Why I have trouble concentrating: causes and solutions

Have you ever wonder: “Why do I have a hard time concentrating?” While you are performing  different personal, work or academic activities that require attention and concentration. However, there are a number of factors that can act as a distraction to the concentration required to perform any task.

Many times you may wonder why do I have a hard time concentrating. You must know that there are many reasons involved in the attention process.

That said, in this post you will know the different reasons that prevent or affect our concentration and what you can do to control them.

What is concentration?

Concentration is a human mental capacity related to the ability to focus attention and all cognitive resources on a given action, in order to carry it out efficiently.

Factors affecting concentration

Concentration can be affected by multiple elements, without the need for a particular disorder or condition.

It is totally common or frequent that concentration is affected at some point. It can happen to anyone.

Some of the following factors may be the cause of why do I have a hard time concentrating:

Distracting elements

Depending on the environment, there may be an infinite number of elements that catch your attention or interest and that manage to take our focus away from the activity you are doing.

These elements can be external, related to the environment where you are, or internal as a reflection of our thoughts and emotions, and are part of the aspects that indicate why do I have a hard time concentrating.

Fatigue

When you analyze why do I have a hard time concentrating, you can find fatigue as one of the most frequent elements that affect concentration.

This is due to the mental and physical exhaustion causing weakness and difficulty to stay focused on a particular task.

Simultaneous tasks

Many times you try to do several activities at the same time and this can be complicated, if the multitasking habit is not formed.

It should be noted that with practice and discipline this ability can be achieved, but it requires dedication and a lot of concentration.

Otherwise, trying to multitask can seriously affect the results and will be another reason why you may feel like why do I have a hard time concentrating.

Demotivation

One more of the causes of why do I have a hard time concentrating, can be attributed to lack of motivation or doing activities that you do not like.

Thoughts and concerns

The mind can play a fundamental role as a distractor that affects the ability to concentrate.

Thoughts and worries will prevent us from focusing on the tasks you are performing, representing one of the frequent reasons why do I have a hard time concentrating.

Alzheimer’s and other diseases

Alzheimer’s, as well as other neurodegenerative diseases, may be the cause as to why I have a hard time concentrating. These types of diseases affect the ability to pay attention and concentrate.

Anxiety

Anxiety and its associated discomforts represent another factor that affects the ability to concentrate. An episode of anxiety prevents attention and focus on different tasks and activities.

Aging

As you get older, your memory and concentration abilities may decline, which is another element of why I have hard time concentrating.

Excessive joy

Experiencing situations that involve emotions of extreme joy may also represent one of the elements as to why you may have hard time concentrating.

Since, joy will take up a large part of the attention, preventing me from focusing on other activities.

Presence of various disorders and diseases

It may be the case that they present disorders such as ADHD or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder,which is a chronic disorder that impedes the ability to pay attention. Besides it is accompanied by impulsive reactions and hyperactivity.

Concentration problems also occur with schizophrenia, mood disorders, or in people addicted to certain drugs that affect their cognitive abilities.

Possible solutions to improve attention span

Fortunately, there are a number of alternatives that will help us to improve our ability to concentrate and focus on specific activities that you must perform. Such as the ones mentioned below:

1. Adequate rest.
2. Exercising regularly the practice of sports on a regular basis favors the proper functioning of concentration abilities. In addition, it allows us to get out of the routine of daily duties.
3. Avoid or control distracting elements when performing the different activities, it will be important to be located in an environment that favors concentration, avoiding interruptions, noises, or any element that can defocus you.
4. In the same way, it will be convenient to select a comfortable environment for concentration.
5. Practicing meditation is a discipline that is very conducive to achieving a better capacity for attention and concentration.
6. Set goals which can serve as a motivating element to achieve our objectives.
7. Combine writing with reading, this is an excellent trick to improve concentration.
8. Have a healthy lifestyle and have a diet full of vitamins.