5 Easy Ways To Increase Mental Focus and Concentration

By Jessica Blackey

Mental focus is important for everyone, from the child getting ready to go back to school to the senior adult desiring to prevent Alzheimer's disease. Here are five easy ways to increase mental focus, end depression, sharpen memory, and delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease. Now I can't make any guarantees that these tips will for sure help your memory, but according to research, they should help. Below I came up with 5 ways that you can sharpen and increase your mental focus.
5 Ways To Increase Your Mental Focus
1. Eat a good breakfast. A healthy diet is one way to enhance mental focus, and breakfast is the best place to start. Twentieth-century American nutritionist and writer Adelle Davis once said, "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper." That recommendation holds true today. Skipping breakfast can affect mental acuity, emotional well-being, and energy levels for the rest of the day. In fact, one British study found that people who do not eat breakfast perform poorly on memory tests and have higher levels of physical and mental fatigue later in the day.
2. Drink more caffeine. Not only does coffee taste good and can get someone going in the morning, but it also has health benefits. According to research reported by WebMD, coffee drinkers are less likely to have a number of different health problems, including Alzheimer's related dementia. A 2009 Scandinavian study followed 1,400 coffee drinkers for 20 years. Those who drank between 3 and 5 cups of coffee daily were 65 percent less likely to develop dementia. It appears that coffee wakes up the senses and keeps the brain sharp.
3. Keep the body hydrated. According to a "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition" report, mild dehydration can cause cognitive impairment and poor mental performance. The study looked at aging seniors and younger adults. To enhance mental focus, people should drink plenty of fluids, especially water, throughout the day. Those who drink coffee to sharpen mental acuity should drink extra fluids to counter caffeine's diuretic effects.
4. Listen to inspiring music. Music improves energy levels and engages the senses. Most people know from experience that uplifting music sharpens concentration and encourages creativity. The power of music to enhance mental focus is well-documented. Listening to music and taking note of the various sounds, images, emotions, and even smells it evokes, is a great way to exercise the brain.
5. Have a good laugh. Nutrition, exercise, and leisure activities can have lasting effects on physical, emotional, and mental health. Research shows that investing in laughter can pay good dividends, too. Everyone knows the adage, "Laughter is good medicine," and studies reveal that laughter has a profound effect on a person's overall health. In addition to the physical and psychological benefits, laughter can sharpen a person's mental focus. It moves the attention away from stress, anger, guilt, and other negative emotions that can cloud a person's concentration.
Breakfast, caffeine, water, music, and laughter are just five ways a person can increase mental focus. There are many other ways to enhance mental clarity, improve memory, and lift depression. But these five suggestions are easy methods that anyone can incorporate into their daily lives. Simple and scientifically-proven, they are great ways to increase energy levels and keep mental focus clear and sharp. Hopefully you can incorporate some of these simple techniques into your own life so that you can get more accomplished.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6498823

Law of Attraction - Not Sure You Can?

By Jenn Prothero 

Have you been trying to work with the law of attraction in your life, and it's just not working? Are you wondering what is wrong with your thinking that you can't do it? What is wrong with you, don't you deserve to be happy like they say? Do you even get to the point where you feel good one day, then down in the dumps others and you wonder if you are bi polar? If so, relax, you are not alone, and you are not bi polar.
There are many people working with the law of attraction and there are just as many trying to teach you how to do it, or saying they have just the right technique for you to be able to master it. Let me just say that the techniques are great, but in the end all you need is your focused intentions.
I am speaking from experience here, I have felt all of these feelings, and thought all of these thoughts. What I have found out, is that we are here having a human experience, and we like to complicate everything, we like to get caught up in our thoughts and all the drama in life. This is where we fail at the law of attraction. Myself included. This is what I have learned.
It is very important to take control of my thoughts as soon as I wake up, I want to start positive so I can attract more positive. I heard it said, and I'm not sure who said it but it is brilliant, stay positive until 10 am and the rest of the day will look after itself. It's true. Positive affirmations may sound silly, but they are very powerful in attracting good to you. I start every day off with an affirmation, I even take it one step further and add a vision to that affirmation. For example if I were trying to manifest money, I would say, I say yes to all the new opportunities that come my way today to generate income. I will then envision myself with money floating all around me, and just stay with that as long as I can. The trick is to bring all of these thoughts and visions into your heart and feel that energy.
The next step is to go about your day, staying in tune with what you want, and keeping your energy and vibrational level high. In other words, stay with the heart energy, do things from the heart, listen to the heart. When things start to show up that are not in alignment with what you want........in other words the exact opposite of what you want.......simply say thank you and don't give it any other energy. When we put thought into why did this show up, or I don't want that, what we are doing is giving it energy, anything we give energy to will grow. Meaning you will attract more of it. Perhaps it is showing up to let you recognize it and say no, I want this, specifically. The law of attraction is very specific in fact its exact. Look at what showed up and look at exactly what you asked for and exactly where your thoughts have been.
This is the frustrating part, this is where people give up, this is where people begin to think they just can't do it or just aren't deserving enough. One of the laws states that we are willing to sacrifice for what we want, that includes our thoughts. That includes constantly looking for "the good "to show up. That also includes giving up anything that blocks us from having what we want such as limiting beliefs or even physical things we have that we are holding onto. We need to release the old in order to make room for the new. So when the old keeps showing up, just say no, that's not what I want.
I have been trying to manifest a new car, which requires money. My old car was continually breaking down costing me money I wanted to be saving to get a new one. I was always asking how can I save money for a car, when I am always putting it out for repairs. Then I got a brain wave thought, I had to give up the old in order to make room for the new. The brakes went on the car last week, and without any resentment or anger I simply took it off the road, and said you are done. I became grateful for what the car had done for me over the years. I was grateful for learning this value able lesson. I was grateful that I was healthy enough to walk until the said new car shows up. I started to realize how lucky I was. I also was finally able to really start dreaming about the new car I wanted. Prior to this, it was a passing fancy, but now it's real, I can feel myself driving it, I can feel how comfortable and safe I feel in it. That is real manifesting thoughts.
What my problem was that I was too caught up in the past, with what I already had, that was making me unhappy. With that I could not focus my thoughts on what I wanted.
You see even if we think we are doing a great job with our thoughts and energy we always have work to do. In fact this is often the only work we have to do in order to receive what it is we have asked for. The journey is about preparing ourselves to receive, about learning what is blocking us and removing those blocks. That is work enough in itself.
Next time you see something show up that is opposite of what you want, don't get down, don't get negative and don't beat yourself up about it. Simply recognize it, and move on. Train your eye to look only for the good, and to be very grateful for what is in your life. Make a list each day of what your grateful for. There are so many positive things you can do to keep your energy high even when things are not working. Keep a list of things you can try, this way when you are having an off day, rather than staying in your head you can try something that works.
Here are a few ideas,
Light a candle, allow spirit in to help you.
Go for a walk in nature.
Listen to music
Dance, move your body, it shifts energy
Cry if you want to
Write out how you are feeling then throw it out.
Positive affirmations.
These all help to stay out of the mind and stop us from becoming attached to our thoughts. Meditation works wonders to move us back into the heart and out of the head.
The worst thing we can do is give up, beat ourselves up, or give thought to why things are not showing up. With persistence and vigilant watch over our thoughts and emotions, we will bring to us that which we want. It starts out small almost as if wanting us to recognize it and say yes, more please. See the small things, and celebrate them, be peacefully thankful for them and they will grow. We all have the same manifesting abilities, we all deserve to have our desires met, we are all capable of doing this, just keep doing it, it gets better, in fact make a game of it.

Jenn Prothero is an angel therapy practitioner, reiki practitioner, crystal healerIntuitive Life Coach, Author Teacher and Radio Personality. I enjoy empowering people to live the life of their dreams, to assist them in letting go of the past and moving forward into a brighter light.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6446270

Attract the Universe and Achieve Your Goals

by: Donny Pazzero

The Universal Law of Attraction can be a very effective tool in making you achieve your goals and practically everything else you want to have in this lifetime. You will realize that desire should always start from within, and the world will just obey your thoughts, actions and ideas. Here are some guidelines on how to get your objectives just the way you want.

Ask the Universe

According to the Universal Law of Attraction, ask the universe and it shall give to you. However, to achieve your goals, you have to truly have an idea about what kind of thing or event you want to happen in your life. There are plenty of items that you can ask from the world. The most common are superficial things such as money, a new car, a new house, etc. More meaningful items include better relationships with your family or wife, happiness in your job and life, etc. All of these can be given to you at the time you want and in the extent you need. To help you work out what you want find a personal development consultant who will help you identify this at a very low cost for you.

The Way You Ask

The way you ask the universe will also matter. Keep in mind that the universe will immediately hear and respond in the manner you believe in. Your first thought might go, 'I want a brand new Ferrari.' The world will then respond, 'Your wish is my command.' However, other thoughts can still enter such as, 'But it may still be when I'm in my 40's.' or 'But it will happen when I get the promotion.' or even 'It can't happen.' The world will just say yes to everything you inject in your thoughts.

The time, extent, severity and other details of your wish will be determined by your mind alone. If you have any doubt or disbelief about the power of the universe to provide, then it will truly give to you accordingly. Make sure you clean your thoughts thoroughly so that you set your goals straight and allow the universe to perform the best way.

Your Actions

Once you and your personal development consultant have set your goals and asked from the universe, your mind, thoughts and body will start acting automatically to lead towards the goals and objectives. You will subconsciously accomplish small tasks and open up a wide array of opportunities that are meant to direct you to the ultimate mark. Renew your goals each morning as you wake up and your body will just function immediately towards these.

Work both consciously and subconsciously. Remember that it also requires effort and discipline on your part to receive the best things in life. Do not expect everything to just fall into place. If you want to land that promotion, then you should start going to work early, volunteer for projects and show that you are prepared for bigger responsibilities.

Staying Positive

The Universal Law of Attraction helps you achieve your goals, as long as you remain positive. Always believe that the universe is capable of providing immediately. Anything can actually happen, in the time you have set. Always be optimistic in the face of adversary. It is not impossible that you will encounter a few problems along the way, but what's more important is how you relate to the situation in a positive light. Be conscious about what's happening and act to alleviate the effects. If every you need support with any of this then take advantage of the amazing benefits of having a personal development consultant.