Are you paying attention to this article? What if you could train your brain so you could enhance your attention skills and focus instead of letting your mind wander? Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) uses neurofeedback, or electroencephalography (EEG), to directly measure neuron activity and translate it into data so you can identify when and how to increase your self-regulation.
Anxiety, ADHD, depression, and overall lack of focus has been treated using neurofeedback by tracking the electrical activity in the brain and training it’s cognitive function to improve. Even athletes use neurofeedback in their training programs to optimize performance by regulating their stress levels.
Improving Your Performance By Shifting Your Brain Frequency
So we know that it is possible to use brain training to sharpen your focus, reduce anxiety, and relax your energy, but how?
Neuroscientists have assigned specific ranges to the level of electrical activity in our brains—typically categorized into these bands:
- Delta (1-4 Hz): At this level of brain activity you’re literally asleep.
- Theta (4-8 Hz): Your brain wave activity has increased and you are awake, but you’re not really paying attention.
- Alpha (8-12 Hz): In this state, you feel relaxed, but wakeful.
- Beta: (12-30 Hz): Your brain waves emit these high levels of electrical activity when you’re focused and attentive.
EEG is used to self-regulate brain function using real-time displays of brain activity through neurofeedback. NeuroSky’s EEG headsets are complete with brain monitoring capabilities, providing an easy way to use your brain training apps.
Brain training can help you control the shifting of your brain frequency—up for more focus, and down to relieve anger or anxiety. If you become aware of which frequency your brain is in and practice shifting it to a frequency for optimized situational performance, it is thought that your brain will eventually be trained to change frequency on it’s own.
By using sound and light feedback that reward better brain balance, neurofeedback allows you to effectively gain self-control over information processing, memory, and stress levels.
Apps for Easy Brain Training
Looking for a cerebral workout? There are many apps that are designed to be used in conjunction with NeuroSky’s EEG headset for brain training. Below are three that provide cognitive exercises to improve your ability to focus and relax. Find them in the NeuroSky Store App Collection.
Brain-Starter
The Brain-Starter app uses your NeuroSky MindWave Mobile headset and movies and music from your own iTunes library to perform cognitive exercises during the training. Using neurofeedback to measure EEG data of the brain, the results are used to influence your brain training. While you are watching and/or listening, your brain is learning through positive conditioning—all while being able to see it’s activity, including all supported frequency bands. Your selected media will only continue playback when training thresholds are met. The result? You will have a trained ability to focus and concentrate, or relax and feel calm. Get the Brain-Starter app.
BrainZen
In conjunction with the NeuroSky EEG headset, BrainZen is an app that enables you to improve both your attention and meditation skills by practicing controlled breathing exercises. Track progress and monitor patterns—in real time—of your attention span and meditation levels by providing immediate data analysis through neurofeedback.
The app provides automatic levels of attention and relaxation, or, choose to customize it so that you can contextualize the training to what you are trying to achieve. Your goal may be to reduce stress and anxiety, practice emotional self-control, or sharpen your focus. Use the automated reports at the end of each brain training session to monitor your progress from over sessions. Get the BrainZen app.
Home of Attention
Using NeuroSky’s state-of-the-art technology, the Home of Attention BrainStarter app allows you to improve your ability to focus, relax, and concentrate by using cognitive exercises. Psychologists and neurofeedback experts designed the app for mobile use as well as home training. Use the assessment tool and one of the five predefined training settings in the app, or design trainings to fit your individual needs for attention and relaxation.Get the Home of Attention app.
Use Brain Training For Your Health & Wellness
You can start using science and technology as part of your health and wellness regime by training your brain to improve its self-regulation. Using NeuroSky’s EEG headset with the cognitive exercises in different brain training apps, you are on the path to having a sharper mind. Browse the brain training apps in the NeuroSky Store App Collection.
