FSeventeen seconds. According to , this was the average amount of time adults could focus on a screen in 2021. Research by Gloria Mark, Professor of Information Studies at the University of California. Twenty years ago, in 2004, this number was two and a half minutes.
Our attention spans, or the amount of time we can focus without distraction, are shrinking. Our focus, how intensely we can think about things, also suffers. The cause: Technology designed to demand our attention. We have endless tools for procrastination at our fingertips. Increased stress and anxiety disorders. And the quality of sleep is poor. But there is a solution. From quick-hit hacks to big lifestyle changes, we asked experts for tips on how to think seriously for the long term.
Find your “why”
Author and psychotherapist Eloise Skinner says that a strong sense of purpose “focuses our attention” and helps us avoid distractions. To find that purpose, Skinner recommends trying the “Five Whys” exercise developed by Japanese businessman and inventor Sakichi Toyoda in the 1930s. In this exercise, you consider why you want to do something until you find the core reason.
For example, at first you may wonder why you fill out a spreadsheet. The answer may be because your boss told you to do it. why? Because it’s part of your job. Ultimately, you get to your core “why,” which in this case might be “this job supports my family.” Write it down so you can get back to it when you feel like you’ve lost focus.
Let’s go for a morning walk
Exposure to natural light in the morning tells our brains to stop producing the sleep hormone melatonin and starts releasing hormones like cortisol, which increases our alertness.
In short, a morning walk can help you focus for the day, says Marian Taylor, sleep consultant and founder of Sleep Works. Taking these walks regularly can improve your concentration in the long run and establish a rhythm in which melatonin is released at the right time of the night, making it easier to fall asleep. “During sleep, our brains consolidate memories and process emotions,” Taylor says. “This ‘cognitive housekeeping’ allows us to wake up with a clearer mind each day.”
Source: www.theguardian.com
