You might find it difficult to concentrate on your work even though you have just returned from Christmas.

New Year’s promises a new start. However, it is frustrating to not feel as though you are on the right track. Experts say there are many factors that could hinder your concentration.

Stefan van der Stigchel is a Professor of Cognitive Psychology at Utrecht University.

While rest is important to prevent overtraining, it’s also necessary to take some time to get back to the optimal level of focus after taking a break.

Van der Stigchel stated that another possibility for why your concentration isn’t working well could be because of the fact that you don’t have a work environment. Van der Stigchel said, for example, that watching other people working in the office acts as motivation.

Van der Stigchel said that another reason is a lack of transition between tasks when working remotely. Van der Stigchel explained that “working memory” is responsible for “executing complex actions.”

Van der Stigchel described this brain system as a “workbench” with various tools for every task. He explained that the brain must “load” the workbench between tasks. This mental switch time is known as a switching cost.

Many have experienced a loss of commute time to work over the last two years, even though they have been working mainly from home. Van der Stigchel recommended adding some exercise to your day, such as a walk either before or after work. Van der Stigchel also suggested that you allow yourself to recharge your mind for 10 minutes after each meeting.

“Be aware that those should be in your working day, they’re part of your working habit, because at the end of the day … you will be mentally extremely tired if you didn’t plan your day in advance well, without any breaks or without any movement,” van der Stigchel said.

studyThe 2018 study was published by U.K. psychology researchers at University of Roehampton. It used functional MRI scanning (Magnetic Reflectance Imaging) to see how anxiety affected parts of the brain which are responsible for concentration.

The tasks required different concentration levels from the participants in this study. Functional MRI scans indicated that those who are more anxious experienced “reduced connectivity” in areas of their brains important for attentional control. This is also known as concentration.

The study’s leader, Professor Paul Allen explained that our focus is influenced by the brain’s prefrontal cortex. However, it was different in anxious individuals.

Allen suggested that the long-term effects of working at home on your mental health, loneliness and isolation caused by socializing less during the pandemic could contribute to anxiety.

Similarly, neuroscientist Sabina Brennan, author of “Beating Brain Fog,”People who are anxious or chronically stressed can reduce neuroplasticity in certain areas of their brains, such as the frontal and middle lobes. The brain’s capacity to create new connections is called neuroplasticity. This can be important for learning skills like memory and learning.

After a vacation, she said people may also feel a contrast effect.

It’s like a cognitive bias. The perception of different is altered or diminished. Someone who has had a difficult Christmas break might have expected to return to work after he or she was disappointed. Brennan explained that it could lead to someone feeling more stressed or depressed and affect their ability focus.

You will eventually get back to the baseline level you were at before. [but]She said that if you have any persistent feelings, it would be a smart idea to visit a doctor. “It could be something other than just a switch over from holidays.”

Brennan added that “just more” is what this new year will bring, as people still work at home because of the widespread omicron variation.

She said, “And that’s boring, and it’s going make it kinda difficult to concentrate because the brain loves novelty, our brain enjoys new experiences.”

Brennan suggested that exercise at lunch was a way to improve concentration. After all, our alertness dips naturally around mid-afternoon. She also suggested that a friend working remotely could go on a walking trip at lunchtime, to help make up the lost opportunities to meet colleagues.

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