60 second summary:
- Skipping meals or eating a large meal can both affect your ability to concentrate
- Too much sugar and caffeine or not enough water can also affect your focus
- Try eating small, balanced meals and snacks regularly
- Wholegrains, fruit and vegetables, pulses, seafood, meat and dairy foods all provide nutrients that support your brain
- Try to limit time on social media
- Get enough sleep and try to manage stress
Can what you eat really affect your concentration and focus? While expensive supplements are unlikely to deliver on their promises, some simple changes to your diet and lifestyle can really help to improve your attention span.
5 food mistakes that can derail your day and what to do instead
- Skipping meals –
Not eating for many hours will cause your blood sugar to drop, leaving you feeling dizzy, irritable and lacking resilience. Try to eat every 3-4 hours. - Eating a large meal –
At lunch, a large meal could result in you feeling sluggish and sleepy in the afternoon. Eating a large portion at dinner could keep you awake while you digest it. Try to eat smaller portions more frequently. - Sugar rush –
Sugary foods and drinks might give you an instant energy burst, but, in the long run, can lead to tiredness. Lots of sugar isn’t good for your teeth either. Instead, swap sugar for complex carbohydrates that release their energy more slowly, giving a more sustained source of energy. - Caffeine overload –
Overreliance on caffeine can cause dehydration, headaches and even palpitations. It can also affect your sleep if you consume it later in the day. Try reducing your caffeine intake and switching to caffeine-free drinks in the afternoon and evening. - Dehydration –
Forgetting to drink can lead to dehydration, and this can have a major impact on your focus. Try to sip water or herbal tea throughout the day to stay hydrated. Avoid alcohol on work nights as this can cause dehydration and low mood, affecting your focus and resilience.
An ideal way to eat would be small portions of balanced meals and snacks, containing a complex carbohydrate (oats, wholegrains, etc.), a protein food (meat, fish, pulses, eggs) and a fruit or vegetable, every 3-4 hours. This will help to maintain a steady focus throughout the working day.
Brain foods
While it’s true that some nutrients are needed for your brain to function, the most important thing is to eat a balanced diet consistently, rather than hoping for a quick fix. Try to include some of the following foods and nutrients for brain power:
- Omega-3 fats from oily fish, which support brain and heart health
- Wholegrains for steady energy release
- Fruit and vegetables to help keep blood sugar steady and to provide vitamins and minerals
- Iron-rich foods like red meat, beans and lentils, nuts and seeds and dried fruit for cognitive function
- Iodine, found in white fish and cows’ milk
- Zinc, in red meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, nuts, seeds and pulses
Lifestyle tips to improve focus
- Limit scrolling – short-form content on social media can really sabotage our longer-term focus. Try to limit how much time you spend watching short videos online.
- Get enough sleep – have some screen-free time before bed, create a relaxing bedtime routine if you can and try to get a decent night’s sleep to help your focus the next day.
- Minimise distractions while working – put your phone in your drawer, listen to instrumental music and switch off notifications so you can concentrate on your work.
- Structure your working day into focused 30–40-minute periods where possible. If you have a desk-based role, take a 5-minute break to stand up, stretch, and move around before starting the next task. If your job is more physically active, use these short breaks to rest briefly, change position, or carry out gentle stretches. Regular breaks can help improve focus, reduce fatigue, and maintain productivity throughout the day.
- Practise ways to reduce stress, whether through meditation, deep breathing or taking regular breaks. This will help balance your mood and reduce how distracted you feel.
Obviously, no one is perfect, and we all get distracted and struggle to concentrate at times. But try a few of these tips to see which works for you.
Claire Baseley – Consultant Nutritionist
