The feeling of anxiety when a deadline is approaching and you’re not close to finishing the project, or when you wanted to do something and didn’t get to it, is a common experience.
Addressing why a lack of productivity happens can be difficult, but there are ways to improve your focus and concentration to be more productive.
Before we continue, let’s discuss whether there is enough evidence to show that people’s attention spans are shorter than they used to be, and explore the reasons why this might be the case.
4 Reasons why Attention Span is Shorter than Desired
1. Lack of purpose or intention
When people become more obsessed with being productive rather than using productivity as a means to an end, they can easily lose sight of its purpose. Do you even know why you want better focus?
Spending more time on something does not necessarily mean that the result will be better. You can lose a sense of what is important to focus on when you have too many things demanding your attention. This makes it difficult to focus on anything because you are unsure of why you should bother.
“Attention without intention is wasted energy. The intention should always be considered before the attention is given. The two ideas work well together. We can achieve our goals more effectively by taking the time to set our intentions and focusing our attention on the task at hand. Setting goals before you start working can help you be more productive.
— Chris Bailey
2. Novelty bias
Our ability to focus on one thing is disadvantages by our evolution. The human brain is not designed to focus on one task for a long period of time because it was not necessary for survival in the past. The ability to react quickly to a sudden danger is much more important than being able to sustain focus.
As a result, your brain still seeks novelty today. The more you switch tasks, the more dopamine your brain produces, which reinforces this behavior.
It seems that humans will go to great lengths to find new things to experience. Nir Eyal describes an interesting study in his book:
The participants were told not to think about anything in particular, but to just let their thoughts flow freely. The researchers found that participants were unable to not think about a particular topic for more than a few seconds at a time.” The researchers found that it was difficult for participants to not think about a specific topic for more than a few seconds. The room was empty apart from a device which gave electric shocks to anyone who used it. The people in the study were asked if they would pay to not have to use the device, and everyone said they would. When left in a room with only the machine for company, 67% of the men and 25% of the women gave themselves electrical shocks, with many doing so multiple times.
3. Attention overwhelm
Attentional capacity refers to the limited amount of information that we can take in at any one time. If you try to do too many things at once, you won’t be able to pay attention to any of them properly.
This can happen in a few ways. For example, you may try to do too many things at once or focus on something complex for too long without taking a break. When you use your attention too much, it becomes exhausted.
Chris Bailey put it this way:
Research indicates that if we constantly try to keep our attention full, it will take us longer to switch tasks, we will have more difficulty ignoring irrelevant information, and we will be less able to resist the temptation to switch tasks.
4. Emotional discomfort
The biggest challenge we face when we need to focus on something important is feeling uncomfortable. During our phone experiment, a lot of tiny feelings arise throughout the day. We were prompted to stop paying attention to what I was doing and instead become distracted.
The root of novelty bias and uncomfortable emotions can be traced back to our evolution. Quoting Nir Eyal again:
” var content = `We’re wired this way for a simple reason: as a study published in Review of General Psychology notes, “If satisfaction and pleasure were permanent, there might be little incentive to continue seeking further benefits or advances.” In other words, feeling contented wasn’t good for the species.`; content.replace(“satisfaction and pleasure”, “contentment”); As noted in a study published in Review of General Psychology, if we were permanently satisfied and content, we would have no incentive to seek further advances. In other words, contentment is not good for the species. Our ancestors were constantly evolving and pushing themselves harder because they were always disturbed. And we still are today.
Easy ways to improve your focus
There are definitely ways that you can improve your focus and concentration in order to get better quality work done, whether you are at the office or working on personal projects.
Unplug from your cell phone
It’s not enough to just put your phone down. The best way to stop compulsively checking your phone is to turn it off and hide it from sight. Allowing yourself to be unavailable can be liberating, and can help your mind to relax and be free from distractions.
Productivity hacks
If you want to have an even more distraction-free experience, you can download a program that will lock your ability to access distracting sites or apps. An alternative is to use a work timer; the Pomodoro technique times periods of uninterrupted work and short, five minute breaks, with one longer break after three sets, allowing your brain to stay focused, but refresh yourself at intervals. During your work breaks, you can go outside for some fresh air, drink water, or listen to music. Many people swear by these methods for productivity!
Meditation
The prospect of meditation may be intimidating to some people. Although it may seem like there is some big secret to meditation, it is actually easy to get started. The first step to meditation is simply trying to clear your mind, even if it’s difficult to get rid of thoughts at first. The longer you meditate, the more you will be able to relax and detach yourself from your stressors. This in turn will help you to focus better.
Fitness
Exercise has numerous benefits for your health, including improving your cardiovascular health and cognitive function. If you don’t have time for a lengthy workout, try to at least get up and move around for a bit. This will help to improve your energy levels during the day. A brisk walk or some yoga can help you stay focused and concentrated. Many styles of yoga incorporate elements of focused breathing and long-held poses, which can help improve your cognition and concentration. Additionally, yoga can help improve your body’s resilience, particularly if you have a sedentary job.
Get outside
If you’re feeling stressed out, spending some time in nature can help you feel better. Studies have shown that being in nature can lower stress levels and improve your mood. If you live in a city, finding a nearby park or other green space can improve your mental health. The benefits of spending time in nature have been corroborated by studies that show memory and concentration improvements.
Diet
A diet rich in fresh produce and whole grains, as opposed to processed foods, simple carbohydrates, and refined sugars, can help keep your cognitive skills sharp. void main() { Eating healthy foods keeps your body nourished, balanced, and resilient. A diet high in processed and sweetened foods can cause brain fog, energy crashes, and mood swings. The best way to get the vitamins and nutrients you need for good health is through your diet. This is good for your brain and body.
Hydrate
Make sure to drink water throughout the day. Drinking water regularly throughout the day is beneficial for both your body and mind. Dehydration can significantly impact your mental processes. Additionally, getting up for a break can help refresh your mind and reset your mood.
Monitor your caffeine consumption
Caffeine can help you feel more awake, but it is important to know how it will affect you and to be careful about how much you consume. When you drink several cups of coffee throughout the day, you may find that your energy level spikes and then crashes. This is because you are overloading your adrenal glands. You can help yourself stay energized during the day by not drinking too much coffee and by avoiding sugary additions to your coffee.
A great alternative to coffee is a healthy drink like green tea or matcha, which is a concentrated powder form of green tea. Green tea has caffeine, although much less than coffee, and also has the amino acid L-theanine, which promotes a feeling of calm relaxation.
Natural solutions
Even though it is better to include as many foods that improve cognition in your diet, it is also a good idea to take supplements to provide additional support. Plant-based supplements are becoming increasingly popular, although they have been used in traditional practices for centuries.There are many natural options that can improve your mental processes and nervous system, and these botanical solutions are praised for their gentle effectiveness in supporting the overall nervous system.
Managing Your Attentional Space
The amount of focus you have is determined by how you manage your attention. You can improve your attention span by not exploiting or overwhelming it.
There are two general rules to keep in mind to optimize your attentional space for long-lasting complex tasks.
1. Leave some spare room
It’s not a good idea to overloaded yourself with a complex task. You need to be aware of what you’re doing on a higher level. Chris Bailey explains why:
“Having some attentional space to spare during complex tasks allows you to do two things:
It leaves room to reflect on the best approach to completing the task, so you can work smarter and avoid the autopilot mode. You may be able to come up with better ideas if you give yourself some time to relax and clear your mind instead of trying to think of everything at once. For example, you might realize that you don’t need to include an introduction in your presentation and can get straight to the main points.
Leaving some space between you and your work will help you focus on where you should be directing your attention. This allows you to better concentrate when your mind inevitably strays from the task at hand. You will still be able to pay attention to the task at hand even if it becomes more complex.
Interestingly, the same approach is encouraged in mindfulness meditation. Meditators are only instructed to direct a part of their conscious power to their breath when they are practicing keeping their attention on the breath. The rest of the text should be focused on becoming aware of what happens in the mind.
2. Prevent attentional residue
It is important to remember that attentional space is often impacted by attentional residue. The term “task switching costs” was coined by Sophie Leroy to describe the cost we pay when we switch from one task to another – particularly if we haven’t finished the first task.
This costs referred to the remains or unfinished business from a previous task that is brought into the next one. For example, if you are in the middle of writing an important email, it can be difficult to concentrate. Suddenly, your phone rings. Even though you are engaged in a conversation with someone, a part of your mind is still thinking about the email. This is attentional residue at play.
Life with a sharper attention span
Many people report that making lifestyle changes has improved their ability to focus and produce high-quality work. Eating better and exercising more often leads to better cognitive function during the day. Additionally, many people have found that taking supplements for mental clarity has helped them, and studies have shown that some of the adaptogenic components often used in brain-boosting products can improve cognition.
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