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If a stroke affects your executive function, here is how it might impact you and some ways you can get help.

Concentration problems are especially common in the early stages after a stroke. Here are some of the signs and what you can do about them.

On this page

Why has my concentration been affected?
Signs of concentration problems
What can I do about my concentration?

Why has my concentration been affected?

When you concentrate on something, your brain has to screen out a lot of information coming in from the world around you.

  • A stroke can affect your brain’s ability to do this, also known as ‘selective attention’.
  • It can affect your ability to stay focused on something for a period of time, also known as ‘sustained attention’.

Concentration problems are especially common in the early stages after a stroke. They can affect you in several ways, as we rely on concentration for all of our other thinking processes. If you find it hard to focus on something, then you may find it hard to respond or to remember it later.

Other effects of stroke can make your concentration worse. Tiredness, pain or emotional problems like anxiety or low mood can all affect your ability to take information in and stay focused.

Brain fog

Some people use the term brain fog when they feel they are not thinking clearly. Visit our short information page for more on this.

Signs of concentration problems

If you’re having problems with concentration, you may find it hard to:

  • Filter out what’s going on around you. It may be difficult to chat to someone in a noisy room or find what you’re looking for in the supermarket.
  • Stay focused on a single task, like reading a book or watching a TV programme.
  • Move from one task to another easily. If you’re interrupted, you may find it difficult to return to whatever you were doing before.
  • Do more than one thing at once. You may find it difficult to chat to someone and make a cup of tea at the same time.
  • Process information. You may find it hard to follow people who talk very quickly or it may take you longer to do things than it used to.

What can I do about my concentration?

Just do one thing at a time

  • If you’re making something to eat, do not try to use the phone at the same time. Even talking to someone in the same room can be tricky.
  • Focus on completely finishing a task before moving on to another.
  • If someone’s giving you information, ask them to keep it simple. If it helps, get them to write it down.

Remove distractions

  • If you need to concentrate on something, ask yourself if there’s anything that may distract you. Turn off the TV and radio or move to a quiet room. Ask other people in the house not to disturb you for a little while.
  • Try to remove clutter, so you will not have any visual distractions either. If you just keep the kettle, cups, teabags and sugar on the kitchen counter, this may help when you come to make a cup of tea.

Make things easier for yourself

  • It may help to write a ‘to do’ list the night before and decide which tasks are the most important. That way, you’ll know what to focus on and what can be left until another time.
  • When you’re talking to people, try to repeat things that they tell you in your own words. This may help you to follow the conversation and feel confident that you’ve understood.

Know your limits

  • Remember that you’re not going to be able to concentrate for long periods. Keep your activities to half an hour, or however long you can manage. If an activity is going to take longer than this, take a break and come back to it later. You’ll probably be able to focus on it a lot better if you do.
  • If you know you’re going to be doing something that needs concentration (like going to an appointment) then plan to have a rest immediately before or afterwards.
  • If you find it hard to follow a whole TV programme, think about what you’re watching. News, sports, or cookery programmes will probably be easier to keep up with than dramas or documentaries, which rely on you watching the whole thing.
  • Try using your phone. Smartphones have alarms, calendars, address books and cameras that can help you keep notes and set up alerts and reminders.