YOUTHS-6 Top Things That Affects Your Concentration Mode

“I’m listening at the lecture hall, and then, all of a sudden, my mind starts to wander. Ten minutes later I come back.”—Blessing..

“PAY ATTENTION!” You must have heard those words from your parents, guardians and even from your teachers. If so, then maybe you are having a problem concentrating or keeping your mind on things. What is the result?  Your grades may be suffering. And you may discover that others are brushing you off as being zoned-out, or just plain rude, even viewing you as a negative vibe.

What may cause lack of concentration?

1. Medical factors

Most  researchers believe that lack of concentration could involve a malfunction of the brain’s neurotransmitter systems. Some youths have undiagnosed problems, such as vision or hearing loss. These too can affect one’s ability to pay attention. While  inattentiveness is thus common among youths, we can not say that medical factors is always the cause.

2. Your thinking pattern changes

If you are having trouble concentrating, more than likely you are simply suffering the pangs of growing up.  True, as you move toward adulthood, your thinking patterns change as you develops towards adulthood. New way of thinking pops up…  in early adolescence. Thus, you develop the ability to analyze and understand  abstract concepts and thoughts. As a youths,  you begin to have a deeper understanding of ethics, morals, and other big issues. You start thinking about your future as an adult.
What is the problem? Having all these new ideas, thoughts and concepts moving around in your brain can be very distracting. You no longer think as a child. Therefore, your brain now moves you to understand and analyze any question you hear and see. A comment by a teacher or a lecturer can spark up an exciting mental journey. However, unless you learn to control your stray thoughts, you can miss out on valuable information. Maybe, setting aside daily, some time to sit back, meditate, and sort things out might assist you to be more focused at other times.

3. Emotions and Hormones

One source of distraction may be your emotions. It could be, you try to concentrate on what you are reading or listening to, but you find yourself thinking about other things. You find yourself changing between excitement and boredom, elation and depression. Just be calm, you are not going mad! Probably, it is simply a case of your hormones playing havoc with you. You are experiencing the changes of puberty.

Feelings abound in the adolescent years. Part of this has to do with the stress of all the changes you’re experiencing right now. Furthermore, you are approaching “the bloom of youth”—the time when love and marriage  desires are at their peak.

4. Your Sleep Habits

As we grow, our body needs sufficient sleep to help us allow our brain to sort out the many new concepts and emotions we encounter daily, thus helping us to develop physically. However, many youths maintain a schedule that affords them little time for sleep. The body system will not forget the hours of sleep that a person owes it. As a result, it will always remember and will suddenly present a bill that can be translated into concentration problems, slow thinking ability and lapses of memory.
It has been researched to  believe that simply adding an hour or more of sleep each night can greatly improve one’s ability to concentrate. Do not treasure laziness and love of sleeping. However, it makes good sense to get enough rest to function well.

5. Your Diet

Another problem may be diet. Fatty and sugary foods are popular among the youths. Researchers say that while junk foods may appear real tasty, they  seems to reduce mental sharpness. Studies has shown that mental performance decreases after a meal of carbohydrates, such as cereal, bread, rice, or pasta. Why? This may be because carbohydrates increase the amount of a chemical called serotonin in the brain and make a person feel drowsy. Some nutritionists simply suggest eating protein-rich foods before any activity that requires mental alertness.

6. Computer Generation and the TV

For decades, some educators have felt that TV and its fast-moving images shorten the attention span of youths, and some are now blaming at the computer generation. While there is much debate among experts as to exactly how these modern technologies affect young people, the truth is, spending an excessive amount of time watching TV or playing computer games can hardly be healthy. Many youths admitted that things like video games, computers, and the Internet, had had a great toll on them.
True, watching TV and playing computer games can be entertaining, you can think of drawing, painting or learn to play a musical instrument. Such skills may improve your powers of concentration as a youth.

Conclusion

Researchers have found that youths in general have more difficulty concentrating than adults. Therefore, do all you can to fight what can make it difficult for you to concentrate.