Concentration is vital in many professions, and even in our everyday lives, we all need to concentrate — to avoid traffic accidents, get the job finished or remember important information. But with today's world filled with flashing images on TV, quick news reports and fast-food restaurants on every corner, are we capable of concentrating as well as we used to?

Before we answer that question, let's take a closer look at concentration, and its sibling, attention. Attention is a global term. It is used to describe a state in which you are interested in everything going on around you. Concentration focuses that attention on a specific thing.

Attention and concentration developed in humans as defense mechanisms. Early humans had to be constantly alert or be eaten. But it's hard to keep up a high level of attention for long periods of time without getting stressed out.

Stress is good in small quantities, but too much stress leads to burn out, accidents or illness. Think of your life today. Stress? That's your middle name, right? So, with all this stress and a culture that thrives on short takes, can we concentrate?

One reason people have trouble concentrating may be too much screen time. When a brain is battered by so much stimulation, it's hard to concentrate on just one thing. Some experts have pointed out that a child's attention span is now about seven minutes — the length of time a program runs before a commercial break. In Europe, by contrast, attention spans seem to be longer. Perhaps that is because there are longer gaps between commercials.

To help tune up your concentration skills, practice these tips:

• Cut back on the amount of television and other screen time you and your children watch.
• Get enough sleep. The CDC recommends seven to nine hours of sleep for teens and adults, 10 to 11 hours for school-aged kids and even more for preschoolers and toddlers.
• Stay away from drinks that contain stimulants. Although caffeine or nicotine can give you a quick boost, it lasts only a short time.
• Pay attention to what you eat. A high-fat meal can leave you feeling sluggish. Research has shown that you feel sleepy after eating a meal high in fat or refined sugar because these foods change the makeup of the amino acids entering the brain.
• Try to stay calm and relaxed. Take a short break of a few seconds to a minute every hour or so at work to break the tension cycle. Just taking a moment to breathe deeply and slowly can help you re-center yourself.

Source: The StayWell Company