How to improve concentration: ways for adults and children. A sharp decrease in concentration and memory

Today we’ll talk about how to develop concentration of attention, about methods for improving it, the word “optimization” involuntarily comes out :), but, as you understand, this post is more about psychology and life hacking, although, of course, it also affects Internet marketing.

Did you know that while reading, a person’s attention is quite scattered and succumbs to external stimuli. On average, from 20% to 40% of the total time spent on this action, you are in a completely different place.

But if in the case of absorption of information there is always the opportunity to return and re-read the missed material, then in the workflow negative effect loss of focus on a particular task is much more significant. How to develop concentration of attention to increase your efficiency?

Distracted attention negatively affects the quality of work and the time it takes to complete it. Consciously controlling attention to a specific goal is a rather difficult task and, as practice shows, exhausting, but knowing the principles of functioning and physiology of the central nervous system, and, in turn, concentration, you can easily cope with this problem.

2 parts of the brain responsible for controlling attention

Before we get straight to the question of how to train concentration, to the cause of absent-mindedness and reduced ability to concentrate on a particular task, we should understand how our brain functions. Daniel Kahnman in his book "Think Slowly, Decide Fast" divides the brain into 2 systems (conventional name: System 1 and System 2)

System 1—our subconscious mind—functions non-stop without our efforts; reacts to external and internal stimuli, as a result of which it generates a urge or impulse to a certain action - for example, turn around when you hear your name. System 2 (consciousness) is a critical, rational and conscious thought processes and is a kind of processor of urges emanating from System 1 - if we return to the example of a person’s reaction to turn around when they hear their name, then it is System 2 that decides to either respond or ignore a potential interlocutor .

To summarize: System 2 is responsible for all processes that require awareness and application of willpower, while System 1 is a reflective, subconscious part of the brain that directly responds to external stimuli and creates certain urges to act. In this picture, you can quite clearly see the functions of both systems.

(System 1 is the red part of the brain; System 2 is the gray part of the brain.)

Causes of loss or deterioration of concentration

System 2 of our brain is responsible for thought processes, and it is with the help of our consciousness that we concentrate on a specific task or object. The fact is that our conscious mind is affected by many external sources of distraction or interference, which in turn makes the task of focusing quite difficult.

In his book Focus: The Hidden Power of Excellence, Daniel Goleman divides sources of distraction into two types: sensory and emotional.

If sensory stimuli—noise, visual stimuli, etc.—can be eliminated fairly easily by physically eliminating them, then emotional reasons the loss of concentration caused by System 1 of our brain is dealt with in a completely different way.

Emotional stimuli (internal dialogue, stream of thoughts about events in our lives) are caused by pressing problems, stresses, frustrations, etc. - we all know how hard it is to get to work when the emotional burden of domestic problems completely occupies our mind, and you are tormented by the question of how to increase attention.

Attempts of will to forget about problems and concentrate on the task at hand will further deplete mental reserves and, most likely, will not be successful. In addition, our minds tend to focus specifically on negative and disturbing tasks and events, since they are extremely important, and System 1 strives to solve them as soon as possible.

In this case, you should not try to block the source of discomfort - high-quality recovery and rest are in better ways regenerate mental capacity and improve concentration.

How to restore concentration?

Your brain needs recovery and rest just like your muscles after a grueling workout. physical activity; like the body, the mind cannot function fully when overworked and exhausted. But if the body needs a certain period of time for full regeneration, mental resources are restored in a simple, pleasant and effective ways. How to develop concentration of attention?

The exercises below should be incorporated into your daily routine to help prevent distraction and maintain healthy System 2 functioning.

1. Meditation

Since the purpose of meditation is to focus attention while realizing the very fact of your absent-mindedness, constant efforts will very quickly have a positive effect on the quality of concentration - soon it will be much easier for you to concentrate on a specific task and prevent loss of attention. In addition to improving concentration, meditation helps reduce stress levels, improves memory and creativity, and increases the amount of gray matter in the brain - which as a result has a positive effect on emotional stability and positivity of emotions.

How to increase concentration? Effective advice regarding meditation: you should not assume that it takes several hours to spend outside this world - having given meditation 10-15 minutes at work, you will be able to restore and clear your consciousness quite qualitatively.

2. Walks in nature

Daniel Goleman, author of Concentration: The Hidden Ingredient of Excellence, advises spending time in nature - walks promote recovery nervous processes through a kind of disconnection from the hustle and bustle; also during the experiment it was proved that a walk through the streets of the city is inferior in its usefulness to time spent in the park - a place more remote from irritants and less stimulating mental activity. The closer you are to nature and the farther away from the bustle of the city, the better you will be able to restore your "mental reservoir".

3. Head in favourite hobby

How to increase the level of attention while having fun? By immersing yourself in your favorite activity, you can easily restore the resources of your rational thinking system, while your attention is focused on a simple, non-mental task. For example, by playing the popular and well-loved Angry Birds app, you will give your full attention to a simple and fun game, while the internal dialogue that consumes mental resources will be stopped, allowing your mind to recover.

Instead of a conclusion

Both the quality of our work and the possibility of doing it at all depend on our ability to concentrate. In addition, the inability to focus and absent-mindedness not only negatively affect performance, but also emotional and mental health, which worsens even more as a result of attempts to concentrate by volitional effort.

Remember the ways of mental regeneration and the basic principles of the brain and how to improve attention. The exercises in this article may help you.

For the healthy and efficient functioning of consciousness, the well-being of mental resources should be monitored as carefully and carefully as the body. Keep your mind in good shape and it will thank you with efficient work, good mood and creative ideas.

please help me to solve the problem. Under the cut a lot and messy.
I am terrified of being the center of attention. To say toasts, congratulate, perform on stage, solemnly present gifts - all possible situations when the attention of all those present is directed at me, whether it be 15 close friends and buddies or 90 people at a wedding. AT last time an attempt to get me to say a toast after graduation ended in hysterics for 2 hours. Recently, at a wedding, I persuaded the host not to touch me in advance, and while I was persuading me, I almost burst into tears. On the DR of a friend, everyone presented gifts, leaving the circle to the birthday man one by one. I was thrown into heat and cold, I could hardly force myself to hand over a gift at the most hectic moment, since it could not be avoided.
Strangely, this does not apply to presentations (perhaps because I make presentations for work, for English language. And since I speak a non-native language, it seems like it’s not me, but someone else. Probably.), Conversations with strangers - too. Only for congratulations, toasts and creative performances. I don't go dancing with rare exceptions, I don't participate in competitions, I can hardly be a "model", although I used to be constantly photographed both in the studio and outdoors. Terribly shy, afraid and worried.
The phenomenon intensified after the hysteria in the pulpit, because now I know how it will end, and I am even more afraid. I tried to drink a sedative before an event where increased attention is possible, but this is somehow not good, it does not combine with alcohol and generally interferes with fun. Alcohol does not help me not to be afraid. I tried to imagine that it was not me and there were not people around - it did not help. The mantra that all around are my friends, adequate people and will not laugh does not work.
It turns out that I trust fellow scientists, because I think that in the international scientific environment there are more polite and tolerant people than those with whom I meet here. I don’t know, maybe if I have to be in an informal company abroad, I will also be attacked by terrible shyness, but so far we have not gathered there for more than 5 people and there have been no problems.
As a result, we have vicious circle: I am embarrassed by increased attention, I panic and "fail" just when all the attention is on me. The failure makes me even worse and scarier, because I worry that they are all laughing to themselves. Therefore, next time I'm even more scared ... And at the same time I start to get very worried before some especially important conversation with the authorities, for example. I also blush, turn pale, stutter, I speak very quietly and inconsistently, and tears well up.
Where it came from, I don't know. I've always not really liked going on stage, but I don't remember ever failing with particular bang.

Remember school. Any lesson, let's say - geography. Marivanna is working - with a concentrated look she tells about something important, pointing at the map on the board with a pointer. And what about the audience? Someone is listening. Someone is looking out the window. And someone (usually in the back row) is having fun by folding paper airplanes from notebook sheets and launching them around the class, or “imperceptibly” sneaks through the row to pass a note. The teacher is indignant - is it really difficult to listen?

It turns out it's difficult. Inability to sit still for a long time or concentrate on some process may be a sign of what is known as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD, sometimes referred to as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Previously, this was only talked about as a problem that occurs in children, as a rule, not older than 16. But in the last couple of decades, researchers have recognized that the trouble that caused problems in learning at a tender age can also manifest itself in adults, preventing them from living and working. and build relationships.

What it is?

ADHD is a neurological behavioral disorder with such symptoms:

• difficulty concentrating,
• increased activity
• poorly controlled impulsivity.

At the same time, intelligence can be well developed - and even, sometimes, better than that of peers. " Clinical manifestations are able to proceed according to three main scenarios: with a predominance of hyperactivity, with a predominance of inattention, and a combination of these two options, which indicates the same diagnosis, ”explains Konstantin Makhinov, a neurologist medical center"Capital".

Again, it has traditionally been considered that among boys, ADHD occurs 2 times more often than in girls. Modern research shows that this is not entirely true. The fact is that young ladies, as a rule, are more diligent. In other words, they strive more to be good - obedient daughters, good students. Therefore, some of us may have experienced this syndrome in childhood, without even knowing it - it happens that girls, trying to behave correctly and study better, one way or another overcome the symptoms of ADHD. And - lo and behold - difficulties with concentration can go away forever. But in some cases - according to various sources, this happens in 50-60% of those who experienced the syndrome in childhood - problems can remind themselves of themselves when we become adults.

“According to statistics, the frequency of manifestation of ADHD among schoolchildren is different countries from 3 to 12%, in the adult population - 4–5%. It is known that the development of the syndrome is responsible for both genetic predisposition and the environment in which the child grows and develops. Considering that the generation of the difficult 90s has grown up, an increase in the prevalence of the syndrome among adults can be assumed, however, no epidemiological studies have been conducted in our country,” says Konstantin Makhinov.

“The syndrome arises due to some peculiarities at the level of the brain structure,” continues Mark Sandomirsky, Ph.D., psychotherapist of the European Registry. – In such children, the development of the coordination of the activities of its different sections is a little different: the left, “logical”, and the right, “emotional”, hemispheres are not sufficiently consistent with each other, there may be some “skew” in their work. In addition, the activity of the cerebral cortex, its higher sections (which we, let's say, think) and deep structures (brain stem), which activate, “awaken” these higher sections, are not fully coordinated. If such a child or adult sits still for a long time, is focused on one thing, he can just fall asleep, so he “excites” himself with restlessness or switching attention.

What happens to the child: he cannot sit still for a long time, starting to complete the task, he is quickly distracted, in conversation he interrupts, tries to answer the question without listening to the end, hardly waits for his turn in anything. And already out of childhood is often more difficult.

What are the cons

“From the inside, it feels like driving in the rain with broken wipers. Or how to listen to the radio, in which all channels are broadcast at the same time, ”for example, people with ADHD describe their condition on the Web. Things lost or forgotten somewhere, bills not paid on time, chaos in the house and on the desktop, lateness, unfinished business, broken promises ... Plus, another kind of “adult” problems associated with emotional instability are added.

“Such people have not only sharp drops, but also long periods low mood, a tendency to depression,” says Mark Sandomiersky. According to Konstantin Makhinov, citizens with ADHD are at risk of developing various kinds of addictions, including alcohol and tobacco. The psychotherapist Sandomirsky also agrees with the neurologist: “They sometimes use alcohol or other substances to cope with emotional difficulties. It must be borne in mind that this is not alcoholism or drug addiction in the usual sense, but an attempt to help oneself. And we are silent about possible problems with overweight: sitting on the sofa with a large bag of chips or cookies, a person may not notice how he will eat everything to the crumbs, although he did not plan anything at all.

We continue the list - possible difficulties in relations with others. So, children are usually forgiven for spontaneity and emotional instability. But now the youngster has grown up - and what is everyone around watching? People with ADHD touchy, conflicted, it seems to them that they are not understood- and sometimes this is true. Well, the truth is, extravagance of behavior, eccentricity of thinking, mood swings will not cause puppy delight in everyone you meet. And then, the people around are unaware that all the described “horrors” of behavior are just the characteristics of a person, and not, roughly speaking, indifference and unwillingness to be collected. “Add here a difficult, for obvious reasons, relationship with oneself - and all this will lead to problems with self-esteem, most often to its underestimation,” says Mark Sandomiersky.

All this does not contribute to an “easy” personal life (or rather, maintaining a stable relationship). “Serial marriages are not uncommon, when people form and terminate unions every few years,” says Mark. - Men suffer from it less. In women, self-esteem drops even more. “Something is wrong with me, I can’t start a family,” the lady thinks. What about at work? Even being good specialists, people with ADHD often change jobs. If relations in the team do not add up, colleagues do not understand and do not accept their behavior, then women are especially worried - for them this microclimate is more important than for men.

There are pluses

However, we will not continue to exaggerate. Moreover, in this state there are excellent pluses. First, a person with ADHD is often a bright, unusual person who (ironically) draws attention to himself. “The brain has powerful compensation mechanisms,” explains Mark Sandomierzsky. – In an attempt to overcome difficulties, features become strengths". Such people often find themselves in creative work or, conversely, in the field of IT (remember the bias towards the left hemisphere). They make good crisis managers or startups. These characters are unlikely to like doing routine, monotonous work, but making a new project or finding an interesting solution is a task for them. True, having quickly (as a rule) achieved success in the next case, these citizens just as quickly cool off towards it and strive in search of the unknown.

How to be?

And for starters, how to understand that you or someone close to you has ADHD? "Diagnostics given state is based on the clinical picture (however, sometimes additional examinations are required to confirm the diagnosis). The disease is manifested by two main symptoms: inattention (a person is easily distracted by extraneous stimuli, it is difficult for him to concentrate, he often loses things) and hyperactivity-impulsivity (talkative, cannot calmly stand in line, answers a question without thinking and without listening to it), explains Konstantin Makhinov. “At the same time, these signs are detected not only at school, at the workplace, but also at home.” Since the first symptoms occur before the age of 7, a pediatric neurologist should be the specialist to help deal with this. For a mature person, the strategy changes a little - it is better to be under the supervision of a psychotherapist / psychologist and plus the same neurologist.

In adulthood, ADHD manifests itself only if it was already in childhood - even if the diagnosis was not made then. Therefore, at the doctor's appointment, you will have to remember whether there were similar problems at school and before it. It is interesting that their reappearance can provoke some kind of change in life: for example, marriage or, conversely, divorce, transition to a more responsible position, acquiring offspring.

“There are a number of treatment approaches that include medication, behavioral and educational therapies,” Konstantin says. - The second usually complements the medication and includes work on organizational skills. It may also be helpful to teach the patient a number of techniques aimed at focusing attention. But sometimes all this is a long work.

Mark Sandomierski gives some advice.

1. Turn childhood difficulties into adult virtues, develop your own characteristics.
2. Work with self-esteem, get rid of an inferiority complex (well, you don’t have to be “like everyone else” at all, everyone has the right to individuality).
3. Fight mood swings, develop emotional self-regulation skills and techniques, learn to relax.
4. Age regression helps. These are exercises in which an adult feels like a child again, re-experiencing his childhood states - work, as a rule, is carried out under the guidance of a psychologist or psychotherapist.

Concentration of attention

These tips from doctors, psychologists, and people living with ADHD are meant to help anyone who has trouble concentrating at times.

1. write down
   Make lists of everything you need to do, important and unimportant, urgent and not so urgent. At the same time, it is better to start with global opuses (for example, for a month), then break them into weekly ones, then - for every day. To-do list for tomorrow is worth checking the night before, and then marking the completed items. For some, a smart board with post-it sheets or squares of paper attached with buttons helps. It can be hung in front of the desk or by the bed. The work is finished - the sheet is removed from the board.
2. Divide
   As you pounce on each new task, break it down into a few simpler goals and determine the order in which they make the most sense to complete them. A primitive example is to dismantle a littered table. First: put away unnecessary papers and garbage. Second: collect the necessary pieces of paper. Third: sort the latest, and so on. So a task that at first seems difficult - that is, such that you don’t want to start it at all (and the table remains littered with weeks), ceases to look impregnable.
3. Take breaks
   During work, rest every hour and a half (someone needs a break at intervals of 30 minutes). Not in order to be distracted from business even more often, but in order to learn how to deal with them not when necessary, but when necessary. In this “free” time, it is better to be distracted, walk, and finally do exercises. Plunging into work again, evaluate what has been done and what remains - this will cheer you up.
4. remind yourself
   Are you afraid to leave your home, leaving it unlocked or with the appliance on? Hang a note on the door: "Iron, light, keys, window, water" - and refer to it when leaving the apartment. The main thing is that the piece of paper does not flash past the eyes at the exit. And from time to time rewrite the list on a piece of paper in a new color and in a new order, so as not to get used to and not perceive the action as a formality.
5. Show forethought
   Find out (and write down in several places) the phone numbers of the metro and surface transport lost and found offices. Try not to take documents with you unnecessarily - use copies.
6. Rely on those around you
   Let's say you often lose phones, wallets, notebooks and other important things. Sign all the items that you would not want to lose. The experience of the public shows that in most cases, the person in whose hands the lost item will be will gladly return it to the owner if he finds a contact by which to contact.
7. Throw away everything superfluous
   If it is difficult to concentrate during work, before getting down to business, try to neutralize distractions. Close the tabs with social networks and instant messengers on your computer. Remove unnecessary books and papers from the table. Conversations of colleagues are distracting - abstract with earplugs. For some, music interferes even more, for others, a calm melody in headphones helps not to listen to the negotiations of neighbors. Set yourself a specific time when you will check your personal mail and read your friend feed - say, three times a day: in the morning, at lunchtime and in the evening.
8. Find an outlet for excess energy
   This is if your obsessive friends are impulsiveness and hyperactivity. Try to find a hobby that gives the energy couple an outlet. It can be dancing, running, other physical activity. Our expert Mark Sandomirsky advises Kundalini Yoga and Dynamic Qigong. True, with ADHD, before seriously engaging in some kind of sport, it is worth consulting with a doctor.
9. Ask for help
   If you are worried that you will forget an important thing, ask a friend to call you at a certain time and “make sure” that the thing is in the bag. If you are afraid to think and pass the desired stop - ask a pleasant-looking neighbor in transport to tell you when to get off. And at the same time, it is not at all necessary to tell everyone the details of your subtle mental organization. Some adults with ADHD admit that tasks that require special concentration are better for them when someone close is simply standing by, as if silently reminding them not to be distracted. But, of course, if some business fails over and over again, despite all the tricks and tricks, you should seek the advice of a neurologist, psychologist or psychotherapist.

With such a long scientific title, I begin a new article. Do not rush to close the page if the term Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is not familiar to you, because what it means is quite common among people, despite the low popularity of the concept itself. In the West, this syndrome has long been the subject of heated discussion and scientific debate. Many scientists express doubt that this syndrome can be recognized mental disorder and prescribe appropriate treatment. Some generally deny the existence of such a syndrome as a psychological phenomenon.

Here I will explain how to get rid of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder to you or your children, based on the example of your own recovery from the syndrome.

Attention Deficit - Myth or Reality?

In this article, I am not going to refute the opinion of opponents of the diagnosis of attention deficit, and I will not prove the concepts of its supporters, since I do not have any competencies to participate in academic disputes. Yes, I don't need it. Because, within the framework of the question I am considering, it does not matter at all whether such a phenomenon exists in the form of a disease or is it just some kind of character trait. It is indisputable that there are certain mental traits or personality traits, or symptoms of a disorder, or all of this together, which is collectively, in certain circles, called attention deficit disorder. And it is impossible to deny that many people experience problems with, are fussy, cannot sit still, constantly pull something in their hands, and cannot stand in line for a long time. This is a fact, and how to call this fact and whether it is a disease or something else is not such a big deal to solve a particular problem.

It is also a fact that the aforementioned traits can lead to great personality problems and hinder the development of personality in every possible way. As a rule, all this begins to manifest itself in childhood and, then, can move into adult life like I had for example. This peculiar ailment adds to the list of my past psychological "sores", such as panic attacks, emotional instability and anxiety. I got rid of some of these ailments completely, some partially, but at the same time I made tangible progress towards getting rid of them, and I am sure that in the future I will be able to completely eliminate them.

In short, this experience of getting rid of many psychological problems and concomitant development individuals have made this site you are reading now possible.

As for attention deficit disorder, I will explain in detail what it is. I’m not going to scare you with some kind of diagnosis, like you lived and lived, and then, suddenly, it turns out that you have some kind of disease or syndrome with a tricky name: “Thank you, Nikolai!” you say. No, I will tell you what it can threaten, and you yourself will draw a conclusion whether it is dangerous for you or not. Often people themselves do not suspect that they have such problems, just as I did not suspect, considering this my fussiness and eternal haste to be quite natural. And of course, I will tell you how to get rid of it, based on my experience.

If you have been reading my blog for a long time, then you may have seen an article about feeling bored. Many of the provisions of this article are similar to the one you are reading now. Let me explain the difference between chronic boredom and ADHD to avoid confusion. The first stems from more degree from some personal aspects, our hobbies, aspirations, habits, while the second relates more to the work of our nervous system and the fixed schemes of the brain.

If boredom is a symptom of spiritual limitation, inner emptiness, then ADHD is rooted in some habits of the mind to absorb information in a certain way. Boredom manifests itself over a long period of time, ADHD - over a short period of time. Both are very dangerous for the individual and, to a large extent, are interconnected and it is not always easy to separate one from the other, often chronic boredom and ADHD appear together. So I recommend reading after reading this article to have a complete picture of the problem.

How to know if you are suffering from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

The following "symptoms" may indicate that you have this syndrome:

• It is difficult for you to sit still for a long time without doing anything: you feel the need to constantly occupy your hands with something.
• You hardly keep attention on any long process, you constantly want to be distracted.
• It is difficult for you to wait for your turn: when you are standing in a store, waiting for your dish in a restaurant, or when you are participating in a conversation. In a dialogue, you mostly talk rather than listen to the other person.
• You have a hard time listening to someone until the end.
• You are talkative, often jumping from one to another in a conversation.
• You feel a constant need for aimless movement: twisting in a chair, walking back and forth, etc.
• Leisure activities on the Internet are characterized for you to a large extent by chaotic jumping from tab to tab, from one client window to another: they answered in ICQ, then immediately updated the mail, went to the site, without reading the post, switched somewhere else, and so the main part happens your internet time.
• It is difficult for you to finish what you started, your work is in full swing, only in moments of short-term inspiration, when you are very passionate.
• Your hands or mouth are always busy with something: cigarettes, mobile phone or a tablet with a game, seeds, beer, etc.
• You can't have a quiet time when you're not doing anything, like lying on the beach for a long time or reading a book that isn't the most exciting.
• It is difficult for you to think methodically and consistently about something without jumping from one thought to another.
• You experience impulsiveness in making decisions, you want to decide everything at once, right now, without waiting for more suitable circumstances for this decision. If you have some kind of need, you can’t wait to satisfy it right now, you want to implement the idea right away and not wait for the right conditions to solve the problem that has just appeared. As a result, you tend to make impulsive purchases, buying things that you can't afford. It is difficult for you to plan your life in advance, breaking it into temporary stages, and then stick to this plan. You want everything right now.
• As a result of some of the above points, you experience problems in self-organization, building order in your life because you don’t know how plan, wait and be patient.

Do not be alarmed immediately if you see several of the above items at once. Many disorders are characterized by symptoms that are expressed in one way or another in normal people, just in the case of a disorder, they appear more intensely, have big influence on the life of the patient and always exist in conjunction with accompanying symptoms. It is because of this that many people, having read about the symptoms of depression, are frightened and make such a diagnosis for themselves, since very many, for example, are inexplicably sad. But it's not depression yet. It implies a whole range of chronic symptoms.

So does attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It is difficult for all of us to keep our attention for a long time on something that does not interest us, for example, to read boring professional literature. This is normal, because we are not robots. You should not immediately diagnose yourself if you observe something of what I have listed. You need to think about when:

1. There is a clear fact of deviation from the conditionally "normal". For example, at a lecture, almost everyone sits quietly and takes notes, but you turn around all the time and cannot sit still and listen. Your friends can focus on work, but you can't. You chat the most in company, etc. In short, you see that you are not like others.
2. ADHD symptoms interfere with your life. Because of this, you experience difficulties in communication, in learning (you cannot concentrate), in work, in trying to relax (you are always tense, twitching), in organizing your life.
3. You have experienced most of these ADHD symptoms.

If these three conditions are met, then you most likely have something called Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. In order for you to be able to compare, I will say that some time ago I had all of the above symptoms in general (on the one hand, and no wonder, because I copied them, in part, from myself), moreover, in a rather intense form.

Now the picture is completely different. I still find it difficult to concentrate, often I want to be distracted (for example, from writing this article). But now it is much easier to control, I find the strength in myself to resist these restless urges and follow through without distractions. Now I can tolerate long waits, relax, not make impulsive decisions, and not maintain aimless motor activity.

Thanks to this, I got rid of many ADHD problems, which include:

• Increased nervous excitability.
• Tension, inability to relax.
• Many tasks abandoned halfway through and the problems that accompany this (danger of being expelled from the institute, sanctions in connection with unfulfilled work).
• Problems in communicating with people.
• Difficulties in learning, mastering a craft, learning new things.
• Bad habits: smoking and alcohol, "information hunger".

How I got rid of it and how you can get rid of it and will be discussed further.

Getting rid of ADHD

I don't think attention deficit is an ancient phenomenon that goes back a long time. In my opinion, this is mainly a product of our time, the current and past centuries. Avalanches of information rage furiously in our lives. A frantic rush and bustle, set the rhythm of public life. Under the onslaught of these factors, the brain begins to work in multitasking mode and gets used to constant activity, without which it can no longer do. The constant, chaotic, restless switching of the mind from one subject to another is fixed in us as a kind of mental reflex, which begins to work constantly. We become unable to direct our energy, it begins to be dispersed into many different tasks and unnecessary actions.

In the West, they try to “treat” ADHD with psychostimulants and even give it to children (The use of Ritalin in the prevention of ADHD is the subject of fierce debate, the drug has been withdrawn from circulation medicines in many countries, including Russia). The medicine causes side effects and addiction, akin to amphetamine. I strongly doubt the therapeutic success of such a “treatment”. In my opinion, this is an attempt by doctors and patients to ignore the causes of the problem and come up with an easy, but unreliable solution. Doctors do not want to understand the individual causes of the problem or simply do not know what to do, and patients do not want to work on themselves or with their children, and both parties are satisfied with a simple and quick solution.

It is obvious to me that to eliminate ADHD, you need to do a lot of work, eliminate the cause of the disorder, and this will give a much greater effect than all drugs and will not bring harm and addiction, unlike the latter. To me, this is as obvious as the fact that in order to work with the underlying causes of addiction, and no nicotine patches and pills will help you until you understand why you smoke.

These truths sound terribly banal, but what is even worse is that they are not accepted by most people, despite their simplicity and obviousness. If the causes of ADHD are the chaotic consumption of heterogeneous information, anxiety and fuss, then you need to get rid of these causes before talking about some pills! I got rid of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder with the help of simple method direct response to the symptoms of this disease. This principle is that you should try to do the opposite of what ADHD "tells" you! And that's it! Everything is very simple. Let's explain in more detail.

Attention Deficit Treatment Techniques

Look after yourself

You must develop the habit of looking after yourself. How to do it? Follow the recommendations that I will give below and you will develop such a habit. It is needed not only for working with ADHD, but, for example, for self-knowledge. I covered this topic in detail in articles and in my self-development program, you can read these articles after you complete this one.

Don't allow aimless activity in your body

Watch the position of your body and its members. If you catch yourself turning around in your chair or fiddling with something in your hands, drop it, try to sit still. Implement this principle in your everyday life. If you are waiting for a dish in a restaurant that is not brought for a long time - sit up straight, do not fidget, keep your hands in front of you on the table, put them palms down and try not to move too much. Get rid of the habits of lip biting, nail picking, pen biting, etc. These habits are markers of ADHD, and by giving them a go, you are cultivating the syndrome. Watch your posture, let it be almost motionless, if circumstances do not require movement.

I say right away that at first it will be difficult, when you try to follow these recommendations, you will feel the power that bursts you from the inside, makes you move and fuss, this is the "energy" of ADHD. It is as if you are trying to block with your body a turbulent flow of water and with difficulty restrain it. Nothing, be patient, then it will be easier, the flow will gradually, as you follow the recommendations, turn into a thin stream, and your body, which blocks it, will become wider and stronger.

Observe information hygiene when you are on the Internet

One of the causes of ADHD is constant chaotic wandering in the information space. This wandering, jumping from one thing to another, leaves a “cast” on our thinking, so that we can no longer focus on something else. Therefore, you need to gradually get rid of this cause. Organize your work on the Internet in such a way that it does not turn into moving from tab to tab. To do this, limit your stay at, for example, allocate a certain time for this, “until 15.00 I do not go into contact or twitter, and at 15.30 I end my visit to the social. networks and again I do not go there until the evening.

By the way, the widespread activity in the social. networks, apparently, is one of the causes of ADHD. As social media, by their very structure they organize our receipt of information in such a way that we consume it in small and heterogeneous portions, quickly and intensively. We read the news, went to a friend's page, simultaneously launched an audio recording, published a tweet, and all this in 5 minutes. It's like eating a lot of different foods at the same time: they ate a piece of fish, immediately ate a cucumber, reached for ice cream, put a shrimp in their mouth and washed it all down with a sip of kefir and coffee. And then, indigestion.

The brain also gets very tired and wears out from the intensive receipt of various information in a short period of time, just like the stomach from digesting a heap of food. That's why social networks are harmful. If you spend time on the Internet, then it is better to let the information come to you in larger portions and with a larger time interval. Read large articles on Wikipedia or elsewhere, look at pictures for a long time. There is no need to interrupt this process and frantically follow the update of your personal mail or social network page and press the F5 key.

At this time, turn off your ICQ and Skype, so as not to be distracted by them. And in general, when using these clients, try not to text your friends there for every possible reason, also, remember that you are not obliged to reply there immediately after someone has written to you. Finish what you started first, and then write, unless it's something very urgent. Remember, when something distracts you from some process, its execution is much less efficient, this is a scientific fact.

Force yourself to focus

Read books without being distracted by extraneous stimuli. The more boring the book, the better you train the ability to concentrate. But many boring books are quite useful, so let this exercise also serve as a good opportunity for you to learn new things, improve your professional and personal qualities. Mark the time during which you should not be distracted, but only read, let it be an hour or two. You can measure this in terms of pages read, however you like. And until this time passes - no extraneous affairs! The same applies to your work, affairs. Do all this without being distracted and marking the time to complete. (First of all, read this article to the end, with short breaks if necessary, but without being distracted by external stimuli)

Pay attention to what people say to you, learn to listen to the interlocutor. All this is very difficult at first. Attention will constantly drift away, but don’t let it upset or irritate you, just when you realize that you are distracted, calmly transfer your attention back to the subject of concentration. Slowly but surely your ability to concentrate will improve.

Talk less on the point

In the company of other people, you do not need to say everything that comes to your mind, interrupt and rush to speak out. Calmly listen to others to the end, try to speak to the point and on the topic. Pause before answering and think about your answers. No need to chatter, keep an even and calm intonation.

Quit bad habits

Smoking is the biggest ally of ADHD: a cigarette takes your attention and hands and only contributes to the development of the syndrome. People often begin to smoke from their inner restlessness, the inability to sit still doing nothing. So it was, for example, with me. I haven't smoked for a long time. On how to quit smoking, you can then read the article on my website, I gave the link above.

Drink less alcohol. Have you ever wondered what is the phenomenon of so-called beer alcoholism? Not only in love for a foamy drink, as such, but in the fact that beer, like light alcohol, allows you to take sips often, as a result, your hands and mouth are constantly busy. And if you also smoke during pauses, and chat between puffs, look at the screen with one eye, then this takes all your attention and only contributes to the development of attention deficit, in addition, it is also very harmful. So try to avoid noisy gatherings in bars for beer and cigarettes, it is better to rest in silence and try to relax.

Learn to be patient

Try to relax, do not fidget while standing in line, do not run out to smoke every 10 minutes, because you have nowhere to put yourself. During this time, try to relax.

Take long and relaxing walks

A measured walk fresh air well contributes to relaxation and exit from the rhythm of ADHD. So after work, instead of continuing to bombard your brain with new portions of information (Internet, TV, conversation), take a calm walk down the street, even alone. Try not to think about the problems of today, think less in general and look around more, noticing your surroundings. Thoughts flow calmly and measuredly, try to relax as much as possible.

Meditate

This is perhaps the most effective and trouble-free method in the prevention of ADHD and many other unpleasant ailments! How meditation works, I'll tell you now. Have you noticed what all of the above methods have in common? This is the principle of counteracting the symptoms of ADHD that I mentioned above. You do the opposite of what ADHD makes you do and get rid of it: if you want to twitch, you force yourself to sit still, there is a desire to switch from tab to tab - control yourself and do not allow it, it is difficult to listen to a music album to the end, you experience strong impulses to get up - don't do it, that's all.

Meditation is a session of relaxation and concentration, which has an extremely positive effect on the psyche and fully implements the principle of counteracting ADHD! When you meditate, you firstly try to direct your attention to some object (an image, a physiological process in your body, a phrase in your head), thereby developing concentration skills, and secondly, you calm down, sit for 20 minutes in a motionless, relaxed position. You will really want to get up and interrupt this process, your body will want activity, but you will fight this desire, pacify it and again direct your attention to its object!

Is it possible to invent best exercise in order to learn how to be relaxed and deal with inner restlessness?! Meditation helped me a lot, and not only in eliminating ADHD, thanks to it all the work on myself was done, during which all the positive metamorphoses took place in me and I was able to formulate the conclusions that fill my site and, in particular, this one. article.

Meditation is not magic, it is an easy exercise that anyone can do. To find out, read the article at the link.

Information starvation

In one of them, I described an exercise that will be very useful for people with ADHD!

If your child has ADHD

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often begins in childhood. But remember that when you are trying to determine clinical picture in a child, make allowance for the fact that children are always more active than adults and it is more difficult for them to sit still and hold attention than for us. What is abnormal for us may be normal for a child. So do not sound the alarm if you find symptoms of ADHD in a child. It's okay, calmly work with him, using competent and gentle educational measures.

If your child is too active and absent-minded, then all the tips that are suitable for an adult will help him. Take long walks with him, teach him to do activities that require concentration (chess, reading, modeling airplanes, etc.), control his leisure time spent on the Internet, develop his memory and concentration, teach him to follow your body movements and calmly explain to him simple words about all the bad things that will happen to him if his anxiety and absent-mindedness are transferred into adulthood. The main thing is not to press or force, find the line that separates wise upbringing and aggressive dictatorship and do not go beyond it.

And if you teach a child to meditate from childhood, it will be generally excellent! Already when he reaches maturity, he will not have all the problems that we might have experienced: problems with nervous system anxiety, impulsivity, anxiety, irritability, bad habits etc. Only if an adult needs to meditate for 15-20 minutes per session, then 5-10 minutes is enough for a child.

Do not worry if working with a child does not immediately lead to the desired result. Don't lose patience. Most children's, as well as adult problems can be solved, but only if you do not turn away from them, do not ignore their causes, do not leave them to the arbitrariness of careless doctors, but work with them consciously, methodically, independently.

Attention is selective focus our consciousness on a specific object, the concentration of a person on some subject. Attention is involuntary and arbitrary. Involuntary (passive) attention occurs regardless of a person's consciousness, if some object is too strong an irritant (loud, sharp, unexpected) or corresponds to the interests and motives of a person. To improve concentration and increase efficiency, you need to develop voluntary attention. It is, by its nature, much more complex than passive. human will must be applied to it.

Attention and memory

Attention and memory are very closely related, because we improve concentration of attention in order to focus, comprehend and remember material without undue effort. We remember an object the better, the longer and stronger we concentrate our attention on it.

1. You need to set yourself up for the fact that the material being studied will definitely come in handy in the future, i.e. motivate yourself. You can think of a couple of examples where having this information would be a big advantage.

2. Make the learning process more emotional, more vivid and exciting for yourself. This can be done by finding interesting and even exciting facts for yourself in the material, creatively approaching the design of lectures, encouraging yourself for achieving the next goal. This is also a kind of motivation, only external, aimed not at the subject of study itself, but at the positive emotions associated with it.

3. Often during work or study we cannot concentrate because of noise, conversations, sounds from the street. To focused work, regardless of external stimuli you can train yourself. Try reading a book with the music or TV turned on, or study a poem in some noisy, crowded place. After a couple of workouts, you will notice how much easier it has become for you to ignore extraneous sounds.

4. Do only one activity at a time. Don't try to do everything at once. By doing several things at once, we not only overload our brain, but also do not really concentrate on each of these things. If you expect productive results from each case, do one thing first, then another.

5. As mentioned above, concentration is very closely related to memory. Now there are thousands of games and exercises on memory development. Improve it, it will help you a lot in all activities.

6. Lead healthy lifestyle life. Oddly enough, but this also applies to concentration. If the body lacks nutrients and sleep, then you will feel tired, and there can be no talk of any concentration. Control your diet, ensure the intake of all essential vitamins and minerals, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, and get enough sleep.