Instant Alert: 15 ways to stay focused all day, according to scientists

MANAGE SUBSCRIPTIONS   |   UNSUBSCRIBE   |   VIEW ONLINE   15 ways to stay focused all day, according to scientists by Jessica Orwig and Lydia Ramsey on Nov 14, 2015, 3:00 PM Advertisement What was I doing again? We've all had days where we can't seem to focus, asking that question too many times to count. For some of us, those days are more common than we'd like. Whether it's fatigue, distractions, lack of motivation, or something else entirely, our inability to focus digs a hole in our productivity and, therefore, can jeopardize our chances of success. But you don't have to go to extremes, like the main character in "The Wolf of Wall Street" does, to get focused. There are better ways. Here are 15 tips that scientists have found that enhance focus. SEE ALSO: 15 healthy eating habits that work, according to scientists DON'T MISS: 12 healthy habits to get a better night's sleep, according to scientists Minimize multitasking. Multitaskers might seem superhuman, but they pay a big price, according to a 2009 Stanford study. In a sample of 100 Stanford students, about half identified themselves as media multitaskers. The other half did not. The test examined attention spans, memory capacity, and ability to switch from one task to the next — and the multitaskers performed more poorly on each test. "They're suckers for irrelevancy. Everything distracts them," Clifford Nass, who was a researcher for the study, said in a Stanford press release. Meditate. If the saying "practice makes perfect" is true, then meditation is a sure way to enhance focus because it takes a great deal of concentration. Scientific experiments agree. One study at the University of North Carolina, for example, revealed that students who meditated for just 20 minutes a day for four days performed better on certain cognitive tests. Exercise regularly. Exercise isn't just good for the body. It promotes brain health, too, which is important for memory capacity and concentration, according to John Ratey, associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. In particular, scientists think regular exercise may help stimulate the release of a chemical called brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which some research suggests helps rewire memory circuits to improve their functioning. See the rest of the story at Business Insider   Share the latest business news with your network: Email sent to:   |   Manage your email preferences   |   Unsubscribe Terms of Service   |   Privacy Policy Business Insider. 150 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011