Focus and Attention: The difference, our abilities, and how to increase them

Written by: Leslie Wells

Many may not realize or consider the differences between focus and attention. Season 1, Episode 14 of The WingSpace Podcast provides listeners with a full length episode on the subject, complete with explanations and examples, but for the purpose of this blog, here’s the short hand: 

Attention v. Focus

“According to the Information Processing Model — a model used in psychology to describe how we make sense of the information we get from our environment and our minds, and how we take action — attention is the process that allows us to bring what we perceive into short-term memory. By doing this, we become conscious of the perceived information and can decide what to do with it. Since short-term memory is limited in capacity, paying attention to fewer things prevents us from being overwhelmed by all the information available in the environment and in our minds.” 

“Focus is characterized by being locked into a task for a prolonged period of time. However, like attention, it is not always intentional — even if we tend to think the opposite. Let's say you have a problem with your boss, and you can't help but think about it during your off-hours. You spend a lot of time stuck on those thoughts, and the more you try to move your mind away from them, the more it latches on. That's focus. Not a productive type of focus, but still focus.” (Concetta Cucchiarelli, June 24, 2024)

A healthy attention span and ability to focus may be characterized by higher levels of productivity, good listening skills, and a strong orientation to detail. Lacking attention and focus, however, may look more like forgetfulness, difficulty retaining information as it’s being heard/read, or difficulty prioritizing/completing tasks. Since our abilities to pay attention and direct our focus can be influenced by biological, environmental, emotional factors, and beyond, there are many things we can do to improve them. 

Physical/Biological 

Sometimes the barrier to attention and focus has to do with excess energy in the body, or contrarily, a depletion of nutrients, hydration, or sleep. Starting by examining physical and biological factors can look like:

Prioritizing movement- adding steps, stretching, and maybe even a little sweat to your day can relieve stress and increase blood flow, which both support increased levels of concentration

Eating brain nourishing foods- foods such as blueberries, leafy greens, eggs, and fatty fish contain nutrients that support concentration. 

Prioritizing sleep- 8-10 hours of sleep is the recommended amount for adults to function optimally throughout the day. 

Environmental

Setting up for success might have less to do with what’s going on in the body, and more to do with what’s going on in the space around the body. Creating an environment that supports high levels of focus and attention can look like:

Eliminating distractions- this could mean using earplugs or headphones to reduce loud noises, adjusting the climate or lights to be comfortable for longer periods of time, choosing a comfortable seat, or even communicating the need for privacy.

Listen to music- music with a slow tempo, repetitive nature, and few/no lyrics can help increase concentration. 

Use organizational tools- timers, to do lists (and distraction to do lists!), and calendars provide visual or auditory cues/reminders to keep us on track.  

Mental/Emotional 

While they may be less obvious, mental and emotional conditions may also be the culprits of lacking attention and focus. Processing emotions and creating mental space looks differently for everyone, but here’s a few great places to start: 

Concentration Exercises- games or puzzles that challenge memory or attention to detail can help increase abilities to focus and pay attention over time.

Meditation- if you’re new to meditation, tune into a free guided meditation here to give it a try!

Externalize- engaging in therapy or journaling can help to clear the clutter in our minds and make sense of issues that are otherwise distracting, confusing, and exhausting our energy!

To learn more about attention and focus, tune into Episode 14 of The WingSpace podcast!

Sources:

https://getfreewrite.com/blogs/writing-success/the-psychological-processes-of-attention-focus#:~:text=In%20simple%20terms%3A,they%20hold%20very%20different%20purposes.

Celiac Disease and Gluten Free Diets

Written by: Tracy Pritchard (MS, CNS, LDN)

September 13 is National Celiac Disease Awareness Day. This day is named after Dr Samuel Gee (born September 13, 1839) who was the first researcher to link celiac disease to the diet. It wasn’t until 1952 when scientists in England linked celiac disease with gluten specifically for the first time. Prior to this discovery, Aretaeus (a Greek physician) gave a description of this disease in AD100 calling it “koiliakos,” an abdominal infection. Bringing awareness to this condition is so important because many cases go undiagnosed in the United States. Researchers estimate that up to 83% of Americans with celiac disease are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with other conditions.

Celiac disease is diagnosed through a combination of blood tests and an intestinal biopsy. Most people with celiac disease will have certain antibodies in their blood, but the test is only reliable if gluten has been regularly eaten. This can be a challenge for those who already gave up gluten and feel better, and have to weigh the pros and cons of reintroducing gluten for several weeks in order to get an accurate diagnosis.

Celiac disease is a chronic genetically based autoimmune disease where gluten triggers antibodies to attack the villi of the small intestine. It effects approximately three million Americans, or about 1% of the population. Over time these exposures damage the lining of the small intestine. This often leads to the malabsorption of nutrients resulting in anemia, fatigue, bone/joint pain, headaches, low vitamin D and vitamin B12, osteoporosis, and others. Celiac disease has been called “an invisible illness” due to the major impact it has on health. People with celiac disease have reported sacrificing major life events because of their dietary requirements, social anxiety and isolation, and symptoms of depression and brain fog. 

Approximately thirty eight percent of the population carries genes for celiac disease but only a small percentage develop it. The most common age to be diagnosed is age forty to sixty. It may  seem confusing why “all of a sudden” someone can no longer consume gluten without feeling ill. Sometimes it becomes active after surgery, pregnancy, childbirth and may be triggered by a viral infection or severe emotional stress. 

There are many people who complain that they do not feel well after consuming gluten who do not have celiac disease. This sensitivity has been called Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS) and must be differentiated from celiac disease. People with NCGS may complain of bloating and diarrhea after consuming gluten, but they do not experience the compromised immune system of those with celiac disease. NCGS typically does not have the same negative impact on health like celiac disease; someone with NCGS may find some relief and symptom improvement simply by reducing gluten intake. Many are unaware that celiac disease can cause symptoms in parts of the body other than digestive system. Symptoms can vary from person to person, and some may not experience symptoms while gluten is damaging their small intestine. Symptoms other than digestive symptoms may include unintentional weight loss, skin symptoms, nervous system symptoms, and variety of other seemingly unconnected symptoms such as delayed puberty and infertility. 

We all know someone who has tried a gluten free diet, yet many misunderstand why those with celiac disease can’t consume any gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, oats, and barley. Celiac disease is different than a food allergy such as a wheat or peanut allergy when the immune system overreacts to a specific protein in a food resulting in symptoms such as itching, hives, or even anaphylaxis. (Those with celiac disease do not get anaphylaxis). While both those with celiac disease or a food allergy need to avoid certain ingredients, that is the only thing they share in common. Celiac disease and wheat allergy are very different conditions with different health effects and treatments. Those with celiac disease need to completely avoid gluten for their entire life – even a crumb of gluten will produce symptoms that can last for hours or days. 

 “Gluten free” products seem to be everywhere these days; they are often higher in refined carbohydrates and sugars and are not always a better choice for those without celiac disease. It is important to understand that gluten free does not mean “grain free” or “healthy”. There are many gluten-containing whole grains that are suitable for those without celiac disease. There are also many inherently gluten-free whole grains that can be part of a healthy diet. It is important to learn how to read labels for gluten containing ingredients since they can go by many names. 

Gluten containing: barley, bulgur, cereal (whole wheat), couscous, crackers (rye), kamut, spelt

Gluten free: amaranth, buckwheat, grits (corn/soy), millet, oats (GF), quinoa, rice (basmati, black, brown, purple, red, wild, white), sorghum, teff

There are many common foods that contain gluten. These include baked goods such as cookies and muffins, beer, bread, cereal, crackers, flour tortillas, granola, pancakes pasta, and pastries such as pies and rolls. It has become easier to find gluten free pastas made from lentils or chick peas that include fiber and protein rather than just carbohydrates associated with traditional gluten-free pasta made with corn and rice. You can also find gluten free tortillas that do not contain glutenous flour – these are typically made with almond flour, rice flour, corn, or a gluten-free flour.

Challenge: 

• If you know someone who has celiac disease, consider hosting a gluten-free bake off. This is a tasty way to learn about safe food options. They will undoubtedly be grateful for the opportunity to participate in this event. Other friends who choose to avoid gluten for other reasons will also appreciate this! 

• When contributing food to a pot luck consider a gluten free version and label it accordingly so those with celiac disease know it is safe for them to eat.

Extra Resources:

National Celiac Association: https://nationalceliac.org/

Celiac Disease Foundation: https://eat-gluten-free.celiac.org/recipes/

Beyond Celiac: https://www.beyondceliac.org/

University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center: https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/conditions-services/gastroenterology/celiac-disease

“We’ve Got Your 6” - Years in the Making

Written by: Jennifer Voorhaar, LCSW-C

September 1, 2018, I opened the doors to Hope and Healing with a plan to offer therapeutic services to the community knowing that healing and overall health and wellness was the goal. I knew that I didn’t have all of the answers and I knew that traditional “talk therapy” wasn’t the only tool. What I didn’t know was what the next months and ultimately years would bring. 

When my team and I started preparing for this year’s anniversary, we wanted to focus on health, wellness and celebrating our community. It seemed only fitting to share the sentiment with our community that the pilots from WWI shared, which was, “I’ve got your 6” ie: “I’ve got your back”.  With that came the six elements of wellness that I’d like to touch on today. If you haven’t already, I’d invite you to listen to The WingSpace Podcast for a short 6 episode series related to each of these components. I could go on for pages and pages about each of these components below. Instead, I’d like to share with you what Hope and Healing offers to our community to help support each area of wellness. 

The 6 Components of Wellness (as defined by University of New Hampshire) are:

Emotional

“Being kind to yourself as you recognize and experience a wide range of emotions”

Social

“Building and engaging in trusting, respectful, and authentic relationships”

Intellectual

“allowing your brain both stimulation and rest for critical thinking, curiosity and creativity.”

Occupational/Financial

“Pursuing a career path(s) that supports your goals, professional growth, and success” and “being able to meet basic needs and manage money for short and long term goals”

Spiritual

“connecting to your inner and outer worlds to support you in living your values and purpose.”

Physical 

“Knowing your body and giving it what it needs for health, healing, and energy”

The first one on this list is pretty clear, right? When you think about mental health therapy, addressing emotional needs is a given for most of us. But now that you see the list, could you consider how Hope and Healing could work with you on your journey to healing, health and wellness in all of these areas? Let me paint a picture for you:

You find yourself in a crossroads with choices to make, mixed emotions and jumbled up thoughts. So, you engage in mental health talk therapy with a provider, at Hope and Healing, or anywhere really as long as you’re doing the work. And, the therapist begins to ask questions, seek clarification, find missing puzzle pieces and help you form alternative solutions to your problems. As you talk you address:

Emotions

Identifying, expressing and managing emotions, learning the power of no, finding contentment in life, developing coping skills for stress management and relaxation

Relationships

Explore relationship patterns, consider dysfunction and establish healthy relationships, explore hobbies and interests and learn healthy communication

Thoughts

Learn that our thoughts following and event lead to our emotions and our behaviors, consider how to retrain your brain, thinking, processing and problem solving

Safety and Security

Consider how we provide for yourself and your family, find meaning in the work you are doing, establish safe and stable habits, explore future goals and dreams

Spirituality 

Use your faith and spiritual practices as tools for healing, explore spirituality, purpose and meaning for your life and future

Physical

Explore how you feed, fuel, move and rest your body, consider the connection between physical wellness and emotional wellness

And as we grow into our 7th year, we are constantly looking at how we can address each aspect of wellness for overall health. Not only do we have mental health therapy services at Hope and Healing, we also have massage, yoga, fitness, aromatherapy and pelvic floor physical therapy, all of which address various aspects of wellness in their own way. 

I’d invite you to consider where you can join the Hope and Healing community. I’m all about mental health therapy for everyone but maybe you start by checking out our class offerings, following along on social media for free content, tricks and tips or even stopping in to check out our retail area which includes Aromatherapy products by Essential Blends, LLC, shirts, journals, fun and funky mental health stickers, tumblers and more! 

We’ve been here for 6 and would be honored to be here for many, many more to provide health, wellness and a sense of community because as always, “we’ve got your 6”.