4. Listen to Music

According to Dr. Jim Jackson, an associate professor at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and an authority in neuropsychological functioning, listening to a playlist can significantly affect how well you process information.

"Music activates the attentional regions of the brain, according to research using neuroimaging techniques like functional magnetic resonance imaging," explains Jackson. When playing Pandora, though, you might wish to limit your selection to classical or ambient music. "Lyric-free music has been used in many studies on music and attention," Jackson cautions.