Paying attention involves two separate distinct brain functions: <ol><li>“enhancement” - our ability to focus on things that matter) </li><li>“suppression” - our ability to ignore the things that don’t. </li></ol>

Attention = Focusing + Ignoring

<div><div>Our ability to filter out distractions, not our concentration, diminishes with age. As we grow older we get more and more distracted. </div></div>

Suppressing distraction gets harder with age

When your eyes are closed, your brain isn’t working as hard to filter out visual information. So: <ul><li>Use one screen, one browser window, and one computer program at a time.</li><li>Keep your physical and virtual desktop tidy.</li></ul>

Less visual clutter to eliminate distractions

To increase our ability to concentrate try :<ul><li>Exercise</li><li>Meditation </li><li>Spending time in nature may help boost cognitive control</li><li>Coggnitive exercises & immersive action video games </li></ul>

Activities that boost focus

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<h3>How to Boost Focus</h3>
Gazzaley and Rosen say some activities may boost cognition and attention by stimulating the brain's ability to strengthen and reorganize existing neural connections, a process called neuroplasticity.
Activities that may boost cognition include physical exercise, meditation and spending time in nature. Recent research also finds that some cognitive exercises may also help. Although there are many brain training programs, some of which have over-promised and under-delivered, some scientists believe a <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Michael_Weinborn/publication/312389475_Enhancing_Cognitive_Functioning_in_Healthly_Older_Adults_a_Systematic_Review_of_the_Clinical_Significance_of_Commercially_Available_Computerized_Cognitive_Training_in_Preventing_Cognitive_Decline/links/587eed9808ae9275d4eb9703.pdf">new crop of clinically validated programs</a> may soon come online.
From <a href="https://amzn.to/2jzo51v">The Distracted Mind: Ancient Brains in a High-Tech World</a>:
<blockquote>"Cognitive exercises are an attempt to improve brain function by harnessing our brain's inherent plasticity, rather than by explicitly teaching a strategy or a skill. Most training programs attempt to accomplish this goal not just through repetitive task engagement, but also through adaptivity."</blockquote>
For Gazzaley and Rosen, adaptivity is key. Just as athletes must adjust their exercise routines as they grow stronger; cognitive exercise programs must also adjust to how well, or how poorly, the participant is doing in the task. Personalized adjustments make the training more successful.
New research shows the <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Michael_Weinborn/publication/312389475_Enhancing_Cognitive_Functioning_in_Healthly_Older_Adults_a_Systematic_Review_of_the_Clinical_Significance_of_Commercially_Available_Computerized_Cognitive_Training_in_Preventing_Cognitive_Decline/links/587eed9808ae9275d4eb9703.pdf">promising effects </a>of cognitive exercise programs in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4264379/">older adults</a> and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3313479/">healthy populations</a>. Gazzaley and Rosen caution that while the research is encouraging, more clinical trials are needed to prove medical benefits. However, many in the industry are hopeful doctors will one day prescribe game-like cognitive exercises as part of a healthy brain training regimen.
In the meantime, certain currently available video game titles may actually be good for brain health and improve cognition.
From <a href="https://amzn.to/2jzo51v">The Distracted Mind: Ancient Brains in a High-Tech World</a>:
<blockquote>"They are designed with a primary goal of engendering high levels of immersion, engagement, and enjoyment for the players, [...] They do not tend to focus on one specific cognitive skill, as exercises usually do, but rather expose players to multiple demands that challenge a broad range of abilities. "</blockquote>
A <a href="https://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v423/n6939/full/nature01647.html">2003</a> study of video-game play linked better cognition and higher scores on attention and memory tests in gamers vs non-gamers. But not all video games are created equal.
Non-gamers who played the first person shooter game, Medal of Honor, one hour per day for 10 days showed improvements in cognition, while the ones who played Tetris did not.
From <a href="https://amzn.to/2jzo51v">The Distracted Mind: Ancient Brains in a High-Tech World</a>:
<blockquote>"[The researchers'] conclusion was that the nature of action video game play was critical in 'forcing players to simultaneously juggle a number of varied tasks (detect new enemies, track existing enemies and avoid getting hurt, among others)..."</blockquote>
Video games may give you a boost, but not every off-the-shelf game will do the trick. The difference between the games that work and the ones that don't gives us information into how the brain changes in response to its environment.
Video games good for building focus create environments that are fast-paced, interactive, adaptive and have complex reward and gaming structures. Like a brain playground.
In <a href="https://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v501/n7465/full/nature12486.html">2013</a>, Gazzaley verified that a custom-designed cognitive video game, <a href="https://neuroscape.ucsf.edu/technology/">NeuroRacer</a>, improves cognition in older adults. Dr. Gazzaley's research <a href="http://www.akiliinteractive.com/">led to</a> a proprietary technology platform to measure and improve certain executive functions.
In the future, cognitive video games will be like "Neuro Cross Fit Training" as Gazzaley calls it. They will combine elements of physical activity, meditation, and cognitive exercise, rolled into one game.
In the meantime, we can do our part to keep our attentional focus sharp by first reducing distractions to improve our suppression capabilities, and then beefing-up the brain's enhancement functions through activities like exercise, meditation, outdoor time, and immersive video games. We can boost our ability to concentrate by doing just one thing well at a time.
<h3>Here's the Gist:</h3>
<ul>
	<li>Researchers say our ability to pay attention is equal parts focusing and ignoring.</li>
	<li>Irrelevant information bogs down our ability to suppress distraction, especially as we age.</li>
	<li>To increase our ability to focus, researchers suggest both boosting our ability to concentrate as well as reducing distraction. Here's how:</li>
	<li>To reduce distraction...</li>
	<li>Use one screen, one browser window, and one computer program at a time.</li>
	<li>Keep your physical and <a href="https://www.nirandfar.com/2016/01/laptop-zen-creating-distraction-free-desktop.html">virtual desktop tidy</a>.</li>
	<li>To increase our ability to concentrate...</li>
	<li>Exercise, meditation, and spending time in nature may help boost cognitive control.</li>
	<li>Some cognitive exercises and immersive action video games also seem to improve our ability to focus.</li>
</ul> 
Note: This post is co-authored by Nir Eyal and Chelsea Robertson, PhD
</div>

Gazzaley and Rosen say some activities may boost cognition and attention by stimulating the brain's ability to strengthen and reorganize existing neural connections, a process called neuroplasticity. Activities that may boost cognition include physical exercise, meditation and spending time in nature. Recent research also finds that some cognitive exercises may also help.

Your Ability to Focus Has Probably Peaked: Here's How to Stay Sharp

Attention = Focusing + Ignoring

Suppressing distraction gets harder with age

Less visual clutter to eliminate distractions

Activities that boost focus

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