It’s easy to do – your mind simply wanders off and you completely lose focus. But did you realise Aussies actually waste 12 days a year to lack of focus and concentration.
The majority (59%) of Australians waste more than an hour on average each working day due to lack of focus or concentration – that’s approximately six hours a week per employee gone and collectively, almost 23,000 years lost each month across the country – according to new research commissioned by Flordis, a Soho Flordis International (SFI).
The survey of 1,500 locals also uncovered that only a quarter (23 per cent) believe they tap into the full potential of their mind at least once a day.
Liisa Lewis, Global Marketing Manager – Cognitive Health at Flordis said: “In this hyper-connected world, our brains are constantly whirring, but our research shows that for many people (42 per cent), sustained concentration is a challenge. We all want sharper focus, concentration and memory, but we’re not actively working to improve cognitive health.”
According to the research, the priority for Australians is general physical health, with 92 per cent of respondents focussing on exercise – more than half (63 per cent) committing to intense physical activity and almost all (94 per cent) undertaking low intensity physical activity each week.
“While physical exercise is key for cognitive health, we also need to specifically invest time in loving our minds to make a greater difference to our quality of life as we age. 85 per cent of people recognise activities such as brain training are important, but only 16 per cent will dedicate half an hour or more to these activities each day on average.
“In fact, despite the rise of the mindfulness movement, 44 per cent of people said they never practice mindfulness techniques and over a third (36 per cent) don’t dedicate any time to learning new skills. This is despite research showing practising these helps engage cognitive skills, mental sharpness and concentration to support cognitive health over time,2 ” said Lewis.
It would seem, however, that Australians do have time to spare, with seven in 10 (68 per cent) revealing they have four or more hours each week of ‘downtime’, and almost half of these respondents (a third of the total population) having 10 or more hours.
“It only takes simple changes to make a big impact on cognitive health – but it is a long-term commitment. Pick up some brain training exercises for your commute, take up meditation, have a go at that hobby you’ve always wanted to try or go to that photography or sculpting course.
“From our research, we also know that for most people (55 per cent), natural medicines are a consideration for maintaining cognitive health and mental sharpness at all stages of life, with 42 per cent currently taking supplements for this reason,” Lewis said.
This story was originally published on The Carousel.
