Trouble focusing? Must be Week 2

My Hormonology

Trouble focusing? Must be Week 2

focus1Noticed that at certain times of the month your thoughts flit from one subject to another, making it difficult to focus on a single topic at a time? You were probably in Week 2 your cycle, which starts 8 days from onset of your period. That’s the news from researchers at Concordia University in Canada whose study published in the journal Brain and Cognition shows that peaking levels of estrogen—which occurs during the second week of your cycle—makes it harder to concentrate and absorb new information.

So, what can you do to sharpen your focus during your high-estrogen days? Try practicing mindfulness meditation daily. This easy technique, which involves sitting still with your back straight while gently focusing on your breath, has been shown in study after study to boost your ability to concentrate on any day of your cycle. To try a guided mindfulness meditation now, visit UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center.

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