Cognitive psychology is a subfield within psychology that tries to understand the processes involving decision making, analyzing, attention and other cognitive processes.Studies indicate that human beings not only have a limited amount of attention that they can direct to tasks at a time, but also that they have a reserve of attention that can be depleted throughout the day.

The first finding seems rather intuitive; if I am texting and eating a sandwich while trying to drive on the freeway, there’s a very good chance I will crash my car because most of us do not have the capacity to spread our attention so thin amongst a multitude of tasks simultaneously.

The second revelation however is neither obvious nor apparent in our day to day lives. Essentially, we have a certain amount of attention that we can use for the duration of the day. How much attention we can allot throughout the day depends on various factors such as genetics, the environment, our immediate health and how much effort is put into improving our ability to be attentive.

I hope the following analogy helps illustrate the concept. Think of the work day as a vast and treacherous desert that you have to cross to reach your oasis (which in my case is my bed). You have a skin of water which is your “attention reserve” and it is your duty to make that water last until you reach your destination. Of course there are a variety of factors that would make it easier for me to make my water last (for example say, I had a much larger container). You know what would be really counterproductive though? If I were to carry around a container that constantly leaked drops of that precious limited water that was supposed to last me my day.

However, we allow leaks in our attention all the time. We are constantly bombarded with advertisements, texts and social media that slowly bleed our attention dry. Add to that the daily stresses of everyday mishaps and mini-emergencies, it’s no wonder most of us find that we’ve hit a wall and are unable to continue focusing before the day is over.

Some of the best tactics to preserve our attention are obvious. First and foremost, make sure you get a good night’s rest because your mind is actively repaired during an 8 hour sleep cycle and your attention reserves are replenished. It doesn’t make much sense to start the day with a disadvantage of not having adequate rest.

Prioritize what you are willing to pay attention to. The same way you would make cuts in unnecessary expenditures when trying to save money, you should look at where you waste a lot of your attention. Do you really need to spend half an hour on Facebook right as you get up in the morning? Save those kind of tasks for the end of the day, where you aren’t under as much pressure to preserve your attention.

Be organized. Make a list of commitments, obligations, errands, etc., that you have to do, so that they do not have to clutter your head space during the day. Get into the habit of keeping an agenda, and it will reduce the amount of attention that you need to keep these ideas around in the back of your head.

Take time for reflection. At the end of everyday, take some time to yourself to go over the day. It provides you with closure for the days activities, it allows you to become aware of your behaviours and it helps clean the slate for the next day so that you’re ready to take on tomorrow with zeal.

Of course, supplements like Green Tea Focus will help to boost attention throughout the day and allow you to focus, but if you integrate these simple lifestyle changes into your routine along with Green Tea Focus, you will see a world of a difference!