I hate to say it, but I’m getting older (at least that’s what I’m told). As we age, our reaction times slow and we find it more difficult to tune out distractions. However, a study completed by USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology suggests a powerful method for enhancing attention and reaction times even as we age. This study utilized participants from three age groups: young adults (18- to 30-years-old), middle-aged adults (50- to 65-years-old), and older adults (65- to 80-years-old). The participants were then randomly assigned to one of two “practice options:” 1) listening to chapters from a novel on an audiobook for 10-15 minutes per day for 30 days or 2) practicing mindfulness meditation using the Headspace app for 10-15 minutes per day for 30 days. Although both groups showed improvement after 30 days, the mindfulness meditation group:

• Showed faster reaction times and more efficient visual processing than the group that listened to the audiobooks.
• Showed greater improvement in “goal-directed focus” and were better able to resist distraction than the group listening to the audiobooks.
• Showed reduced distractibility or a greater ability to avoid “fixating on irrelevant but visually loud” items.

Surprisingly, these results held true for all three age groups—young adults, middle-aged adults, and older adults. If, like me, your family and friends say you’re getting older, maybe you want to give mindful meditation a try. You can follow the example of this study and download the Headspace app, or you might practice mindfulness on your own. Either way, increasing your cognitive reaction time and your focus will pay off in your work. More importantly, it will benefit your relationships with your spouse and your family…no matter your age.