How to improve your attention 🎯

Plus: 🚗 Life-saving road safety tips

View this email online Today’s newsletter is brought to you by Life Kit digital editor Malaka Gharib.   Our worlds are filled with distractions and competing priorities. Text messages, work meetings, child care, the latest breaking news story — it’s hard to focus when there is a constant stream of to-dos, notifications and concerns pulling at us.  But being able to sit down and concentrate on an important task can feel like such an accomplishment.  Our recent episode on attention highlights useful ways to improve your focus. As Oliver Burkeman, author of Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, tells us, "If you're just giving away the only precious thing you have, the time of your life," make sure you spend it wisely.  I feel scatterbrained! Pandagolik/Getty Images 3 science-backed ways to pay more attention  🫁 Take a deep breath. Stress can cloud our ability to focus, says Arryn Robbins, a cognitive psychologist at the University of Richmond who specializes in visual search."The fight-or-flight response kicks into gear, your heart beats a little faster, and you might get a little sweaty because you're anxious." So if something requires your full attention, "take a breath and calm your body down," she says. "It really is your body's response to that stress that's causing that restriction in attention."  🧠 “Unfocus” your brain. If you are finding it hard to stay on task, take a break and allow your mind to wander into what's called the default mode network, says Dr. Srini Pillay, a psychiatrist and the author of Tinker Dabble Doodle Try: Unlock the Power of the Unfocused Mind. This network of brain circuitry is where magic happens, Pillay says. It's the place where our minds find innovation and creativity and often make better decisions than the focused mind. 👬 Get an accountability buddy. If you're struggling to reach a goal, you might benefit from an accountability partner — someone who can support you on your way to the finish line.  Research has shown that people accomplish more when they buddy up. A 2015 study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that couples were more likely to make healthy behavioral changes, such as working out more or cutting back on smoking, if their partner adopted healthy changes too.    More distraction-zapping tips here Newsletter continues after sponsor message More Life Kit on the art of focusing Photo Illustration by Beck Harlan/NPR 7 tiny hacks that can improve your to-do list. Is your to-do list helping you reach your goals? Or is it holding you back? Productivity experts explain how to level up your list so it prioritizes what matters. Read the story here.  Forgot where you put the keys? Experts (and a trivia buff) share tips to boost memory."With practice, absolutely everyone can make their memory stronger," says Monica Thieu, a memory researcher and a four-time Jeopardy! contestant. Read the story here.  How to focus while reading. If you'd like to read more, but you're finding it difficult — maybe you can't focus, you feel slow or like you're not enjoying the books you tried — don't give up! These four reading strategies will help make reading a little easier and more fun. Read the story here. Too much focusing is draining. Here's a better strategy. Getting and staying focused can be a challenge in the best of times. But with everything going on in the world, concentrating can often feel down-right impossible. Read the story here. Support our work & listen sponsor-free Support public media while getting expert advice on health, finance, relationships and more with Life Kit+. You'll get sponsor-free listening and even some specially curated playlists of episodes by theme (Master your budget, Organize your life, Move your body, and more).   Check out all the NPR+ benefits available at plus.npr.org. Explore Life Kit+ Spring is here. Try making a 💐 floral arrangement like a pro Photo Illustration by Beck Harlan/NPR It’s officially springtime, so maybe you’re noticing fresh buds around your neighborhood or a wider variety of cut flowers available at your supermarket. Florist Alexander Campbell of AC Floral Studio explains how to make a professional-looking floral arrangement using flowers from the supermarket or freshly picked flowers from your backyard. First, look for one to two types of greenery with different textures and three to four types of flowers in your color palette: 💮 A filler flower, like mums  ⚜️ A flower with some height, like lilies  ✴️ "Star" flowers that really grab your attention, like a protea  ⚘ A daintier or more complex flowers, like berries  To build your bouquet, add each item in this order:   🍃 Start with the greenery. 💮 Then add your filler flowers. ⚜️ Next, add the tall flowers to create a high point. ✴️ Then add the "star" flowers that really spoke to you. ⚘ Finish off your arrangement with the dainty flowers. A step-by-step guide on floral arranging Videos from Life Kit Don't miss out on videos like these. Follow @NPRLifeKit on Instagram. 👟How to practice ‘exercise snacks.’ Life Kit host Marielle Segarra demonstrates tiny bouts of heart-pumping movement at NPR’s office. Watch on @NPRLifeKit’s Instagram.  🎨How to look at art. Life Kit digital editor Malaka Gharib explains how to connect with a piece of visual art. Watch on @NPRLifeKit’s Instagram.  This week on Life Kit Amr Bo Shanab/Getty Images How to find a supportive queer community. If you're exploring your sexuality or gender identity for the first time, it's natural to feel overwhelmed. You might be processing mixed emotions, grieving the loss of people in your life or struggling with imposter syndrome. But on the other side is a supportive community that will celebrate you, not just tolerate you. In this episode, Life Kit producer Margaret Cirino talks with queer community organizers about the affirming power of queer spaces and how to find your own community. Listen to the episode here.  'Adolescence' is a parental nightmare. Here's what to tell kids about online extremism. It's a horror to think your kid could be a victim in a violent act of racism, sexism or other radicalization. It's a whole different kind of fear to think they could be the perpetrator of that act. Read the story here.  A beginner's guide to bartering. Bartering can help you mind your budget and build relationships with your community. In this episode, we cover how to suggest bartering as an option and make the exchange feel fair. We'll also share stories of successful trades. Listen to the episode here.  Over-the-counter pain medications 101. Ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and aspirin — there are many over-the-counter pain medications available, but are they all the same? And how much should you really take? In this episode, a doctor and pharmacists cover your drug options, including side effects, dosage and what to reach for the next time you have a headache or fever. Listen to the episode here.  Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: LifeKit@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Daily News, Code Switch, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Life Kit emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy