How pupils can concentrate better ➤ Causes of concentration problems

➤ Tips for more attention ➤ Medication for concentration

Do you know this too? Your child can sit in front of the PC for hours at a stretch, highly concentrated discussing a game with his friends or blocking out everything around him when his favourite series is on. But when it comes to schoolwork, all concentration is instantly gone. Thoughts wander, eyes go blank, hands play with anything they can get their hands on and any distraction comes in handy now. Anything but school. To a certain extent, this behaviour is normal and quite harmless in children and young people. But it is precisely when it is not just temporary, but when grades, school and general learning behaviour suffer as a result, that you have to deal with the issue of poor concentration. And we are happy to help you with that.

To the point: Concentration & concentration disorders

Concentration means directing one's attention to a specific thing. From all environmental stimuli, we filter out the information that is most important to us, automatically block out unimportant stimuli and focus our perception. In this way, we consciously control our attention and regulate our perception. With too many complex environmental stimuli, however, this is not so easy. Excessive simultaneous input can lead to a sensory overload in our brain and thus to increased stress.

Intensive concentration is therefore a top performance for the brain and demands a lot of energy. Accordingly, it is quite normal that attention decreases after a certain time - faster in children than in adults. However, if concentrated work is hardly possible any more and children do not manage to focus their thoughts at least for some time, there is usually a concentration problem. This is called a concentration disorder if the problem is only temporary and a lack of concentration if the attention deficit lasts longer or is even permanent.

Possible causes of lack of concentration in children

There are many different concentration killers for children, which can be caused by both external and internal factors:

• Poor diet: an unhealthy diet can result in a poorer supply of nutrients, minerals and vitamins to the brain.
• Lack of fluid intake: Too little water can lead to poorer blood circulation and headaches.
• Lack of exercise: Fresh air and physical fitness give the body strength and energy - if they are lacking, mental performance also suffers.
• Lack of sleep: Sufficient sleep causes new knowledge to migrate from short-term memory to long-term memory, and what is learned is consolidated during the night's rest. Lack of sleep, on the other hand, leads to fatigue and resulting concentration difficulties.
• Distraction: If there are too many sources of disturbance in the learning environment (such as a running television, playing siblings or a ringing telephone), there can be a sensory overload and the brain no longer knows what to concentrate on.
• Psychological factors: If our brain is too busy with the fears and worries buzzing around in our head, it doesn't have time to concentrate on school at the same time. Stress, time pressure, personal worries as well as school or social pressure can thus easily cause concentration problems.
• Under- or overload: If the school material is too complicated or too simple, learning is not fun but boring. Naturally, thoughts then tend to wander to more interesting topics and children find it difficult to concentrate purposefully.
• Health factors: Learning disorders (such as ADD or ADHD) or other illnesses can also lead to temporary or permanent problems with concentration.

Tips & tricks to increase concentration

Many of the causes mentioned above can be solved by a change in lifestyle: Eating a healthy diet, drinking enough fluids and exercising, and reducing sources of disruption in the learning environment can work wonders. The most useful tips and tricks to increase concentration are:

• Healthy foods: drinking plenty of water and eating a balanced, healthy diet consisting of omega-3 fatty acids for brain power, vitamins for concentration and carbohydrates for energy.
• Get enough sleep: The optimal amount of sleep is different for everyone, but if your child yawns a lot during the day, is tired and seems sleepy, the bedtime should be adjusted. The same applies to the recovery phases during the day or when studying.
• Physical & mental fitness: Sport and exercise have been proven to promote concentration, as various studies confirm. However, brain jogging is just as relevant as jogging: memory training, brainteasers or picture puzzles can lead to an increase in performance in a playful way.
• Focus: Functioning multitasking is a myth. It is better to eliminate all sources of interference to make it easier to concentrate on a single thing.

The little helpers: homeopathic & natural medicines

But of course not every concentration disorder can be remedied immediately by these simple measures. Often the causes are much more complex, health-related and individually different. Before strong medicines are used, however, we first advise trying less intensive alternatives (such as homeopathic or herbal remedies). Our recommendations for children with concentration difficulties are therefore:

• Schüßler salts: Schüßler salts are among the complementary and alternative healing methods. They are used to balance mineral deficiencies in the body. Depending on the type, they can be used for a wide variety of health problems. The Schüßler salt no. 5 Kalium phosphoricum is considered a general remedy for energy and performance. As it supports the nerves as well as the muscles, it is recommended for mental and physical exhaustion as well as concentration difficulties.
• Zappelin: This homeopathic remedy is generally used to treat nervous disorders and restlessness in children. Since overactivity and attention deficits often result in a lack of concentration, Zappelin is very suitable for promoting concentration in children. Zappelin supports the organism in a natural way to find its inner balance again - without making your child tired or reducing its ability to react.
• Esprico: The food supplement Espricon is specially designed for children with concentration problems. It consists of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, magnesium and zinc. This combination is designed to normalise mental and cognitive functions in your little ones, increase brain power, improve thinking skills, facilitate learning and improve concentration.

Concentration problems can lead to significant difficulties in learning and problems at school for children, but they are not set in stone. Even small changes in external circumstances or gentle homeopathic remedies can make a big difference. We will be happy to advise you personally on this topic and our little concentration aids from the pharmacy.