Have you ever intended to be fully absorbed in your work but found yourself distracted by e-mail, the Internet and other things throughout the day? According to the survey made by a famous university in the USA, most people have the experience.
"People often lose their concentration when they are bored, of course, but also when they are engaged in challenging tasks," says Peter Bregman, the head of the survey. "They sometimes have a feeling to escape from what's difficult or boring, so they jump out," he says. The part of the brain devoted to attention is connected to the brain's emotional center. Any strong emotion —quarrels with colleagues, problems at home —can interrupt our attention. Studies over the last decade have shown that too much work to do at a time can easily lead to distraction.
Refocusing is hard for many people. Robert Epstein suggests the following, "Stop and listen to some soft music for a few minutes. Find a good friend or a teacher and say out your matter on your mind. Go for a short walk or take a deep breath, where you breathe in deeply, count to five slowly, hold it and breathe out very slowly." This can "blow out all the tension and the unwanted in your mind to restore your focus."
Take more control by structuring your time and becoming more aware of your behaviors. "Setting the phone alarm to go off every hour is my way of creating awareness," Mr. Bregman says. "You have to inform yourself that you've lost focus in order to do something about it." Starting the day with a to-do list is also important, such as when to eat, when to go to the gym or take a walk. But if it's overly ambitious, you will put yourself in a state of anxiety, which makes it hard for the brain to concentrate. "Choosing three or four things as your priority for the day allows your brain to settle down and focus," he says.
小题1:According to the passage, which is NOT the reason why some people can be distracted from their work?
A．They don't want to be devoted to their work.
B．They are disturbed by the Internet and other things.
C．They can't find interest in their work.
D．They feel their work is too hard for them.小题2:Which incident might NOT interrupt your attention?
A．You were scolded by your teacher.
B．You had words with your good friend.
C．You went to school at six as usual.
D．Your mother and father had a quarrel.小题3:What's the meaning of the underlined word "restore" in the passage?
A．recover
B．reform
C．release
D．react小题4:According to Robert Epstein, how can we refocus on what we should do?
A．Listen to rock music for some time.
B．Turn to your good friends or teachers for help.
C．Run around the playground for some time.
D．Take a breath from time to time.
