8 natural remedies to improve FOCUS 🧠📝
Holistic hacks to improve your concentration- without caffeine! (Plus a 3-minute guided meditation for productivity)
Hey, friend!
As I type this, I am truthfully feeling a bit scatter-brained and all over the place—
My to-do list feels overly-full, there are renovation projects going around our house (exciting, but… loud), I am prepping for fall semester with my students, my baby just turned ONE yesterday (omg!), some of our best friends are coming to stay with us this week (yay!), it’s my husband’s birthday on Friday (also yay!), we are going out of town this weekend for a friend’s wedding (triple yay!), and,
Let’s just say, life just feels a bit…. chaotic *nervous laugh*
But, as #adulting would have it, even in busy times, there ARE things to be done, work to be accomplished, and responsibilities to uphold—
So today we’re going to talk about something verrrrry near and dear to my heart— holistic ways to improve FOCUS. Even when life feels fast-paced and all over the place.
As a driven and highly ambitious gal who is *also* very distractible [insert 87 open computer tabs here], I have trial-and-error figured out ways to biohack distraction and holistically support focus, concentration, and just getting the job done.
While I don’t believe there is a magical one-size-fits-all quick fix to perfect focus, in this post I am going to go through some lifestyle things, different herbs, adaptogens, and vitamins that are shown in evidence-backed ways to support focus.
As you guys know I am first big on addressing the foundational, LIFESTYLE things first— are you hydrated? How are you eating? How is your stress? Sleep?
However, if you feel like you are “checking the boxes” on the basics, but still struggling to get in the zone *raises my own hand*, these natural remedies could be the thing to get ya goin’!
(Of note— I am listing these all as individual interventions. It's not like I do each of these things every single day, but it's more like I have a little focus “toolkit” full of different options I use and love so that I can pick what works for that day.)
So without further ado, we are going to jump into different ways I support focus!
Lion’s Mane Mushroom
The first adaptogen that immediately popped into my mind for improving focus is Lion's Mane mushroom. At the risk of sounding over dramatic — Lion’s Mane is game. changing. I’ll never forget when my friend voice noted me “holy $h!t, I just got a weeks worth of work done in a day” after I recommended lions mane to her.
It really does just get you in the zone.
Lions Mane is a mushroom that has been used for centuries to promote cognitive health and brain function, and it is thought to do so through its antioxidant activity and promotion of nerve growth factor.
In one study (a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, at that!), it was shown that adults who supplemented with Lion’s Made achieved better overall cognitive test scores after 16 weeks. Let’s just say, this lil mushroom is truly a powerhouse for your brain function!
While you can take it plain (without caffeine), the way I tend to have it is in these coffee grounds, so it's literally blended into the coffee. And I promise it does NOT taste like mushrooms— it just tastes like regular ol’ java!
(Note: I do feel like the packet version feel more potent/impactful to me from a focus perspective, but I don’t like the taste as much because it’s instant coffee. But it does feel like more bang-for-your-buck to me!)
While everyone is different (and you should always check with your doctor), I personally TRULY notice a difference in my productivity on the days that I have Lions Mane mushroom in the morning.
Aromatherapy
I know, I know, I knowwwwwww that aromatherapy can seem so *fluffy* the way it's portrayed online by pyramid scheme girlies or your weird hippie aunt Linda, but there actually is a lot of data behind some of the oils (when used responsibly!).
One such oil is peppermint oil, which is a very invigorating scent.
In one study I came across, the scent of peppermint enhanced memory and increased alertness in the sample of 144 adults. So keeping a little vial of peppermint oil by your desk or maybe in a roller and smelling it in a time where you can feel your focus fading is shown to improve alertness and reaction time.
Sleep
You guys know I'm all about addressing the foundational aspects before going for the quick fixes, and when it comes to focus, that foundational aspect is sleep. If you are sleeping poorly your focus is going to take a hit.
In fact, they find one night of sleep deprivation can reduce your concentration by up to 40% (forty!!!). So if you are reading this and you know in your gut that your sleep is not where it needs to be, that is just something to look into.
Don’t judge yourself, but just knowing that improving your sleep has SO. MANY. BENEFITS. It truly does impact everything: your hunger cues, your hormones, your mood, your energy, your immune system, annnd your FOCUS.
So while better sleep may seem “duh” it’s easy to overlook. Don’t forget that proper sleep is so important for focus!
^^Speaking of which, if you want 6 natural remedies for better sleep check out this oldie but a goodie post!
Say goodbye to restless nights, tossing + turning, and waking up exhausted.
This post will show you how to get better sleep— naturally.
Gingko
So this is one I actually do not have personal experience with, but when I was doing research for this post I kept seeing ginkgo as a natural way to promote focus and problem solving so I thought I’d include it!
One study I found showed that a supplementing with ginkgo (at 240 mg or 360mg) did quicken performance on attention-requiring tasks. So, again, this is not something I personally have experience with but maybe something that you would like to try or discuss with your provider. Go gingko go!
Meditation
This one is totally free! It’s been shown that regularly meditating does improve our concentration efforts— and bonus! Without having to take any additional supplements!
So if you just want something free and you don't want to have to take any supplements, working on a mindfulness practice or meditating for five minutes before you start your work or in the morning can be a great way to help more naturally and mindfully improve your focus.
(For paid subscribers, I included a 3-minute meditation at the bottom of this email to help get you in the zone!)
B Vitamins
Another thing that can improve concentration is making sure you take your B vitamins. Many of us, especially women, are deficient in B vitamins which is no bueno because vitamins are crucial for energy, many biological processes, and— you guessed it— focus and concentration.
One study found linked low levels of vitamin B6, B9, and B12 to decreased cognitive performance in a variety of capacities. Low B12 has also been correlated with ADHD-symptoms compared to control subjects.
Of note— I don’t consider B vitamins to be as much of a “quick fix” or immediate impact, but moreso a longer-term, more sustainable way to improve your focus and energy.
So, just make sure (you could try checking with your doctor to get a lab test!), and if you are deficient, supplementing with B Vitamins could help increase attention and energy. (I personally take this one— it’s genuinely so delicious, HAS improved my overall energy, and, dare I say, FUN to take?!)
Rooibos Tea
Okay this is another one I haven't tried yet, but it was a tip from my naturopath. I was talking about how I have been feeling more distracted lately, and she said rooibos tea can be amazing for focus.
The reason I really like this one and (pretty much everything on this list) is it's caffeine free. I am a coffee girlie through-and-through, but I need to limit myself after about 11:00 a.m. to protect my sleep at night.
But, even though I’m java-free in the afternoons, I do still crave a mid-day cozy drink and that's where I've been using tea to power me through that afternoon slump and help me focus in a caffeine-jitter-free way.
I struggled to find as much data on rooibos specifically (turns out there isn’t a “Big Tea” industry to fund studies, ha!), but again, I will try and report back with an n=1 review ◡̈ If you have any experience with rooibos tea for focus, I’d love to hear it! Leave a comment with the *tea* down below (GET IT?).
These All-Natural Focus Gummies
Lastly, these are like my holy grail. These natural focus chewables work soooooo well. They include Lion's Mane and B vitamins (which you've already seen on this list) but they also have choline so basically they're a 3-in-1 concoction of all the good cognitive things we've talked about
…and wow do these work.
I do not take these every day, but on the days I have childcare and know I *need* to get a lot of work done in a short amount of time, I will take two of these in the morning and I get SO much more done when I take these. I truly notice a difference in my ability to focus and do deep work.
My favorite part is that they are just herbal and micronutrient ingredients paired together for a focus kick! Nature is so powerful, isn’t it?! This is one of my fave finds I’ve had recently and I wanted to pass it along. (Again, not sponsored, but I do have an affiliate code if you want to try them out— enter “kateeskuri” for 15% off your purchase!)
In Closing
In our modern lifestyle it’s incredibly easy to be distracted. Don’t be hard on yourself! If you’re not intentional, you’re bound to have alerts popping up on your phone, a million tabs open, and all sorts of other distractions that make us feel scatterbrained.
So, please remember—
if you have trouble focusing, you are not alone.
But I hope this list empowers you that there are natural ways to improve your focus and enhance your concentration, naturally.
As always, I don't believe in quick fixes, but I DO believe in holistically looking at your life: How is your stress? How is your job? Your sleep? Your nourishment?
^^Addressing those bigger things, and *then* sprinkling in some of these smaller things can be the cherry on top of the more foundational lifestyle changes.
I hope this list taught you something, and I can’t wait to hear about how trying some of the above things goes for you!
Did you enjoy this post? Well, there’s MORE where that came from ;)
Below, paid subscribers will get—
A 3-minute guided meditation for focus & setting intentions! (Let’s do this!)
My recommendation for substack newsletter that I recently found and am OBSESSED with.
A new kitchen gadget purchase that has changed. the. game. for reheating, cooking, steaming, and air-frying my food.
The song I’ve had on repeat lately (such a summer vibe) & access to my personal spotify playlist
Information for our next virtual book club (38 people showed up live last time! It was so wonderful & insightful.)
And the journal prompt of the week! (Grab that pen & paper because this one will make ya THINK!)