The brain is a wonderful organ...

The brain is a wonderful organ. It starts working the moment you get up in the morning and does not stop until you get to the office.

Robert Frost

Frost may have meant this ironically, but how many of us feel unfocussed, creatively blocked, or restricted by our working environment?

If you wake up full of the joys of spring, but find that sitting at your desk soon has you distracted and unable to concentrate, you may have to reflect on why... and take steps to rectify the situation.

Because we spend so much time at work, it's important to find a way to create meaning and engagement, either through the individual work we do or in association with our colleagues, and this helps to maintain concentration. Actively seek to reduce external distractions like switching off your email alert, set goals (try the Five Minute Rule), make sure you stay hydrated, and if you don't have a pleasant view even a photo or picture of a beautiful rural landscape will help.

Someone estimated that we spend two thirds of our lifetime at work... so we may as well make it count.

Study shows older brains become more vulnerable to distraction

A series of memory tasks, carried out by three different age groups - 20-30 years, 40-60 years, and 65-87 years - while using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), showed different patterns of brain activity between the age groups, and that we become less efficient at ignoring distractions as we age.

So what can you do? By being aware that we are more easily distractible as we age, we can take steps to ensure that we focus more attentively when we want to concentrate, whether this is to help us learn something new, or to retain information better.

"Older adults should try and reduce distractions in their environment and concentrate on one task at a time. It may be as easy as turning down the radio when reading," says senior Rotman Research Institute scientist and lead study author, Dr Cheryl Grady.

It's also important to remember that what's good for the body, is also good for the brain - regular exercise, nutritious food, enough relaxation and sleep, adequate mental stimulation - all of which will enable the brain to function as well as possible in spite of possible age-related differences.

http://www.baycrest.org/videos/videopages.asp?video=ttux3467h