Strategies for Attention
The idea behind TEACH is to identify tiny, easy, attractive behaviors in each major area and to gradually build on the behaviors that are most helpful to you. We offer a variety of strategies to help you generate ideas. At the beginning of every day, look over our suggestions until you find something that is appealing or until you have an idea of a small behavior you want to practice that day.
1. Add Structure to Your Life
Action Steps: Adding structure to your life improves focus and attention by creating a predictable routine, reducing decision fatigue, and establishing clear priorities.
Start your day with a consistent morning routine that includes stretching, meditation, or intentional activities to set a positive tone.
Begin the day by outlining specific tasks you want to accomplish. This gives your mind a clear focus. Set a daily intention, and remind yourself to focus on what is most important to you.
Establish consistent and predictable routines. i.e., morning, dinnertime, homework, bedtime, etc.
Make notes for multi-step projects to help you work through steps without getting sidetracked.
Remember important things using a daily planner, journal, schedule, vision board, or time block planner.
Keep A Daily To-do list to prioritize activities.
During the day, you may focus on one task at a time instead of trying to do multiple things simultaneously.
Utilize lists, notes, charts, or diagrams to make information more engaging and easier to focus on.
Write down your thoughts and feelings to process your experiences and stay connected to the present.
Watch a TED Talk, read, or listen to an educational podcast at a certain time each day.
Limit screen time or schedule quiet time, especially before bed, when you need to settle down.
Take time at the end of the day or each week to review gals, and accomplishments and think about areas for improvem.ent
2. Improve Organization
Action Steps: Improving organization enhances attention by creating a structured environment, minimizing clutter, and prioritizing tasks. This clarity reduces mental overwhelm, allowing for sustained focus and better management of time and resources.
Start each day by outlining specific tasks you want to accomplish. This gives your mind a clear focus.
Establish consistent and predictable routines. i.e., morning, dinnertime, homework, bedtime, etc.
Make notes for multi-step projects to help you work through steps without getting sidetracked.
Focusing on one task at a time instead of trying to do multiple things simultaneously can improve concentration and effectiveness.
Take Regular breaks to reduce burnout, and try 25 minutes of focused work followed by a 5-minute break.
Organize one item that is lying around
Organize-Clean one small area of your home office
Make places to keep items you use frequently
Organize (find a place for) one item that is frequently left lying around
Make a basket or drawer with a pen, note paper,r stamps, and an envelope
When you go home, put your keys on a hook, your purse, wallet, and cell phone in a designated place
.Plan out meals for the week to save time (and plan healthier meals)
When you change clothes, fold them and put them away or put clothes in the hamper
Clean and organize your closet
Label your closet shelves so you have organized places to store clothes
3. Being Present In the Moment (Controlling Attention)
Action Steps: Being present in the moment enhances attention by reducing distractions, fostering more profound engagement, and allowing for greater awareness of surroundings, which leads to improved focus and concentration.
Take few minutes to practice different forms of meditation each day. These skills can help you train your mind to stay present without judgment and avoid mental time-traveling or mind-wandering.
Practice meditation through nature walks
Use apps like 10% Happier, Calm, or Headspace to practice Meditation to enhance your awareness of the present.
Focus on your breath, bodily sensations, and thoughts that arise without judgment.
Practice breathing exercises to reduce stress and enhance focus.
Inhale deeply through your nose, hold for a moment, and exhale slowly through your mouth.
Use your senses to connect with your surroundings. Notice what you can see, hear, smell, touch, and taste. This practice can help anchor you in the current moment.
Bring your full attention to the present moment to fully experience the here and now; when you notice a thought, bring your attention back to the moment, letting thoughts, emotions, and sensations arise and pass away.
Focus on how you feel more than the narrative about your feelings
Practice a Loving Kindness Meditation in which you send well-wishes toward yourself and others.
Practice an Open Awareness meditation, a type of meditation that is receptive and broad; there is no object; you just notice whatever comes up in your awareness and let thoughts, emotions, and sensations arise and pass away. This helps you to orient to your own priorities, letting distractions come and go.
Take a moment to reflect on something you are grateful for. This can shift your focus to the present and enhance your overall well-being.
Go for a walk and concentrate on the physical sensations of walking. Pay attention to how your feet touch the ground, the rhythm of your steps, and the environment around you. Focus on how your body feels as it moves,
Before starting an activity, set an intention to stay present. Remind yourself to focus on the task at hand and let go of distractions
Write down your thoughts and feelings, to process your experiences and stay connected to the present.
4. Practicing Kind Attention: Attitudes of Mindfulness
Action Steps: Mindfulness involves the cultivation of certain attitudes toward life which are summarized below. These attitudes can be cultivated with daily practice. They lead to being present without judgement which reduces stress and a lot of our negative self-talk.
Non-judging: Identify judgmental thinking as it arises. the goal is to notice, not to rid yourself of judging thoughts. By seeing that judgment is present, we can learn new ways to relate to it, choosing a response rather than reacting unconsciously.
Patience: Cultivate the ability to bear difficulty with calm and self-control and to recognize the urge to rush through one moment to get to the next. Patience requires a connection with your core, faith, and courage; the wise self recognizes the truth that things have a life cycle of their own, separate from your wants.
Beginners Mind: Being open to the experience of each moment as if meeting it for the first time. Remember and imagine your childhood experience – the first smell of a flower, the first drop of rain, the first taste of an orange
Trust: Believing that you can see clearly what is happening to you. You learn to trust your knowledge and authority and you do not need someone else to tell you what you feel and need
Non-Striving: We spend a lot of time “doing” and trying to change things, straining to be different, go somewhere else, or do something else. Wants and desires make us think we aren’t the way we “should” be; they even pressure us to change ourselves!
Honesty: Willingness to see things exactly as they are rather than how you think they should be or how you want things to be
Non-Craving: Our likes and dislikes and our judgments drive clinging. It is essential to let your experience be what it is, moment by moment. This letting be is a way of letting go. By not interfering and letting things be, you have a better chance to let go.
Gratitude: The more you practice counting your blessings, the more aware you become of them, and the more you notice the good things you experience
Generosity: Being generous and willing to share or help someone will make you and the other person happy. Generosity shows that you care about someone other than yourself. It is a way of reaching out, letting others know they are important, and helping you form more positive connections that strengthen meaning and purpose in life.
5. Detox from Toxic Distractions
Action Steps: Detoxing from distractions sharpens attention by reducing mental clutter, enhancing focus on tasks, and fostering a calm environment. This clarity promotes deeper engagement and improves overall productivity and cognitive function.
Designate one day a week as a "social media-free day" where you engage in offline activities.
Unplug from technology can help you reconnect with yourself and your surroundings.
Replace social media time with hobbies like reading, painting, or gardening.
Check phone and email messages at certain times or put the phone on Do Not Disturb.
Reduce distractions by turning off notifications on your devices,
Create a clutter-free workspace,
Decide only to watch a certain number of episodes or a specific number of hours of TV per week.
Replace entertainment shows with documentaries or educational programming that enrich your knowledge.
Use apps that limit your social media usage to a specific amount of time each day.
Unfollow accounts that bring negativity or stress into your life, and mute notifications to reduce distractions.
Gradually reduce the time you spend with toxic people, opting for less frequent interactions.
6. Attention and Self Care
Action Steps: aring for yourself enhances attention by boosting energy levels, reducing stress, and promoting mental clarity. Prioritizing self-care fosters a healthier mindset, enabling better focus and sustained task engagement.
Focus on self-care activities that promote relaxation, improved attention, and positivity (yoga or meditation)
Surround yourself with positive and uplifting friends and family who support your well-being.
Practice Self Compassion Training (Love and Kindness -Well Wishes Toward Self and Others).
Use calming Strategies like deep breathing or focusing on beauty and awe
Strengthen Mind-Body Connection (Yoga and Meditation)
Explore Natural Ways to Boost Dopamine
Physical contact, like a big hug.
Listening to music
Spending 30 minutes a day in the sunshine
Physical Activity: Exercise will be different depending on how much you enjoy it – if you enjoy exercise, it will increase dopamine 2x above baseline).
Chocolate will increase dopamine by 1.5x
Nicotine (when smoked) increases dopamine by 2.5x
Sex (pursuit and act) increases dopamine 2x
Close social connections that release oxytocin have been found to trigger dopamine release.
Take a cold shower. A cold plunge (the water temperature will depend on cold adaptation) can boost dopamine up to 2.5x above baseline and sustain it for up to three hours after exposure!
Drink green tea
Deep breathing
Meditation
Create art like painting, writing, photography, or cooking
Eat fruit to increase tyrosine
Do something new and interesting
Look for requests/expectations you can let go
Avoid arguments/conflicts over minor issues, e
Neurofeedback and Working-memory Training to strengthen attention
Practice Forgiveness daily
7. Explore Natural Ways to Boost Dopamine
Action Steps to increase dopamine levels, boost motivation, and enhance focus by facilitating better communication between neurons in the brain. This neurotransmitter plays a critical role in attention regulation, improving cognitive performance and overall mental clarity.
Action Steps to Boost Dopamine:
Physical contact, like a big hug.
Listening to music
Spending 30 minutes a day in the sunshine
Physical Activity: Exercise will be different depending on how much you enjoy it – if you enjoy exercise, it will increase dopamine 2x above baseline).
Chocolate will increase dopamine by 1.5x
Nicotine (when smoked) increases dopamine by 2.5x
Sex (pursuit and act) increases dopamine 2x
Close social connections that release oxytocin also trigger dopamine release, improving attention.
Take a cold shower. A cold plunge (the water temperature will depend on cold adaptation) can boost dopamine up to 2.5x above baseline and sustain it for up to three hours after exposure!
Drink green tea
Deep breathing
Meditation
Create art like painting, writing, photography, or cooking
Eat fruit to increase tyrosine
Do something new and interesting
8. Attention and Health
Attention and physical health work together, and improving either helps other physical activities like yoga, tai chi, or martial arts strengthen attention and improve physical health. These practices, together with mindfulness, improve concentration and foster mental clarity. This leads to better decision-making, increased physical activity, and reduced stress, ultimately promoting overall health and well-being.
Action Steps for physical activities to enhance attention:
Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Dehydration can lead to decreased concentration.
Get Enough Sleep: To ensure your brain is well-rested, aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night.
Explore the relationship between nutrition and attention: Omega-3s
Reduce junk food and sugary drinks—add more nutritious meals.
Plan a time each week to work on gradually increasing exercise.
Try Yoga, Tai Chi, Mindful Movements, and Mindful Walking to calm the system.
Spend more time outdoors vs. watching TV. Walking or exercising can be a great alternative to screen time and strengthen physical health.
Manage Stress, Mood, and Threats, three conditions that degrade attention and adversely impact health.
Use short bursts of exercise daily to help improve attention and health.
Recharge your emotional batteries with rest from emotional struggles.