I used to love to read. I read often and I read a lot. Now, I rarely find time to read for the pleasure of reading. I have moved four times in the last six years, hauling boxes of books that I intend to read but never seem to get around to . . . thus, #8 on my 55 in 55!

Yesterday I had some down time so I decided to read. I grabbed a coffee, settled in a comfy chair, pulled a quilt over myself, opened my book and realized that I wanted some soft jazz playing in the background so up I got. Music on, I settled in again. Within five minutes I was goggling something unrelated to what I was reading, scanning pins on Pinterest, checking Facebook marketplace, searching Amazon, and before I knew it, my coffee was gone! I refilled my cup and settled in again, this time with a plan-I would set a timer for 30 minutes. Ten minutes in and I was distracted again! Talking to my mother later, she asked (as only a mother would), “what is wrong with you? You used to be able to read, you read all the time.”

Indeed! What is wrong with me? Perhaps my brain has changed. At 3 am, I felt compelled to look into this a bit more. After wading through all the scary medical possibilities, I came across an article from Harvard University. “Your brain’s executive function helps you plan, make decisions, and — perhaps most important — pay attention,” says Dr. Joel Salinas, a neurologist with Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital. “It acts much like the captain of the ship . . . executive function peaks alongside other brain functions in your early 20s and then gradually diminishes over time. Fortunately, the process is quite slow.”

According to doctor Joel, the good news is that you can take steps to improve your ability to concentrate and one of the things he suggests is taking up something that stimulates brain activity and requires mental effort (but isn’t overwhelming). I was pleased to learn that a number of my 55 in 55 fit this category, including colouring.

February has been a bit of a lemon of a month, one in which I have struggled to make lemon aid. Progress on my 55 in 55 list has been marginal but Spring is just around the corner and it is going to be a game changer . . . I feel it!

*https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/focus-on-concentration