A well-known psychological experiment goes like this: Participants were asked to count ball throws between six players. The players wore either white or black shirts, half of the participants counted the throws of the black-clad players, the other half those of the white-clad players. After a while, a person in a gorilla costume appeared, jumped back and forth between the throwers, drummed on his chest and disappeared again. Finally, the experiment leader asked for the number of throws and congratulated those who had called the correct number. And finally he asked about the gorilla - you probably already guessed it: only a few people noticed the gorilla.

Concentration instead of chaos in the head

If we want to, we can be extraordinarily focused. And when we concentrate fully on one task, we can block out everything else. Psychologists speak of selective perception, our visual cortex works like a searchlight. Magicians have always worked with this principle. Without this ability to deliberately focus, the world would be chaos. Concentrating means choosing among the many impressions and information, narrowing our focus sharply to what is important to us - and ignoring everything else.

Clicked on and distracted

Experts observe that new media are increasingly restricting our ability to focus. Our time management has shifted in favor of new media use; we sleep, talk and work less, but spend six to nine hours on smartphones, tablets, social media and the internet. These are absorbing more and more of our attention. Information consumes the attention of its recipients. This is why a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention, according to economist and psychologist Herbert Simon. Reading on the screen causes exactly this, an excess of information: an e-mail signal, a flashing advertisement or a link to another website prevent "deep reading", i.e. concentrated reading and understanding of the text. Only deep reading makes it possible to understand and retain the content. But what can we do to increase our ability to concentrate?

Set priorities

Which tasks and projects are important? Which ones are important later? And which ones are unimportant? You should then rigorously hide the unimportant ones so that you can devote yourself fully to the important ones.

Organized working environment

Chaotic desks are not a sign of genius, but rather a source of disruption and distraction. Everything unnecessary should be removed from the desk, as should background music. A good indoor climate is also important, plants create a pleasant atmosphere, regular ventilation is also important.

Media control

Mute messages for certain tasks or times. Bundle reading and replying to messages.

Pauses

Concentration consumes energy, so it is important to take the right breaks. If your concentration starts to wane, it's better to take a break and go for a walk around the block and get some fresh air, for example.

Get enough sleep

Only those who are well-rested can concentrate well. It is best to go to bed before midnight and sleep for at least seven hours.

Proper nutrition

Sumptuous, heavy meals with lots of carbohydrates and fat make you tired, which in turn affects your concentration. A light meal, such as steamed vegetables or a fresh salad, is better for the mind. To support energy metabolism or reduce tiredness, it is helpful to take vitamin C or iodine. We offer suitable products with Iron & Vitamin C Complex (organic), Iron Vital Complex (organic) and Iodine Compact (organic).