Last week, researchers reported that adults who use a brain-workout program for ten hours have a mental edge over their peers even a year later. The training, done via computer games, significantly improved visual processing speed (one key to maintaining cognitive health).
Just ten hours of mental practice led to long-lasting benefits. Impressive.
What would I want to improve with a similar amount of brain training?
How about FOCUS? What distracts me even as I write? Is it my Spotify music playing in the background? How about other windows open just waiting for some attention? Am I among the many “suckers for irrelevancy” as Stanford sociologist Clifford Nass claims, unable to resist the drive to multitask?
I know my students are attempting to multitask; and they are not alone. One large survey revealed that 80% of students acknowledge sending at least one text in a typical class period. (15% send 11 or more texts per class.) We know that heavy media multitaskers (HMMs) struggle to manage the many streams of information, performing poorly on tests of filtering ability. The problem is that multiitaskers think they are great at it, though data clearly suggest otherwise. David Sanbonmatsu, a psychology professor at the University of Utah, told NPR earlier this year: “People don’t multitask because they’re good at it. They do it because they are more distracted. They have trouble inhibiting the impulse to do another activity.”
As I wrote last month, difficulties with distraction (e.g., losing focus in the boxing ring) are not uncommon, even among elite athletes. The question for athletes and anyone else seeking an edge in concentration and focus is: What can one do, specifically, to train focus?
When I talked with kayaker Chris Gragtmans, he spoke about the importance of rhythm (around the 1-min mark of this video) — citing the importance of synchronizing paddle strokes, heart rate, and breath. His metronome-like focus helps keep Chris in a state of flow. Chris also uses his helmet cam to record a run, then replay it numerous times while visualizing perfect execution. That way, when he is on the river and approaching a difficult feature, he is instantly in the moment, having run successfully this part of the river hundreds of times in his head.
LeBron James (who, at age 28, just won his 4th MVP in the NBA) describes how he stays focused each day. Speaking with Josina Anderson of ESPN about the award, James said: “Every night I step on the floor and every day I step out of my house, I have this band on my wrist which says “I promise.” James was talking about his promise to be a leader and a role model to children. But it also serves as a motivating/focal point for James, allowing him to work harder even though he could easily rest on his laurels. “I tried harder to win defensive player of the year than I did MVP,” James said. “That’s my goal. Coach (Erik Spoelstra) had me guarding every position. We’ll try again next year.”
Developing concentration and focus is one of my major emphases in sport psychology. What athletes are striving for is that experience of flow or being in the zone. This is usually described as a feeling of being fully immersed in the competition or training, without thinking too much about it. In flow we also see an important decrease in self-evaluation, so that the athlete is not judging him or herself anymore. But this state of flow seems magical and elusive to many athletes. “Man, I don’t know how it happened. I was just in the zone.” The thing is, you can increase your chances of experiencing this focused state through mental training.
Here is an acronym that I have borrowed and adapted to help people focus more effectively. Thank you to Sam Horn for posting this. (Note: These are not specifically geared towards sports, but will develop your ability to focus across situations.)
F-O-C-U-S
Five more rule. As you begin to lose concentration and are tempted to give up (or switch tasks), tell yourself “Five more.” (Read five more pages. Write five more sentences. Resist the urge to check twitter for five more minutes.
One think at a time. Stay with a task for a specific amount of time (say, 30-40 minutes). Then switch. If you are coming into a task already distracted by other thoughts, try the trash it or stash it trick. Write down the things that are distracting you. Then either trash the paper or stash it for later. (I use this for some class periods when students seem particularly preoccupied.)
Conquer procrastination. Putting something off that is difficult is simply reinforcing the notion that you can’t concentrate. Jump right in on difficult tasks (using the two previous tips).
Use your hands as blinkers. Literally. Create tunnel vision for yourself. Keep your cellphone out of your vision. Close other windows on your computer. (Remember, you can always go back to those other sites — but after you have met your goal time.)
See as if for the first or last time. “For lack of attention, a thousand forms of loveliness elude us every day.” — Evelyn Underhill
This last tip begins to get at perhaps the most important aspect of improving focus, attention, and concentration — mindfulness. Training one’s brain to be more mindful is an ancient practice, but is woefully underutilized by today’s athletes. Next week’s post will be devoted to mindfulness training — the benefits, the underlying neuroscience, and how you can apply it to many areas of your life — athletic and otherwise. Stay tuned…