Three Tips to Boost Your Focus and Mental Health
March 13, 2023
3.5 min read
It’s okay to not feel our best from time to time.
Written by Hayley Carr
It’s a Sunday night, you have an exam the following morning. You reread the same pages of the textbook but you can’t grasp a word. A notification appears on your screen. The place you applied to last week for a job wants to set up an interview. You sigh. The things that excited you last week feel overwhelming now.
It is okay to not feel our best from time to time. Life can get stressful. Fortunately, there are healthy ways to figure out why you’re feeling this way and to regain your focus, and feel like yourself again. Let’s take a look at how we can go about this.
#1: Check for nutritional deficiencies
If you feel like you’re sleeping well but still find yourself exhausted during the day, you might have a nutritional deficiency.
The food that we eat is broken down into its constituent building blocks throughout the gut. The building blocks — nutrients, vitamins, and other compounds — are required for making the body run efficiently. If you aren’t eating right or have another condition that makes it harder to absorb certain nutrients, it can affect your mental health and your studies.
For example, anemia occurs when you are low on iron. Iron is needed for red blood cells to move oxygen around the body. A deficiency often leads to fatigue. Other studies found that eating well is associated with a bevy of positive health outcomes.
So what should you do if you suspect you may have a nutritional deficiency? The first step would be to request a blood test from your doctor. No benefits? Not to worry - set up an appointment with a doctor, getting a blood test under OHIP is free! Allowing you access to your nutrition levels with ease.
#2: Practice mindfulness
When we're stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed we may struggle to find peace of mind. Mindfulness allows us to become aware of the present moment. This awareness helps us narrow our focus away from the stressors of the external environment, connecting our inner mind and body.
So how do we practice mindfulness? Mindfulness can be practiced in a few ways including:
Mindfulness meditation
Mindfulness yoga
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy
The main goal of mindfulness is to focus on the breath. When we focus on our breath, we are able to interrupt, redirect, and regulate our emotions. Slow breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, slowing down the heart rate and other sensations associated with anxiety.
You can find some mindfulness tutorials online. Take a look and see if it is right for you!
#3: Stay active and exercise
“True enjoyment is from the activity of the mind and exercise of the body; the two are ever united.” - William Von Humboldt.
Staying active can help us connect with ourselves. The best part is - it does not have to be complicated. Staying active can be as simple as going for a walk outside in the park. Any form of exercise that gets your body moving regardless of intensity is enough.
Exercise is also found to increase attentional control and emotional regulation. As a result, we are able to think more clearly; change our response patterns; increase our focus; set more goals; and decrease rumination. With that, our mood can begin to improve significantly.
Takeaway
If you are feeling overwhelmed, don't be hard on yourself. Sometimes we need to take a step back and check in with ourselves. Listen to what your mind and body needs today. Incorporating these three tips are a great start to regain your focus. You’ve got this!
**Please note, this is article is not therapy or a replacement for it. Engaging with it does not constitute a therapeutic relationship of any kind with the writer. Please seek professional help if needed.**
