How Concentration Can Ease Your Anxiety
Have you ever walked into a room full steam ahead and then realized you don’t remember what you were going to do when you got there? Or, have you ever driven somewhere and then after parking wondered, “How in the world did I get here?”
If you answered yes, don’t worry - you are not alone.
Not only is our world full of distractions, but for those of us that struggle with anxiety, our overthinking minds fill up with intrusive thoughts about the past or future that have nothing to do with the task at hand, leaving us feeling scattered, forgetful and frustrated! And if you are anything like me, you might even beat yourself up for not being able to concentrate. Or at least that’s how I used to handle my lack of focus and concentration. But I’m here to tell you the good news! You can learn to cultivate a more concentrated mind, even when it feels almost impossible, so you can reduce your anxiety in order to feel more calm, creative and confident in your life.
Distractions Are Everywhere
You can be more productive when you are doing more! Right?
Wrong.
Society would have you believe that multitasking is the only way to effectively get anything done. Research shows that people check their phones every 12 minutes for the latest news, updates, and social media hype. The dings, flashes, and pop up notifications instantly grab your attention and encourage you to “check in” so you don’t miss anything. On average, we are interrupted every 8 minutes, which is about 60 times a day! Personally, I’ve noticed that my own concentration level has significantly dropped. When I’m researching a topic or trying to find out how to solve a problem, I look for quick hit results like videos or bullet lists and I rarely read an entire article. I usually just skim the headlines to get the gist because I honestly don’t have the mental capacity to do more than that. Heck, you may have already stopped reading this article for the same reasons!
However! Multiple studies have shown that distractions and switching from one task to another is actually hurting our productivity as a whole.
Here are some eye opening statistic from various studies:
Multitasking causes a 10% drop in IQ. (Bergman, P. 2010, May 20. How (and why) to stop multitasking. Harvard Business Review.)
Only 2.5% of the population actually process tasks simultaneously. (James Watson of the University of Utah)
In a study of Microsoft employees, workers took, on average, 15 minutes to get back to intense mental tasks, like writing reports or computer code, after responding to email or instant messages. (New York Times)
It actually takes more time to get things done when you try to multitask. People who are interrupted – and therefore have to switch their attention back and forth – take 50% longer to accomplish a task. (John Medina, Brain Rules)
Multitaskers make up to 50% more errors. (John Medina, Brain Rules)
How Anxiety Impacts Concentration
In addition to outside distractions, if you struggle with anxiety you might notice that during an anxious moment, you could feel confused, forgetful and just have difficulty concentrating. There are a few reasons why poor concentration and lack of focus are common symptoms of anxiety disorders.
First, when you are anxious, your mind thinks you are in danger, so it pumps cortisol and adrenaline hormones into your body to keep it safe. This is great when you actually need to fight, flight, freeze or faint in order to survive an actual threat. But when you aren’t actually physically threatened, elevated amounts of these hormones get trapped in your body and cause brain fog which impacts your ability to focus and remember things in the short-term.
Second, your overthinking mind also uses up a lot of energy processing all your thoughts and emotions. Since it takes a lot of energy to focus, you may not actually have the capacity to concentrate because your mind is so busy using its energy to worry about the past or ruminate about the future. There are so many thoughts racing around in your mind that the brain can’t actually process any of them.
Finally, when you feel anxious, you might turn toward a distraction to “relax the mind”, like surfing TikTok for hours or getting sucked into the YouTube vortex. The problem with this is that although there is an immediate sense of relief, you are actually creating more distractions for the mind which makes it more difficult to focus and concentrate.
But don’t worry! The good news is that with practice and a little bit of grit, you can cultivate a more concentrated, focused mind.
Focusing your mind is a mental training that requires willpower and resilience. It’s hard work! And, I would argue that the reward is well worth the effort.
When you start to develop your capacity to focus, you achieve extraordinary results. Although it’s hard work, concentration is powerful - your capacity to stay on track in the midst of distractions can truly increase your productivity. There is also a sense of mental calming because the mind can relax into whatever you are focused on instead of spending energy jumping from one “what-if” scenario to another. And, as you deeply relax into concentration, your capacity to experience pleasure and joy increases.
Meditation - Concentration Practice
I know what you are thinking … Ok, this all sounds great, but how do I focus my overthinking, anxious mind?
You can start with a concentration meditation practice. In many traditions, concentration is the first phase of meditating. This is because once your mind is focused, you can more effectively examine reality and discover deeper truths that can lead to freedom and happiness.
In concentration practice, you choose an object to focus on and stick with it. You can focus on the breath, a saying (or mantra) or a physical sensation in the body (like the sensation of your hands). Once you bring your awareness to this anchor, you’ll begin to notice how the mind wanders. In that moment when you notice you are no longer focused on your anchor, you bring your awareness back, again and again, to your anchor. The more you bring your awareness back to your anchor, the more you recognize the patterns of your mind and become aware of the stories, thoughts and feelings that are consistently coming up between you and the present moment.
Here are some ways you can practice concentration meditation:
Count the breath. Inhale to the count of 5 and then exhale to the count of 5.
Notice the length of the inhale vs. the exhale - is one longer than the other?
Ask yourself, is this in-breath shorter or longer than the in-breath before it?
Get curious and notice where you feel the breath on the inside. Really investigate every sensation.
Finally, know that your mind will wander because the job of your mind is to think, just like the job of your heart is to beat. When you catch yourself caught in a thought, instead of judging yourself for not staying with the anchor, reframe the moment as a waking up! Congratulations! You are now awake the the present moment!
Other Strategies to Increase Your Focus
Here are just a few additional strategies you can do in order to increase your focus.
Choose a time to focus. Pick a routine task and use your five senses to become as present as possible. For example, when you are washing the dishes, notice the smell of the soap, the movement of your body, the temperature of the water and how the water and suds feel on your skin. This practice will help you focus when the tasks are not so routine.
Eat Mindfully. Pay attention to each bite without the distractions of your computer, phone, TV or conversations with others. Really notice how the food looks, tastes, smells, and what it’s texture feels like. Simply enjoying your food can bring your awareness to the present and increase your sense of gratitude for the wonderful meal you are enjoying.
Slow down. The more you slow down, the more you notice. Try walking a little slower from the store to your car and notice what you feel or see. Again, use your senses to tune into the present moment and focus on what is happening in the body.
Find your focus time. There will be times of the day that are more conducive for you to focus. Maybe it’s first thing in the morning or mid-day. Or, maybe it’s after moving the body or eating a meal. Whatever that time is for you, work on the things that need your full attention so you can be more productive.
Remove distractions. When you really need to focus on a task or project, put away your phone or anything else that might distract you. Create a space that feels welcoming and comfortable so you can be fully present.
Focus is not an easy practice! Your busy, monkey mind wants to wander! However, if you practice concentration a little bit each day, you will feel more calm, confident, and creative so you can live a more happy and joyful life!