I often get asked “How can I holistically enhance attention or improve my focus?” There are various ways to enhance focus in addition to the prescription medications available on the market:
1. Behavioral approaches include giving prompts and using organizational binders/calendars to keep an older child or adult on task.
2. Exercise: Aerobic exercise boosts natural catecholamines in the body (the body’s own amphetamine of sorts) to improve focus. Taking breaks from intense study or work sessions to go for a jog, run or brisk walk outdoors, playing basketball for twenty minutes or some other type of aerobic exercise can help restore attention/focus.
3. One nutritional approach includes the addition of the nutritional supplement known as Huperzine-A which has been used in Chinese medicine for years (derived from a Chinese moss) for fever and improving immunity; it has recently been showing promise in early studies for enhancing memory, attention and focus in dementia as well as in attentional disorders. Others have reported some benefit from use of bee pollen as a nutritional supplement (not to be used if you have an allergy to bees).
4. An energy medicine/ traditional chinese meridian approach includes stimulating or tapping firmly or massaging firmly on the 27th point of the kidney meridian (just under the collarbones on either side of the chest- a tender point for most people). This will temporarily improve focus, pick up energy and improve motivation/wakefulness in any person whether they have ADD or not.
5. A homeopathic approach might include use of Bach Flower Essences to improve focus. There is a specific Bach remedy (Clematis) to improve presence in the moment for those children or adults who tend to daydream or are more preoccupied with fantasizing when they are supposed to be studying or working. There are also essences for decreasing anxiety (a common co-morbid issue in children with ADD issues. (There are some great Energy Medicine easy to learn techniques for diminishing anxiety as well.)
6. Color Therapy can be used to improve attention and focus. Bright yellow placed within the visual field while working or studying will enhance attention and focus.
7. Aromatherapy can be used as well. The scent of peppermint or citrus (lemon) can stimulate attention and focus.
8. The NEO Neurophone is a non-FDA approved device that helps balance the right and left hemispheres of your brain and enhances focus. It also helps give you a deep sense of peace and tranquility. There are 3 different settings. Find out more by clicking here
Hope this helps! 🙂
Tracy Latz, M.D.
*Check out The Shift Doctors’ books at the Amazon link by clicking here and the Meditation CDs at the digstation link by clicking here
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This was extremely interesting, with all of the credit to you the editor. Would love to hear more about this from you. If you would not mind would you email me, I believe you have my email with this comment and we can talk that would be awesome. Thank you so much look forward to hearing from you.
Nice blog post, thank you. Can you expand on the second para-graph in a bit more detail plz?
Edison, I am not certain what it is that you would like to hear more about… smile.
Mike, aerobic exercise improves focus through release of our own natural stimulants (catecholamines) when we get our heart rate up and oxygenate our body’s cells.
Regards,
Tracy Latz MD
I liked it =]
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Excellent article – worth tweeting!
Great formula for focus: FES’ flower essence Madia combined with Bach Flower Clematis
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