How to Help Yourself and Live a Full Life: Improving Concentration

People often confuse multitasking with lack of concentration, while the former involves complete and even task completion, the latter does not allow them to fully perform even everyday tasks and the process slows down by 40% most often. In this regard, people turn to psychologists or try to Google solutions to the problem on their own, and most stop there — online concentration game. 

These games are not like regular video games; their main goal is not to entertain but to develop the brain, and here are a few examples and their purpose:

• Games for remembering sequences and matching pairs: These games help to make your working memory stronger and improve your ability to keep information in your mind.
• Logic puzzles and sorting tasks: They help to develop flexible thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Fast reaction games: These games improve the speed of processing visual and auditory information.

Different apps use these principles to create personalized training programs, and some of them are built on the principles of neurofeedback where real-time feedback helps the user consciously control their state, while others use adaptive algorithms that adjust to the player’s level of difficulty to constantly challenge them and keep them from getting bored.

Games and ADHD: Better Focus

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a condition that is often characterized by difficulties with concentration, impulsivity, and hyperactivity, and for people with ADHD, online concentration games can be a great option because they hold attention much more effectively than traditional methods. 

Unlike boring exercises on paper, games offer an immediate reward and clear goals, which motivates a person to continue their training.

• For children with ADHD: These games help to develop self-control and perseverance, so when a child plays such a game, they are not just doing a task but are learning to regulate their actions and focus on a specific task, and applications often use bright graphics, funny characters, and sound effects to make the learning process fun, which helps the child see the training not as a duty but as a game, and this greatly increases their involvement and results.
• For adults with ADHD: Online games can help them manage daily tasks at work and at home because training working memory can improve the ability to keep several steps, instructions, or project details in mind, and fast reaction exercises can help with driving or in situations where immediate decision-making is needed. 

Apps for Training Concentration

Besides games, there are specialized applications that offer structured and personalized programs to improve attention and other cognitive functions, and unlike entertainment games, they often use a scientific approach that is based on research in the field of neuroscience.

• They offer cognitive tests to check your starting level and track your progress.
• Many use adaptive algorithms that change the difficulty of the tasks to fit the user’s personal needs.
• They often give detailed analytics that lets you see exactly which skills are developing.

Here are a few well-known apps that can help with this problem:

• Mind Elevate offers a set of exercises made to train key cognitive skills, such as working memory, the speed of processing information, and flexible thinking, and it uses gamification to make the training fun and motivating while also giving detailed reports about your progress.
• Lumosity is one of the most popular apps that offers games made to train memory, speed, flexible thinking, and attention, and the program includes personalized training plans.
• Peak focuses on developing different cognitive skills, including language abilities, coordination, and emotional flexibility, and it also changes the difficulty of the tasks to fit your progress.

ADHD at Different Stages: From Childhood to Adulthood

ADHD is not just a childhood disorder; its signs change with age, which makes diagnosis and treatment a difficult process, and understanding these differences is critically important. In the table below, the main signs of ADHD are shown depending on age.

The Effect of Sport on Concentration

• Increased neurotransmitter levels: Sport increases the production of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin, which play a key role in regulating attention, mood, and motivation, and for people with ADHD, this is especially important because they often have a lack of dopamine.
• Improved blood circulation: Physical exercises improve the flow of oxygen to the brain, which helps to grow new neurons and make the connections between them stronger.
• Reduced stress: Sport helps to lower the level of cortisol, the stress hormone, which is one of the main enemies of concentration, and it narrows our attention and prevents us from focusing.

What is Better to Avoid

To keep a high level of concentration, it is important not only to know what to do but also to understand what to avoid because certain habits and conditions can seriously hurt your ability to focus.

• Avoid multitasking: Our brain cannot effectively do several complex tasks at the same time, and when we try to juggle several things, the brain just quickly switches from one to another, which leads to errors and a decrease in the quality of work.

So it is better to focus on one task and completely finish it before moving on to the next one.

• Limit your intake of sugar and processed foods: Foods with a high sugar content cause sharp spikes in blood glucose levels, which leads to energy dips, tiredness, and a decrease in concentration.
• Pay attention to your sleep schedule: A lack of sleep is one of the most powerful factors that negatively affect concentration, and during sleep, the brain cleanses itself of toxins and restores its resources, so try to sleep at least 7-8 hours a day.
• Limit screen time: Too much use of gadgets and passive consumption of content can negatively affect the ability to concentrate for a long time, so try to set aside time for a “digital detox” to let your brain rest.
• Do not let stress take over you: Chronic stress uses up mental resources and makes concentration almost impossible, so practice meditation, yoga, or other relaxation techniques to lower your stress level and get back control over your attention.

Conclusion

Developing concentration is a continuous process that needs a full approach because online concentration games can be a great help, especially for people with ADHD, as they offer a motivating way to train your brain, but it is important to remember that this tool is most effective when combined with a healthy lifestyle, so regular sports, full sleep, good food, and consciously avoiding bad habits are all keys to making your focus and overall well-being better.