The inability to maintain attention negatively affects professional success and personal life. Absent-mindedness, forgetfulness, and constant loss of context bring discomfort into the life of a person and his loved ones.
If you're striving to achieve ambitious work goals, inattention can become a barrier. Noticing a decrease in concentration and memory deterioration, a person may panic - behold, my cognitive abilities are deteriorating! However, absent-mindedness does not always indicate cognitive impairment. Often the cause of forgetfulness is stress, endocrine diseases, psychological barriers, etc.
To get rid of absent-mindedness, you need to determine its root cause. It’s good if we can rule out pathologies. If you fail, then you will know what exactly requires your attention, what process in the body needs to be established and restored in order to regain mental acuity, attentiveness, and concentration.
In this article we will look at the main causes of absent-mindedness in adults, talk about how diagnostics are carried out, and how we can prevent deterioration of attention and memory. The expert in this material is Ekaterina Nikolaevna Kozlova, gynecologist, endocrinologist, nutritionist.
Common signs of SAD in children
The syndrome is accompanied by impaired mental activity. The student lacks concentration and cannot do one thing for a long time. Disturbances in social activity begin to appear: he may be withdrawn and thoughtful or, conversely, overly active.
Out of one hundred children, fifteen typically suffer from attention deficit disorder, which manifests itself in a variety of ways. The first signs of deviation can be detected between the ages of four and nine years, but can occur earlier. For example, a one-year-old baby may be overly active, but at the same time his concentration is impaired. At the age of three years, speech problems may appear.
It is worth remembering that manifestations of attention deficit may be different. There are the following types of violation:
- Only lack of attention;
- Impaired attention and impulsivity (mood often changes, can be irritable and aggressive);
- Attention deficit and hyperactivity (restlessness, constantly distracted by something);
- The mixed variety is the most difficult. Behavior is unpredictable, intellectual function is impaired.
What is absent-mindedness and inattention?
Absent-mindedness and inattention are the inability to concentrate on any object or action. These character traits cause a lot of problems for absent-minded and forgetful people who have them. They themselves suffer because they forget about important promises and meetings, and their loved ones and friends suffer. It happens that for this reason they are even fired from their jobs.
These people try to concentrate, promise themselves to be attentive, but nothing works out for them. They make a list of things that they take with them on a trip, write down the things they need to do, but as a result they forget where they put the notebook with notes...
And then they begin to think: maybe this is not a character trait, but a psychological deviation? Or maybe one of the symptoms of some disease? Perhaps the situation can be corrected by taking medications, vitamins or adjusting your diet?
However, forgetfulness, absent-mindedness and inattention are so common that even the term “attention deficit disorder” has appeared. To some extent, all people are forgetful, because, probably, each of us at least once in our lives had to forget something purchased and paid for in a store. A left-on iron or a forgotten and burnt kettle or pan are generally classic examples of absent-mindedness.
Causes of the syndrome
Before treating absentminded attention in children, you need to know what could trigger this illness. Unfortunately, scientists have not yet been able to establish the exact cause, but there are several hypotheses indicating that childhood illness may manifest itself due to the following factors:
- Hereditary predisposition. There is a gene responsible for behavior. Some of its features may cause manifestations of attention deficit.
- Trauma at birth. This may include brain damage, prolonged labor, asphyxia (oxygen starvation).
- Diseases of the expectant mother. If the mother was ill with something during pregnancy, this can lead to impaired fetal development, hypoxia and other negative consequences.
- Bad habits. During pregnancy, the mother could smoke, drink alcohol or use drugs.
- Rhesus conflict. It occurs if the mother’s Rh factor is negative and the baby’s is positive.
- Diseases of internal organs. In particular, the brain, kidneys, heart.
This syndrome is often associated with hyperactivity. And this is not without reason; with attention deficit, a person is too emotional, restless, and there is increased excitability. These signs also apply to hyperactive children.
Psychologists identify three types of inattention
"Fluttering" attention
This is a weak concentration of attention, which is characterized by slight involuntary switching. Such inattention is typical, for example, of preschoolers. It occurs when tired, after a sleepless night, during a headache or during monotonous monotonous work. A type of such absent-mindedness is road hypnosis, when a person falls into a state of half-asleep that occurs during a long trip on a calm road.
"Professor's" absent-mindedness
With the second type of inattention, there is a high concentration of attention with difficulty switching, which is characteristic, for example, of scientists focused on their thoughts - the so-called “professorial” absent-mindedness. Many great people were absent-minded because they were focused on their creativity.
For example, N. Zhukovsky, who is called the father of Russian aviation, once received guests in his own living room. A few hours later he got up, put on his hat and began to say goodbye, apologizing that he had stayed too long visiting and it was time to go home.
And the English mathematician and physicist Isaac Newton once decided to boil an egg and put a watch in the water instead. There were also such oddities: the astronomer Galileo did not recognize his wife in his marital bed, because he forgot that he was married. And the historian Mommsen, looking for his glasses, thanked the girl who gave them to him and asked her name. “Anna, your daughter, dad,” the girl answered.
The same type of inattention is found in people who are haunted by obsessive thoughts, or in people who are too absorbed in the implementation of an overvalued idea - a fixed idea.
Poor concentration
And the third type of inattention is a weak concentration of attention with even weaker switchability. It is typical for people who have reduced strength and mobility of nervous processes. Usually in this case they talk about senile absent-mindedness. In healthy people, these processes decrease when overworked.
It is curious that psychologists, studying absent-mindedness and forgetfulness, observed a group of people during an experiment and noticed that in men these properties “exacerbated” in the period from 8 to 10 o’clock in the morning, and in women from 10 to 12 o’clock. And regardless of gender, the peak of errors was observed from 4 to 6 pm and from 8 to 10 pm.
Symptoms of distracted attention
The set of symptoms of absent-minded attention in a child directly depends on his character, social living conditions, upbringing, age, and severity of the disorder. Therefore, you first need to be able to correctly recognize the first signs of the syndrome. They may be:
- Inability to concentrate for a long time both at home and at school;
- Restlessness and carelessness;
- He cannot understand the words spoken to him or simply does not listen;
- Lack of self-control;
- He finds it difficult to follow rules and instructions;
- Tendency to disorder, things are always scattered on the desk, toys are on the floor;
- When doing something, he is distracted by any little things;
- Absent-mindedness and frequent loss of one's belongings;
- Forgetfulness associated with impaired attention;
- Tendency to anxiety;
- Problems with communication (with children, adults, teachers);
- Impatience and obsession;
- Increased speech activity, and the child cannot listen to the interlocutor and interrupts him;
- Inability to learn, new information is not perceived in full, difficulty in writing;
- Cannot finish what he starts;
- Bad behavior, the child is noisy, constantly spinning and waving his arms.
It is very important to monitor your child and at the first symptom that appears, begin to pay more attention to him.
Reasons of a physiological nature
- Lack of vitamins. A lack of vital substances in the body (especially vitamin D) leads to a deterioration in the synthesis of neurotransmitters and disruption of the nervous system. As a result, a person becomes inattentive and absent-minded.
- Some cerebrovascular diseases (for example, multiple sclerosis, hypertension, Alzheimer's disease).
- Hormonal disorders associated with the thyroid gland, adrenal glands or diabetes.
- Metabolic disease.
- Anemia.
- Brain injuries.
- Cervical osteochondrosis (blood circulation in the vessels of the brain worsens).
It is very important to find out the root cause of the problem, because this is the only way to effectively solve it or at least improve the situation.
Features of the diagnosis of SRV
Distracted attention syndrome is a behavioral disorder, not a mental disorder, so establishing an accurate diagnosis can be problematic. Individual manifestations may arise due to improper upbringing or personal characteristics.
It is necessary to resort to subjective diagnostic methods, among them are:
- Special questionnaires. They must be filled out not only by the student, but also by parents and teachers.
- Observation. It is necessary to monitor behavior while staying somewhere and at home.
- Psychological examination. It is important to identify intellectual abilities and skill impairments.
- Identification of diseases. Perhaps early illnesses of the child or his mother could have caused the appearance of this disease.
You need to make sure that your child has absent-mindedness syndrome, because restlessness and activity are also common in many healthy children. There is no doubt about the presence of the disease in the following cases:
- Constant symptoms of the disorder not only at home, but also at school, while out and about.
- Parents discovered the first signs in preschool age, and they did not go away for six months.
- Attention disorder interferes with a child’s learning; he cannot adapt normally to a team.
SRS - what kind of syndrome is it?
Absent-mindedness is a reduced ability to perform goal-directed activities. In simple terms, absent-mindedness refers to a lack of concentration. The disorder manifests itself as forgetfulness and inattention. This could be a personality trait, a symptom of an illness, or a temporary state of fatigue.
In our country, about 15 percent of schoolchildren suffer from RTS. Typically, parents and teachers notice the first signs between the ages of 3-9 years.
Treatment methods
We'll tell you what to do if your child has distracted attention. There are several correction methods. First of all, you need to remember about an integrated approach: one thing is not enough; you may need both drug therapy and sessions with a psychologist.
Proper nutrition and adherence to a convenient training regimen play an important role. At this time, a lot depends on both parents. Not only the mother, but also the father should participate in the fate of the child. They must create a daily routine for their child and always find time for him. This is the only way to raise a completely healthy child.
Medication method
Medicines are not always prescribed, only if serious attention problems have been identified in the child, worsening his quality of life and preventing him from socially adapting to the team.
Under no circumstances should you prescribe medications for your child on your own, even if there are many laudatory reviews about them. The medicine should only be prescribed by the attending physician!
Taking some sedatives may be indicated to reduce children's nervous excitability. In childhood, potent drugs are contraindicated, therefore, along with sedatives, they may prescribe tablets aimed at improving brain activity, for example, Glycine (an alternative is Biotredin), or improving blood supply to the brain (Phenibut).
Schedule
If a child suffers from lack of attention syndrome, then a clear daily routine is indispensable. Parents must demand that their children comply with it. This is the only way to instill discipline, which is sometimes absent even in healthy children.
The daily routine should be compiled and printed, hanging in a place convenient for the child, for example, above a desk or bed. Be sure to leave a few hours of free time so that the child can do what interests him.
Here is an example of a daily routine, you can change it according to your preferences:
| Time | Action |
| 07:00 — 07:05 | The child wakes up |
| 07:05 — 07:20 | Exercise, hygiene |
| 07:20 — 07:35 | Breakfast |
| 07:35 — 08:00 | Getting ready for school |
| 08:00 — 08:30 | Road to school |
| 08:30 — 13:05 | Lessons |
| 13:05 — 13:30 | Way home |
| 13:30 — 13:40 | Changing clothes, hygiene |
| 13:40 — 14:00 | Dinner |
| 14:00 — 16:00 | Free time, sections |
| 16:00 — 18:00 | Doing homework |
| 18:00 — 18:30 | Dinner |
| 18:30 — 20:00 | Free time |
| 20:00 — 21:00 | Preparation for sleep |
| 21:00 — 07:00 | Night sleep |
If poor attention and excessive activity interfere with studying in a regular school and communicating normally with his peers, then it may make sense to transfer him to an institution where he is taught according to an adapted program, or switch to home schooling. To make such a decision, you need to consult with different specialists to hear several opinions.
Classes with a psychologist
This stage should not be neglected - it is mandatory. A psychologist will help you get rid of excessive emotionality and impulsiveness. The child will become calmer, behave better, be able to adapt better in a given situation, and will try to concentrate in classes.
Usually classes with children are carried out in a playful way. The psychologist models certain situations and closely monitors the child’s behavior. If necessary, gives advice on what to do in a specific situation.
Psychologists also use a variety of relaxing techniques that will help the child get rid of accumulated tension. Therefore, psychological training is very important for attention disorders.
Parental control
Parents should take an active part in the treatment process. A child with an attention disorder requires special upbringing, and first of all, you need to give your child more independence.
The baby must perform certain household duties. Of course, they don’t have to be very complicated; they are selected depending on the age and physical fitness of the child. You need to give him tasks that he can handle, for example, washing dishes, dusting, or putting away toys.
At first, the child may not succeed in everything; you should not actively help him. He must learn to be persistent when trying to complete tasks on his own. Don’t forget about rewards; you need to praise your child for successfully completing a particular task.
You can resort to sports by sending your child to some section or working out with him yourself. Sport helps to waste excess energy for health benefits, and also teaches self-organization and discipline.
How to deal with inattention
This is achievable, but requires daily practice. Spend 15-20 minutes a day on the following exercise:
Open in random order a page of a book that you have not read and record a paragraph of 3-4 sentences that catches your eye. Read it once, put the book down, take a notebook and try to write exactly what you just read. Write down everything, even if it's just individual words. At first, you will be able to repeat no more than the first 2-3 phrases at the beginning and end, but over time the number of words will increase, and after 3-6 months of regular practice, remembering the entire paragraph will not be difficult for you. When 3-4 sentences are easy to remember, move on to paragraphs of 10-20 sentences. At the stage of improving memory, do not think about how to deal with absent-mindedness. Over time, this unpleasant drawback will disappear on its own when the memory is sufficiently trained.
Food for brain
Memory is the key to learning how to concentrate and fight inattention. The better it is developed, the more concentrated you will be. In addition to daily exercise, eat meals with vegetable or olive oil. Vitamin Omega3, contained in huge quantities in the oil, is excellent for improving memory and attention in adults.
Start playing board games
To learn to concentrate, there is no better way than playing chess with a strong opponent. It is better if the opponent is not a virtual machine, but a living person. Play chess every evening. Instead of time killers, you can install an application with the “game of kings” on your phone and while away the time on public transport or in a queue, pondering the stalemate on the chess field. Developing logic is the standard answer to the question of how to learn to concentrate.
In addition to chess, any games that require the use of gray matter are suitable. This could be a group “mafia”, an amateur club “What? Where? When?" in your city or board logic game for 2-8 people. They will help you learn to concentrate within 2-3 months after regular practice. If you're playing with friends, your competitive spirit comes into play and you don't want to look bad by showing your inattention. This greatly helps improve memory and attention in adults, combining business with pleasure.
Study the exact sciences
As a hobby, try to master physics, mathematics, chemistry, or learn a programming language at least at a basic level. It's not as scary as it seems at first glance. A lot of textbooks and courses have been written that will help you study the exact sciences in an interactive, entertaining way. Who knows, perhaps you have always mistakenly considered yourself a “humanitarian”, when in fact you are a “techie”. Learning a foreign language, especially reading it, can also help. If you manage to master an area that is foggy for you, you will greatly increase your ability to concentrate on everyday things. Math is the real distraction killer.
Set a meaningful goal for yourself
It is this principle that is responsible for the presence of motivation for action, and therefore for concentration on it. In order not to be distracted by social networks and watching videos on YouTube, you must formulate a clear achievable goal and each stage of its implementation. It could be anything:
- lose 30 kg by summer
- increase your vocabulary to 50,000 words
- learn Chinese
- earn $1000
- improve concentration
Preventing problems during pregnancy
You need to start thinking about your child’s health even before conception. The expectant mother should give up bad habits if she has them and carefully monitor her health. Complicated pregnancy or difficult childbirth are often the cause of the development of the syndrome. After childbirth, you need to protect your baby from infectious diseases, possible injuries and other negative influences.
Even infants need developmental activities. You can show your baby bright objects and talk about their purpose. Of course, the baby will not understand what is said, but he will concentrate on the bright colors and familiar voice. A little later, age-appropriate educational toys should be used.
Many parents struggle with attention disorder. This problem is especially relevant for younger schoolchildren. Without qualified help, a child will not be able to concentrate on a particular activity for a long time, and will begin to experience problems in communication and learning. Therefore, it is very important to help him in a timely manner. You should start with a visit to a child psychologist.
To get rid of rotoseyism
“Neurologists have found that the medial parts of the temporal lobes, which are the first to be affected in Alzheimer’s disease, are involved in solving some problems,” says neurologist at the Hadassah Clinic (Medscan Group of Companies), Ph.D. Nathan Davidov . – This served as the basis for the development of two types of neurological tests. In tests of the first type, you need to find one that is different among an array of identical letters or numbers. In the second case, find hidden non-obvious elements in the picture. When performing, not only the fact is assessed, but also the speed of passing the test. The faster a person copes, the better his brain works” (see pictures).
Click to enlarge
It is important to understand: forgetfulness is reversible. It is possible and necessary to fight it.
Get enough sleep . Lack of sleep is the main cause of inattention and forgetfulness. You need to sleep at least 7.5 hours a day and try to go to bed and wake up at approximately the same time, even on weekends.
Avoid multitasking . This overloads and reduces memory, and also creates absent-mindedness. In addition, when doing several things at the same time, a person does not do any of them efficiently - and this increases the level of stress, which also negatively affects memory.
Drink as little alcohol as possible . Alcohol-related amnesia occurs because the hypothalamus (the area of the brain responsible for memory) temporarily shuts down under the influence of alcohol.
Love mind games . Chess, rebuses, and puzzles activate the brain, develop memory and attention, and allow you to develop skills that improve memorization. In intellectual games, there are no similar tasks that the brain quickly gets used to.
Train your memory . Memorizing poetry and mastering a foreign language are the best ways. And having success is not the main thing. Such study in itself helps to restore connections between disconnected brain structures and allows you to activate previously uninvolved areas of the brain.
Keep your weight, blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol levels under control . Deviations in these parameters provoke vascular changes that disrupt brain function.
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