10 REASONS YOU... CAN’T CONCENTRATE

1 LACK OF SLEEP

As highlighted on the BBC’s Panorama last week, Britain is becoming a ‘sleepless nation’, with sleep-related hospital visits tripling in ten years. Research has shown that sleep deprivation – after just one night – can hamper performance in logistical tasks and leave focus and attention drifting.

2 YOU ARE MESSY

There’s more than a grain of truth in the phrase ‘tidy house, tidy mind.’ According to US research, a chaotic and cluttered environment impairs ability to focus. Neuroscientists at Princeton University found that participants performed better in a cognitive task in an organised, serene environment as physical clutter overloads the senses and impacts ability to process information.

3 YOU NEED TO MOVE

A US study of school children found that a 15-minute movement break improved their memory, focus and behaviour in the classroom and their academic performance was boosted more than a control group given extra lessons. Similarly, a study from the University of Illinois found that when sedentary adults took up a regular brisk walking routine, their ability to ignore distractions was improved.

4 YOU MULTI-TASK. BADLY

Multi-tasking may make it seem like much is getting done, but research has found the opposite. A team at Stanford University found that frequent multi-taskers who thought they were performing well didn’t achieve as much as those who preferred to focus on one thing at a time.

5 IT MAY BE DEPRESSION

Persistent poor concentration is one of the cognitive side effects of depression. Some 20 to 30 per cent of people suffering from depression experience impaired processing speed – the ability to take in information quickly and efficiently.

6 BLAME THE BABY

Pregnant women often say they become forgetful and struggle to focus. It’s a condition known as ‘pregnancy fog’. Scientific proof of the phenomenon has yet to be found, but a 2014 University of London study found that pregnant women use the right side of their brain more – the part associated with emotions – as they prepare for bonding with their baby, meaning that the left ‘logical’ side is used less.

7 WATCH OUT FOR DEMENTIA

Problems with attention span and concentration – such as losing the thread of a conversation or becoming easily distracted – can be a possible early sign of dementia. In these cases, doctors recommend activities and exercises to stimulate concentration such as talking about day-to-day interests or reminiscences in a small group.

8 IS IT ADULT ADHD?

Sixty per cent of people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder still suffer symptoms in adulthood, according to the Royal College of General Practitioners. Adults with ADHD are less likely to be hyperactive, but can struggle to focus on and organise everyday tasks, follow directions and remember information.

9 YOU MAY HAVE HAD A STROKE

Problems with concentration are very common after a stroke – when blood supply to part of the brain is compromised, causing damage to that area, especially if the stroke affected the right side of the brain. Mini-strokes, transient stroke-type episodes, may not even be noticed. Survivors’ concentration span improves with time.

10 YOU NEED TO EAT… OR DRINK A rumbling stomach or

feeling parched can be distracting. Hunger, and the resulting lack of energy, will wreak havoc on a person’s ability to concentrate. Numerous studies involving schoolchildren have shown that performance drops if pupils are hungry. And research has found that having just one per cent lower than optimal hydration can cause lack of focus.