in attention. Mostly medications are prescribed to help improve memory and psychostimulants. As with any disease, the sooner treatment is started, the sooner recovery will occur.

Symptoms of difficulty concentrating

What mental disorders and diseases may be a manifestation of the feeling that it is difficult for you to concentrate? Doctors distinguish three groups of mental illnesses accompanied by this phenomenon:

• First group: neurotic disorders. These are all types of neuroses, neurotic personality developments, reactive states (consequences of mental trauma and stress). The symptom that you have difficulty concentrating in neurotic disorders is not constant, sometimes intensifies, sometimes “subsides” for a while. After the neurotic situation is resolved, this painful phenomenon disappears without a trace.
• Second group: all types of endogenous diseases. The severity of the feeling that you have difficulty concentrating directly depends on the severity of the psychosis.
• Third group: organic damage to the central nervous system and its consequences. With this group of mental disorders, the symptom of difficulty concentrating usually becomes chronic and may even intensify over the years.

Treatment of the symptom that you have difficulty concentrating should be carried out by a psychiatrist-psychotherapist. There are many treatment methods: pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy, physiotherapy, diet therapy, physical therapy. Most often, a complex of the methods listed above is used.

The Brain Clinic provides examinations, all types of treatment and rehabilitation for patients with complaints that it is difficult for you to concentrate.

How to increase concentration

To improve memory and attention you need:

1. Follow a daily routine.
2. Balance your diet.
3. Drink the required amount of water.
4. Reduce time spent in front of the TV, at the computer and on the phone.
5. Ensure that you take medications aimed at improving attention and memory. For example, Esprico vitamins, which serve as a safe alternative to psychotropic substances.

6. Get rid of bad habits, do not drink alcohol and drugs, stop smoking.
7. Be physically active.
8. Walk outside for at least 1.5 hours a day.
9. Give your brain a workout: learn poetry, a foreign language, and do logic tasks every day.

In addition to solving logic puzzles, you can promote the development of new neural connections by doing ordinary things in an unusual way. For example, if you are not embarrassed, you can move around the house backwards, even on the street. Change your dominant hand when performing normal activities, such as holding a spoon when eating with your left hand if you are right-handed, and vice versa. Change your route to work, try to visit new places more often, read a book upside down, etc.