4 Mind 4 Life: Mental Health Tips

Always looking for new methods to boost my brain power, I decided to try taking fish oil. I had heard good things about it and had read a lot of research surrounding this supplement. I started taking Fish Oil supplements at the beginning of 2006 and have been taking at least 1200 mg daily. I usually try to take around 3.6 grams daily (3 tablets daily – one w/ each meal).

I currently take the Nature’s Made brand, and find it to be one of the best. When shopping for Fish Oil, I look for a brand with a “laboratory tested” stamp on it to ensure that it is going to be safe and without harmful mercury content. I also store my Fish Oil in the refrigerator since it is supposed to be stored in a “cool environment.” With a history of A.D.H.D., anxiety, and depression, my life was uncontrollably difficult to deal with.

It took a lot of open-mindedness and trying new things to overcome these states of mind. A ‘huge key’ to unlocking these mental disorders in my life was Fish Oil. I’ve researched and read enough about Fish Oil to know that there are a large number of health benefits that have been associated with Fish Oil. Of all the research I’ve come across pertaining Fish Oil, I’ve found virtually zero negative side-effects derived from Fish Oil. I didn’t think it was going to work, but hoped for the best and positive changes followed.

Fish Oil is like membrane material for the brain.

It is literally brainfood and helps the brain alter itself for the better, in a natural way. Not all fish oil includes Omega-3 Fatty acids, which are healthy fats associated with brain growth and healthy function. I recommend staying away from products like “Cod Liver Oil” as they can cause unhealthy increases in Vitamin A.

Most junk food like chips contain Omega-6 Fatty acids which promote stress and unhealthy body function. It is accurate to say that the average American gets almost a 3 to 1 ratio of Omega-6 Fatty acids to Omega-3 in a day. (This could be a reason for the poor mental health epidemic in America). By taking Fish Oil you can reverse that ratio and be healthier.

The EPA VS. DHA Debate

The two main ingredients within the Fish Oil that I take are EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid) and DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid). There have been several arguments that EPA is better than DHA and that DHA is completely unnecessary, and vice versa. With my personal Fish Oil experience, I believe that both contribute to boosting my brain in their own ways.

From what I’ve read, DHA acts as building block material in the brain and helps promote brain growth especially at young ages. The body is also able to convert EPA to DHA, which is why EPA-based supplements are probably favored. EPA is different and helps nerve stimulation and improves overall brain functions. I also found it interesting that in cultures where fish consumption is high there are significantly lower rates of depression and other mood disorders. This is a great finding.

Fish Oil To Improve Focus

According to several studies and articles, large doses of Fish Oil have been proven more effective than Ritalin for A.D.D. & A.D.H.D. for improving focus. These studies demonstrated that the kids who took Fish Oil continued to improve their focus and their parents continually noted more positive changes as the kids continued the supplement. For me, Fish Oil has definitely aided to promote a nice calm focus.

Fish Oil As Anti-Depressant

There have been many studies done on Fish Oil for anti-depressant purposes. This is where the EPA comes in. The EPA in the Fish Oil supplements has been linked to improved moods and mood-stability. Fish Oil supplements have been tested in double-blind studies against common anti-depressants such as Prozac and in most cases have been proven as effective, if not more effective than anti-depressants. Though Fish Oil may cure everyone’s blues, Fish Oil definitely does a great job at easing depression.

Makes You Smarter & Slows Brain Aging

Fish Oil has also been linked to increased intelligence and slowed brain aging. IQ tests of people taking Fish Oil have been compared to others. Scientific research showed that people who took Fish Oil scored higher on tests than those who didn’t. People are also less likely to develop the devastating Alzheimer’s disease by just popping in a daily dose of Fish Oil. If you want to be smarter and slow your brain aging, a great strategy is: taking Fish Oil.

Prevents Heart Attacks

Fish Oil has been found to raise “good” cholesterol throughout the body. It also lowers triglycerides (blood fats linked to heart attacks). Since stress is linked to heart attacks, and Fish Oil is linked to lower stress, these supplements lower heart attack risk. I would suggest reading more about this aspect of Fish Oil benefits if you have a dysfunctional heart or know someone who could benefit.

Fish Oil Helped Me A Ton

This supplement helped me in many ways. The benefits are really beyond words and I was very skeptical about using just “Fish Oil” to improve my brainpower. The major thing it has done for me is allow my mind to be completely relaxed. I feel healthier and laugh more. Based on personal observation, it seems to me that each day I take it, I feel way more relaxed the next day than the day before.

For me, it is a never ending trend: take Fish Oil >>> feel more relaxed the next day>>>take Fish Oil >>> more relaxation, etc. It has worked wonders in terms of anxiety reduction. It has virtually eliminated my fears by itself. I notice that my fears have been significantly reduced within my thought process.

My emotions are balanced and I don’t get ‘stuck’ in feelings of depression or anger anymore. Also, I had pretty severe A.D.H.D. and I can positively say that it has been cured & eliminated. I feel that I can focus with ease and have been highly productive because of it.

I have recommended this supplement to several friends. They all found it beneficial for improving their focus, mood, and increasing their overall energy levels. They are still continuing to take Fish oil supplements and they all report positive changes. I am happy that they are all having success.

Supplement of the Decade?

Fish oil increases the overall performance of your brain in so many ways, I have nominated and gladly given the supplement of the century award to fish oil. Yeah, I brag it up, but Fish oil deserves all the credit it can get. There is so much positive mental change linked to Fish oil, that you owe it to yourself to give it a shot. May many days of no fish burps bless your future.

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A few months ago, I decided to buy and try out the program Neuro-Programmer 2 Professional. My primary intention when using the product was to create sessions to reduce my anxiety and improve my focus. The program Neuro-Programmer 2 works by changing your brainwaves — patterns of electrical activity in the brain. There are 5 primary types of brainwaves that have been researched:

• Gamma Brainwaves (40 Hz +) — The 40 Hz gamma brainwave is found in advanced sensory processing, heightened focus, and coordinates simultaneous processing of information throughout the brain. Increased gamma activity is associated with a good-memory. Lack of the 40 Hz brainwave is found in people with learning disabilities.

• Beta Brainwaves (12 – 40 Hz A.K.A cycles per second in your brain) — these are associated with external focus and being consciously alert. When we feel afraid, agitated, or tense we are high in beta. People with anxiety disorders are found to have too much high beta activity. Some calming to the alpha brainwave may help.

• Alpha Brainwaves (8 – 10 Hz) — the alpha rhythm is associated with feelings of calm, pleasant relaxation, and daydreaming activity. Extroverts are found to naturally have more baseline alpha activity, while introverts naturally have more baseline beta activity. The 10 Hz brainwave is associated with serotonin release, feelings of “flow”, “superlearning”, positive thinking, and creativity.

• Theta Brainwaves (4 – 7 Hz) — Are very slow brainwaves that the brain produces while we are asleep. Theta activity is usually high in children, people with A.D.D., depression, and learning disorders. The theta rhythm is associated with being extremely relaxed, emotional, unfocused thoughts, paranormal experiences, and enhanced creativity. When most people wake up, theta activity quickly decreases and our brains shift through alpha and to the beta range where we remain most of the day. In people with A.D.D., the theta wave increases when they wake up and when they try to focus, which is why they find it very difficult to focus.

• Delta Brainwaves (1 – 4 Hz) — These are the slowest brainwaves. If you are in this brainwave state, you are in the deepest form of sleep (dreamless sleep) and completely unconscious. Delta brainwaves are very restorative and help to naturally release Human Growth Hormone, DHEA, and melatonin, which all slow the aging process.

Something you all should know is that everyone’s brain produces a combination of all brainwaves all the time. There are only increases in certain brainwaves depending on the activities that are being done. For example: during deep delta activity, there are still traces of beta activity. The traces of beta are extremely small, but they are there.

The opposite is true as well: when there’s high beta activity, there are still traces of delta, but they are extremely tiny. There’s something else that you should know about called brainwave amplitude. Brainwave amplitude increases when there are lower brainwave ranges present (i.e. alpha, theta and delta) and the amplitude decreases with higher frequency ranges (i.e. gamma and beta). If you are entrained to a specific frequency, the amplitude of that frequency increases.

The B.A.T. Triad

Research has been done to find out problems associated with brainwaves. The BAT Triad is a general rule of thumb to follow when training. It says that there should be: increased higher frequency activity in the brain’s left hemisphere (gamma & beta) than the right hemisphere and there should be increased slow wave activity in the right hemisphere and decreased slow wave activity (alpha & theta) in the left hemisphere.

Basically, if there is too much beta activity in the right hemisphere of the brain, the result is anxiety. If there is too much slow wave activity in the left hemisphere (i.e. theta), depression follows. It is generally optimal to have beta in the left hemisphere and alpha & theta in the right.

For more information on brainwaves, I recommend reading the book “Getting Started With Neurofeedback” by John Demos. This book contains a shrine of information about brainwaves… It gets a bit complicated in parts, but it will really help enhance your overall understanding in brainwaves.

How Brain Wave[s] Technology Works

“When the brain is given a stimulus, through the ears, eyes or other senses, it emits an electrical charge in response.” So basically, if I use an isochronic tone, (the most effective tone for brainwave entrainment) set the tone to 10 Hz and play it, I will get an evoked alpha response. If I play the isochronic tone in both ears or through my speakers without headphones, my brainwaves will become synchronized.

Brainwave synchronization is usually healthy and fine, but it doesn’t work out for everyone, which is whytransparent corporation offers individualized hemisphere entrainment via isochronic tones. Other forms of entrainment include binaural beats and monaural beats. Binaural beats, which include 2 tones, require that you wear headphones for them to be effective. The idea of binaural beats is that 2 different tones are applied to each ear, then the difference between the 2 tones evokes a cortical brainwave response.

An example: a beat of 110 hz is applied to the right ear and a beat of 100 hz is applied to the right ear. The difference (110 – 100) = a 10 hz entrainment response. Monaural beats are similar to isochronic tones in the fact that they can be used for entrainment without headphones, but they just aren’t as effective as the isochronic tones.

After buying a package deal of their Neuro-Programmer 2 Professional with the program Mind Sound Stereo, I read up on the different types of brainwaves to see what I thought would be healthy to use. I came across a lot of good articles and research pertaining the “10 Hz Alpha Brainwave.” Since alpha activity correlated with reduction of anxiety, relaxation, calmness, and focus, I felt that I had nothing to lose.

My Experience With 10 Hz Alpha

When I began my journey with alpha, I initially felt highly unfocused, day-dreamy, relaxed, pleasant, and didn’t care what anyone said or thought about me if it was negative. I thought this was very cool. Initially, my overall energy levels decreased and I felt that my thoughts were way too unfocused. Though I felt very weird coming down from an extremely high beta brainwave pattern, it was worth it.

I went through a very tough period of about 2 months wondering if I would ever feel normal again. I woke up each day and my consciousness was different than the day before. I also was able to, for the first time in my life, not wake up in the mornings to eat breakfast. This period lasted for about a month, I would hear my alarm clock and unintentionally drift back to sleep until about 10 minutes before I needed to leave each morning.

I had virtually no time to just brush my teeth, and get ready. When I arrived at work, I felt very pleasant, but unfocused and almost too relaxed. Though I felt this way, I still kept up the entrainment. It was about the 3rd month of my alpha entrainment experimentation and I was not doing daily training. I would do it once about every other week. Eventually I came to a state of focus, relaxation, and what I believe to be a happy, normal state.

I really never thought I would reach this point. Now, I notice that the alpha brainwave kicks in and is stronger than it used to be at various times throughout the day. It seems that my brain is able to shift between alpha and beta throughout the day.  I don’t consciously shift between the 2 (as I would be able to if I was an experienced meditator or did neurofeedback), but my brain automatically shifts to alpha when I am involved in a calm activity where less brainwave activity is required like watching T.V. and falling asleep. Overall, this has been a success story! I will continue experimenting with various brainwaves for set time periods to study their effects on my emotions and state of consciousness.

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Meditation is known to have been around for over 5,000 years. Meditation involves turning the attention inwards with focus. It is well known by researchers that people who meditate experience tremendous benefits. Is meditation really worth your time? Probably. The person practicing meditation doesn’t need to meditate 24/7 to receive all of the benefits. A simple 20 minute daily meditation session will have profound impact on health and longevity if continued for awhile. What does meditation do?

Meditation allows you to cultivate powerful focus, get in touch with yourself (know yourself better), become more aware of the world, helps promote relaxation and has tons of health benefits. It is probably the single best exercise that anyone could do for their mind and body. Meditation can also deepen your religious connections and make you more spiritual. In the context of this article I will discuss many benefits of meditation and explain why meditation is such a great thing to do.

The profound health benefits

There have been an insane number of documented health benefits that are induced though meditation. Today, no matter what religion or denomination, many people include meditation as part of their lifestyle because they would like to be healthier. Meditation literally “supercharges” the immune system and increases the baseline activity level of natural “killer cells” which help destroy cancer cells and bacteria. By practicing meditation, your body will be able to fight off viruses faster than the average person and you just won’t be as prone to getting sick as the average person! (It even helps to alleviate allergies!)

Another great benefit from meditation is a happier mood! Meditation has been known to help balance mood and make people more emotionally stable. It increases the amount of the neurotransmitter “serotonin” which is involved in relaxation and happiness. By increasing the amount of serotonin, you will be less prone to insomnia, anxiety, and depression!

If you want to lower your high blood pressure, meditation is the answer. Meditation is great for people with high blood pressure because it quickly brings it back down to a normal level. It also slows heart rate and increases the amount of oxygen in the blood and brain.

Brainwaves prove that meditation is healthy

Meditation shifts brainwaves from the right (stress-promoting) hemisphere to the calmer, happy, left-hemisphere. A study was done by the University Of Massachusetts Medical School where they went to a high-tech business firm in Madison, Wisconsin.

They found stressed out employees and split them into two groups: 25 people that were required to learn and practice meditation over an eight week period, and 16 people that served as a control group. Researchers found that the brains from the meditation group showed increased activity in the left frontal lobe – an area of the brain that promotes positive emotion and calmness.

The people involved in meditation were found to be calmer and happier than before and more able to deal with stressful situations. Meditation increases overall activity in the prefrontal cortex, which is involved in higher thought, focus, and helps us control our responses to anxiety and anger. Another cool thing is that even if you meditate for awhile, then stop meditating, the increased activity in the left-hemisphere lingers, which will keep you calmer than most even though you stopped meditating.

The amount of gamma brainwave activity significantly increases in the prefrontal region of the brain. Gamma activity is involved in higher thought, problem solving, and advanced brain functioning. This brainwave helps improve focus and planning in a major way! Relaxation is increased throughout the body and mind by increased Alpha activity.

Alpha waves are found in calm, relaxed people. Alpha waves increase when a person drinks alcohol or smokes marijuana, which is a large reason as to why alcoholics and potheads keep doing it; they enjoy the relaxation. If they only knew that meditation would be healthier for them in the long-run and have profound relaxation effects without the dizziness, puking, or hallucinations.

Build a bigger brain

People who meditate grow bigger brains than people who don’t. Researchers at Harvard, Yale, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have found the first evidence that meditation can alter the physical structure of our brains. Brain scans they conducted reveal that experienced meditators boasted increased thickness in parts of the brain that deal with attention and processing sensory input.

The gray matter in older, more experienced meditators is thicker than younger meditators and remains thick even in old age. Non-meditators’ gray matter normally gets thinner as ageing occurs. It has also been found that people who meditate have greater plasticity throughout their brains. What is plasticity? Plasticity is the ability of the brain to reorganize neural pathways after new experiences. By meditating, new neural pathways are formed and old neural connections are strengthened.

Enhance your self-control

By increasing activity in the left hemisphere and prefrontal cortex, meditation will give you greater self-control. With some practice, you will be able to regulate your thoughts, emotions, and have complete control over your impulsive actions. The problem is, most people that get involved with meditation, already have high amounts of self-control.

Tell your friends about meditation and get them involved. Maybe go meditate together so you can both enjoy the increased amount of self-control. You will have more control over yourself and be more inclined to notice and control unconscious urges like eating candy or drinking soda.

Explore the depths of consciousness

Meditation is a great way to explore your consciousness and help your brain be more aware of different brainwave patterns. Most people are constantly in the brainwave state of “BETA” which is involved in outward focus, fear, anxiety and stress. By practicing meditation, you can learn the ability to consciously access the “ALPHA” brainwave state.

The alpha brainwave state enhances relaxation, makes it easier to absorb information passively, and helps promote calmness. After enough practice, you may even be able to consciously access the “THETA” brainwave state. In the “THETA” state of mind, strong emotions will arise and some people report having profound religious experiences. The “THETA” brainwave is involved in tapping the unconscious mind. Through meditation, you can become aware of the unconscious with enough practice.

By accessing the unconscious, your intuition will improve, visualization will be enhanced and your creativity be intensely boosted. The lowest brainwave state is “DELTA” and most people are never able to access this state consciously in their lifetime. Delta is involved in deep sleep, healing, and restoration of the body. I have read reports and studies where a few extremely advanced meditators have been able to consciously access this state, but it is extremely difficult.

Improve your spiritual life

Meditation is also a great way to improve your spiritual life. In fact, people sometimes have their most profound spiritual experiences, sometimes referred to as “awakenings,” through meditation. People report feeling more connected with “God” or their religion. They also learn more about their spiritual life than they ever imagined. Meditation is a tool that helps people to discover insights about life that would remain unknown to them if they had never meditated.

Meditation helps you to understand your “purpose” here on Earth and be more connected with your spirit. You don’t need to belong to a certain religion to connect religiously through meditation. Christians meditate, Hindus meditate, Muslims meditate, it doesn’t matter what religion one belongs to. You don’t even need to belong to a religion to have an enhanced spiritual life through meditation!

How to meditate

You can meditate anywhere at anytime, however, it helps to be in a quiet place without distractions and external stimuli. Next, you need to have a type of meditation in mind. There are many different types of meditation. Google “types of meditation” and pick one that you find interesting. Stick with it for awhile and you will begin to learn a lot about yourself and be able to enjoy the infinite amount of benefits. Below, I will describe three common types of meditation that you can start practicing.

Three well-known types of meditation

Concentration Meditation – this type of meditation involves focusing your attention on your breathing, a specific mental image, or a mantra (a specific repeated sound). The point of this type of meditation is to quiet the thoughts and the mind by allowing greater awareness and focus to emerge. The easiest way to do this type of meditation is to sit quietly and focus on your breathing.

There is a direct relationship between breathing and the state of consciousness that you are in. Breathing is usually quick and shallow when a person is stressed out. When breathing is slow and deep, the person enjoys a nice warm, relaxed, focused state of mind. Let yourself primarily focus on inhaling and exhaling. By just focusing on your inhalation and exhalation pattern, your mind will become more relaxed and focused.

Transcendental Meditation – This is a Hindu form of meditation. This type of meditation is supposed to promote relaxation through the usage of a “mantra.” A mantra can be any sound that you choose that will be effective in meditation. It is used to promote relaxation, with some focus. A mantra is basically a sound repeated over with the idea of connecting with your soul and freeing your mind.

Mindfulness Meditation – This type of meditation works by heightening your attention to become aware of your sensations, feelings, thoughts, etc. Begin this type of meditation by sitting quietly. Just observe everything that goes through your mind without judging it.

The whole idea is to just witness whatever goes through your mind without reacting. By not reacting, you are training your mind to be more peaceful. By practicing this type of meditation, your ability to think logically and not be influenced by emotion will increase. By training yourself to not become as emotionally affected and attached, your problem solving abilities will be greatly enhanced as well as your ability to make good decisions.

Deepen Meditation With Binaural Beats?

There are programs out like Holosync and Hemi-Sync that use binaural beats, isochronic tones, or monaural beats to supposedly “deepen” the meditation experience. I recommend checking into these programs and experiencing them for yourself if you are interested.

I personally find that my customized sessions that I make in Neuro-Programmer 2 Professional help deepen my meditation so I have no need for Holosync. I have tried a Holosync sample program that was free to sign up for on their website. They sent me a CD with a couple of sample tracks on it and explained the program via some intense marketing.

I liked the sample disc, thought that it helped, and that it sounded nice. Why didn’t I continue and buy the program? Neuro-Programmer 2 Professional allows me to design my own custom sessions with whatever background noise I choose. Bill Harris is the founder of the Holosync program and really hypes up his program.

I’ve read cases where people really enjoy and think the program helps, while other people don’t think that it has much effect. I think that since the program is so expensive, it is better to just use Neuro-Programmer 2 Professional or not use any beats / tones at all. If you are going to use this technology or already have, please share your experience with others.

Start meditating

After reading this article, I hope that you now will include meditation as part of your daily routine (if it isn’t already). Just plan that at some time throughout the day, you will take 20 minutes to find a quiet place to meditate. Everyone has 20 minutes to spare. You may even like meditation so much that you will set aside 30 minutes of your day to meditate.

The great thing about meditation is that you will become healthier, get to enjoy all the benefits of slowed aging, and you will learn a lot about yourself! I highly recommend that you try meditating everyday for at least a month. If you like it, naturally you will want to continue, and if you don’t, well at least you can say you gave it a valid chance. Meditation is free! Can you really afford not to meditate?

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After reading this entry, you will learn how to take your focus to a new level, keep it there, and keep increasing your focus power for the rest of your life without much effort at all. Whether your life is full of stress, have clouded thinking, or have always had ADD / ADHD, you can concentrate at a higher level than you ever imagined.

Though it will take a little time out of your day, it will work if you give it a shot and stick with it. You do not need to do all the techniques that I will recommend, just applying one successfully will definitely improve your focus. But, the more options you choose to apply, the quicker your focus will improve.

#1 Exercise – Meditation

By taking 5 to 10 minutes out of the day to sit down, eyes closed while focusing on one thought or image, focusing power will begin to build. Just stay relaxed and don’t worry if it is very difficult at first. It will become very easy in a hurry. While sitting, eyes closed, just notice whenever the focus drifts away from the main object of focus, just realize this is going to happen and bring the main object of focus back into the mind.

Studies have been done where meditators EEG’s have been recorded. What these studies found was that meditation increased brain activity in the prefrontal cortex of the brain. They also found high frequency gamma brainwaves which are important in cognition and advanced thinking. The prefrontal cortex is linked to higher thought process, acute focus, planning, reasoning, and problem solving.

The nice thing is that it doesn’t take much time out of the day for this to be effective. By giving this a shot for awhile, focus will skyrocket. The nice thing about meditation is that it can be done anytime, anywhere, and it’s free!

#2 Exercise – Neurofeedback

This technique has been used to create lasting changes in the CNS (Central Nervous System) by consciously controlling brainwaves. Neurofeedback involves electrodes being put on top of the head in certain areas depending on the type of training. Neurofeedback is used for a number of mental problems such as: anxiety, depression, ADD, ADHD, and peak performance.

If you are considering taking this route, I highly recommend reading a couple books on the topic so you can fully understand what takes place. The principle is simple, electrodes from a neurofeedback unit (machine) are placed on top of the client’s head, and the neurofeedback machine is hooked up to a computer. The computer has a software program such as Bio Explorer installed which allows the neurofeedback practitioner and client to see the realtime brainwaves of the client on the computer screen.

Then the practitioner sets a protocol for the client. Basically, a protocol is set in the range of brainwaves chosen by the practitioner, then a training program begins. The training program may be a simple game like pac-man. The pac-man character will move faster and be more successful when the clients brainwaves are in the desired range of brainwaves, but when they fall out of the range the pac-man will move slower.

After several sessions, the client will be able to consciously facilitate the desired mental brainwave state outside the neurofeedback office. Once a brainwave state is “learned,” the client will have the ability to access it at will, which is very cool.

The drawback. The downfall to this approach is that it can be fairly costly at around $100-$200 per session. None of this should be considered medical advice, but you may want to consider buying your own machine if you know you are intelligent enough. How do you know if you’re intelligent enough? Well, if you had to ask that question you’re not. You can get a machine within the range of about $600 (Mink Peak Products) to several thousand dollars (Brain Master Products).

Transparent Corporation also sells what appears to be a good neurofeedback unit for a very competitive price. If I didn’t scare you away and you are still considering this, the book that I personally recommend to get started is, “Getting Started With Neurofeedback” by John N. Demos. It covers many topics, some advanced and you may need to re-read parts a few times to fully understand it.

Understand that neurofeedback is very effective at creating long lasting positive change and a great way to improve focus, but getting started can be very costly. Meditation helps promote conscious control of brainwaves as well, which is why meditation remains my number one strategy.

#3 Exercise – Take Some Fish Oil

Without doing anything by popping the undisputed supplement of the century (Fish Oil) down the hatch, the ability of the brains focusing power increases. I can personally vouch for this one. After dealing with stress, ADHD, depression, and anxiety, I had to find a way to focus. I began taking fish oil.

I can go about the day able to focus on anything I want to for as long as I want to and I am attributing a lot of that to the fish oil. For me it took awhile to “kick-in” (about a month), but after it did I noticed my concentration just kept improving and it still is! I also read at this website that a methamphetamine addict was brought into rehab, was unknowingly given high fish oil doses and the fish oil completely reversed his brain damage.

#4 Exercise – Brainwave Entrainment

Brainwave entrainment involves a stimulus, usually a tone, that that has influence on the listeners brainwaves, which changes the listeners mindstate. There are 4 main categories of brainwaves: Gamma, Beta, Alpha, Theta & Delta. The main one’s for increasing focus that I will explain in this entry are Gamma & Beta.

I’ve read a lot about brainwave entrainment and currently own Neuro-Programmer 2 Professional. This site also explains a lot about the brainwave entrainment process. They have a free trial download as well, which let’s you experiment with it for a few days. The frequencies that improve focus are gamma and beta.

Basically, this program has a lot of “sessions” built in that you can choose from to help you improve your focus. What brainwave entrainment does is create new neuronal connections to support different patterns of brainwaves and flexibility. It does not necessarily allow one to consciously control their brainwaves like meditation. It does, however, greatly help by creating the neural connections linked to focus.

#5 Exercise – Give Your Brain A Workout

Puzzles, word finds, Sudoku’s, and games like Brain Age and Big Brain Academy for the Nintendo DS are a very fun way to increase focus and concentration. I really enjoy playing these games and have definitely noticed that my ability to focus and think fast has been enhanced after playing these games. I personally find Big Brain Academy to be the most challenging and fun, but Brain Age 2 is definitely pretty cool too. Brain games are a great way to slow brain ageing, increase focusing ability, and have fun at the same time!

#6 Exercise – Daily Physical Exercise

Getting a good quality workout is not only healthy, but it improves the brains ability to concentrate. Exercise helps create increased white matter and connections between neurons. Exercise also allows for neurogenesis – the creation of new neurons by the brain. This is awesome, just go for a jog and create some new neurons, and everyday notice the increased focus levels.

More Techniques

There are more ways than the ones that I suggested to increase your ability to powerfully concentrate. The ones I listed, I think are the most powerful and effective techniques available to create long-lasting unshakable focus. Don’t make any lame excuses, just pick a method above and start focusing!

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