Increasing concentration

[noto]

This is my first post on the forums, which will become quite evident, however I'm curious what ways do people increase their concentrations, reactions and improve mental agility etc.

 

Apologies for a rather short and brief post, though I've been following the forums for a little while now, also please move this thread to its appropriate place if it's in the wrong section, thanks.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

This is my first post on the forums, which will become quite evident, however I'm curious what ways do people increase their concentrations, reactions and improve mental agility etc.

There's an interesting drug called modafinil (marketed as Provigil) that performs some of these functions (although it's not the only way to do it). Check out this article.

Apologies for a rather short and brief post, though I've been following the forums for a little while now, also please move this thread to its appropriate place if it's in the wrong section, thanks.

Great to see another polite member. And yes, I did move it to the right forum

[Pseudoswallo]

All that I've ever done to this effect is to stand up, walk around, etc. This gets the blood flowing to the brain, which (under my own testing) is shown to increace the speed at which one can do simple math problems.

 

Oh, and noto... welcome to SFN, and may you surpass even the good Cap'n in posting and intellect.

[noto]

Thankyou guys, much appreciated.

[Rocket Man]

whenever i go mountain biking, i go fast, reflexes are crucial.

limits are there to be broken, unfortunately, such limits tend to go alongside bones.

you can really tell even subtle differences when youre working at near full capacity, i find fish oil helps, i dont really know why, but it does, alot (omega3?).

also, a good sleep and clean high energy foods. (clean meaning low amounts of chemicals ect)

 

i know you've heard it hundreds of times before, but a good diet is the best way to reach your peak. all of them, all at once. mental, physical, social(increased sense of well being boost confidience)

 

speaking from experience.

other than that, get fit. it sounds absurd, but i and others have noticed a sharp leap in everything since i started training.

[Royston]

i find fish oil helps, i dont really know why, but it does, alot (omega3?).

 

Same, a friend told me it had some desired effect on the brain...but they're not particularly scientific, I gave it a shot anyway. However I couldn't tell if it was a placebo effect because of what I was told. I did notice an improvement when I studied though. Perhaps there is some benefit in using omega3 to help concentration ?

[scicop]

There's an interesting drug called modafinil (marketed as Provigil) that performs some of these functions (although it's not the only way to do it). Check out this article.

 

Great to see another polite member. And yes' date=' I did move it to the right forum [/quote']

 

Modafinil, now there's a funky mechanism of action! Cephalon is definately doing good these days...despite their recent OIG investigation.

[Skye]

I think noto needs a chordial welcome.

 

Anyway for working at a desk,

-Get enough sleep

-Have an uncluttered place to work

-Take a 10 minute break every hour

-Try to keep the temperature and noise levels reasonable

-Caffiene

 

In sporting environments,

-Practice

-Practice

-Practice

[reor]

Hello, noto!

 

I second Rocket Man. I've been investigating which food is beneficial and which is disadvantageous for my concentration. I discovered i can't eat/drink alcohol, cocoa, coffee, flour, meat, milk and nuts, while lettuce and watermelons are very good.

Omega-3 fatty acids are good for memory. Fortunately, i can eat fish.

I also like pen spinning to focus my mind and exercise my fingers. I even noticed online shooters (like the free Nexuiz) when played at reasonable doses (1 hour max!) can enhance eye-hand coordination.

 

Have fun!

[noto]

Thanks for all your input guys, I've been searching around and I heard that chewing gum can increase concentration, however I'm not too sure on that, can anyone clarify this? Keep your replies coming guys and thanks for the welcomes

[Rocket Man]

snail,

the only time you can really tell if it effects concentration is if you're working at full capacity, downhilling was my example, it can get nasty. i find it's good in large doses, tinned salmon works better than tablets.

[olifhar]

I survive (as in, get by with what Ineed to do) on a cocktail of various herbs. I's helped me a lot, since I tax my physical constitution a lot with my decadent habits. Here are some of the better known ones (others are weird Chinese herbs) as well as how much I usually take every day:

 

- ginko biloba 40mg

- 500 mg Omega-3/420mg DHA

- SAM-e 200mg (this is a bit expensive)

- Palm Ester-C complex, 500mg x 3

- Chrysanthemum Tea x 3 cups (I take it as 8-treasures or Chrysanthemum+Pu Erh, but whatever)

 

I also drink a lot of energy drinks with Panax Ginseng and Guarana, which for me work much better than caffeine (I have energy, but tend to lose focus with caffeine). This tends to make me tense and nervous, but considering how much I

 

Most of what I take is not scientifically proven. Maybe it'll kill my liver or give me brain cancer in the future. Whatever: the main thing it's valuable right now. The healthist thing for me to do would probably be to get regular, vigorous exercise and limit starch, sugar, and difficult to digest things, and adopt better sleep habits, but until that, I'll just keep taking whatever I need to take that doesn't wreck my system e.g. methamphetamines, though I've only tried prescpription style amphetamine salts, generic versions of Adderall prescribed to me for a minor case of ADD.

 

In general becoming and feeling healthier seems to help my concentration the most. That's probably the soundest thing to do rather than depend on a lot of this crap, no matter how helpful.

 

Warning: The above statements have not been tested or approved the Food and Drug Administration. They are not intended to blah blah blah blah blah.

 

(Addendum: I've heard that certain meditation disciplines tend to increase concentration. Makes sense to me; I practice mantra disciplines every day. Nearly free, except for the opportunity cost, and somewhat less questionable in terms of potential side effects or physical dependancy. Whatever works for you, go for it.)

[reor]

About chewing gum:

I know that chewing makes the brain get more oxygen, though i don't know the exact mechanisms behind that. I assume it's the muscle activity forcing more blood being transported towards the head.

[Rajdilawar S]

I feel meditation will also help to increase concentration along with some Yog.

Also some breathing execises "pranayaam" will do the needful....

And I have also come to know that Ginsing is also good for that, any Idea about that.

[Edtharan]

i find fish oil helps, i dont really know why, but it does, alot (omega3?).

From what I know about it, the Omega 3 create larger holes in the cell membrains that allow nutrients in faster and waste products can also leave faster. The brain uses a lot of fats which are used to speed up neuron firering and signal transportation along them.

 

Fortunately, i can eat fish.

Fish don't actually produce Omega 3. They get it from thier food. Seaweed is a good source as they produce the Omega 3.

[Rocket Man]

Fish don't actually produce Omega 3. They get it from thier food. Seaweed is a good source as they produce the Omega 3.

 

time for sushi!

i take it omega 3 accumulates at the higher end of the food chain.