Being attentive requires more than just the arrival of September, the return to school, or the ringing of the alarm clock. However, good concentration during school or work hours is one of the keys to both academic and professional success.
It's not about squeezing more hours out of the day, but about using the hours we have more efficiently. In other words, being present in the moment—what we now call mindfulness.
And how do we achieve that?
- Plan your day the night before: Make a list of the tasks you need to complete the next day, including appointments, calls, etc. You can do this as a family, so that everyone knows what they have to do, and the children can learn to plan too.
- Eliminate interruptions: While we might think we can multitask, the reality is that doing one thing without interruptions (answering emails, making dinner while working, having the TV on in the background) is much more efficient. You'll get the job done faster, and you'll do it better.
- Finish every task: In the 1920s, psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik noticed that the brain 'forgets' completed tasks, while continuing to remember unfinished ones. These unfinished tasks cause us stress. Eliminate that unnecessary worry by finishing each task and not leaving them undone. Teach your children to do the same, so they can have a clearer mind.
- Go to bed early: A tired body will do everything more slowly. If you and your family have had an unstructured summer, move your bedtime forward—also bringing forward dinner time to allow time for digestion, and waking up time as well.
- Zero overstimulation: Although we might think that television or scrolling through social media relaxes us at the end of the day, the reality is that it's overstimulation. During the week, my children don't watch TV or use any screens—except for homework, if they have any. Before bed, it's best to read to relax.
- Time outdoors and playing or doing sports: This is essential for younger children. My kids, the first thing they do after school is hop on their bikes or scooters if it's a nice day, or play freely if it's not. The same goes for older children. Make sure you go outside several times a day for a walk, to get some sunlight, or to stretch, and incorporate sports or exercise into your daily routine.
- Working or studying while standing: Recent studies from the Mayo Clinic and the American Cancer Society suggest that spending more time standing, rather than sitting, helps prevent weight gain. Prolonged sitting lowers insulin levels and reduces the electrical impulses in your muscles. Over the course of a day, and a lifetime, these negative effects accumulate and aren't solved by going to the gym three times a week. Other studies indicate that working while standing also makes us more efficient. If you don't yet have an adapted desk, you can spend more time standing by adapting your work style. You can hold meetings while walking, walk—even just around the living room—while talking on the phone, use the stairs instead of the elevator whenever possible, or go to your colleague's office or desk instead of sending an email. Encourage children to do the same by helping them with tasks that can be done standing up.
- Healthy breakfasts: Although the notion that breakfast is the most important meal of the day has been debunked, studies do suggest that hungry children don't learn as well. Prepare healthy breakfasts that will give them energy to last until lunchtime, such as oatmeal, chia pudding, or whole-wheat bread with peanut butter. Avoid sugary cereals, cookies, and sweetened dairy products (most flavored yogurts, even soy yogurts). You and your children will leave the house with full, satisfied stomachs and more energy to face the day.
- Swap sugar for rest: In every office I've worked in—except for Mediterranean Health—there's always been a bowl of candy. It's so easy to use sugar for that concentration boost, whether in the form of candy or sugary coffee. However, that energy boost comes and goes just as quickly. If you notice you're losing energy and concentration, get up, take a walk, and make yourself a cup of tea so you can return to work a few minutes later with renewed focus. Instead of giving children candy or sugary snacks when they get out of school, opt for protein-rich snacks—like a nut butter sandwich with some fruit—so they have energy without the unnecessary sugar spike.