How to concentrate with short attention spans

How to concentrate with short attention spans


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Even though you’ve been working steadily for hours, it feels like you haven’t even started yet. My attention has been drawn away from my assigned task of writing this story by a myriad of events that appear to be necessary interruptions. (OK, my cat has also created a couple. I strongly believe that cats need that, too.)

My kids and I call days like this “squirrel days.” In honor of Dougthe talking dog from the 2009 Pixar film (Squirrel!!)above”, who (squirrel!!) was always distracted, just about (squirrel!!) well…

According to Dr. Gloria Mark, a professor of information studies at the University of California, Irvine, who studies how digital media impacts our lives, many of us, unfortunately, are “squirrels.” He says he spends his days like this. In her book,attention span“A revolutionary way to restore balance, well-being and productivity” Mark explains how decades of research have tracked loss of concentration.

“In 2004, we measured the average on-screen attention span and it was two and a half minutes,” Mark said. “Years later, we learned that attention spans are about 75 seconds. Now we know that people can only pay attention to a screen for an average of 47 seconds.”

According to Mark, not only can people focus on a screen for less than a minute, but once their attention is distracted from an active work project, it takes them about 25 minutes to refocus on that task. (Wait, what??)

“In fact, our research shows that it takes 25 minutes and 26 seconds to return to the original work area or project,” says Mark.

How could that be? “If you look at work from the perspective of project switching rather than the microscopic perspective of screen switching, people spend about 10 and a half minutes on any given work project before being interrupted, either internally or by someone else, and then I see myself switching to work projects,” Mark said.

Yes, but then it goes back to the original work, right? No, Mark said. Instead, when Project 2 is interrupted, you switch back to another task (call it Project 3). Incredibly, according to her research, we are also suspending Project 3 and moving on to Project 4.

“Then you go back and pick up the original project where you left off,” Mark said. “But it doesn’t mean you don’t do anything because you’re interrupted. You’re actually working on something else for more than 25 minutes.”

(At least you can tell your boss when you miss a deadline.)

“However, there are also switching costs,” Mark added. “Switching costs are the time it takes to go back to work and say, ‘Where was I?'” What was I thinking? That extra effort can also lead to errors and stress. ”

Why does this matter? After all, this is called multitasking, and many consider it an invaluable skill for coping with the demands of the information age.

“There is no such thing as multitasking, except for a few rare individuals,” Mark said. “We cannot do two laborious things at the same time, such as chewing gum or walking, unless one of the tasks is done automatically.”

For example, she said she can’t read emails or participate in video conferences. When you focus on one thing, you lose the other. “You’re actually switching your attention between the two very quickly,” Mark said. “Rapid switching of attention is correlated with stress.”

Blood pressure increases. Your heart beats faster. Psychological measures of stress also show negative consequences, including fatigue, increased mistakes, and decreased productivity, she said, adding, “The more people multitask, the more mistakes they make.” said.

Who did this to us? Of course, we did it with the help of tech criminals like: social mediatablet, television. But Mark blames email the most.

“Email is probably the worst for me, because it has become a symbol of work,” she says, noting that her research found a direct correlation between email and increased stress. He added that he did.

“We blocked email for some employees within the organization for one day a week,” she said. “I find that using a heart rate monitor significantly reduces stress and allows me to concentrate for longer periods of time.”

(I stopped to look up flights to Bora Bora. Oh yeah, I also received an email from Bora Bora.)

“In today’s world, it is impossible for a person to work completely disconnected from technology,” Mark said. “So let’s learn how to live with this disease in a way that maintains positive well-being.”

To regain focus, Mark said, we need to pay attention to how we use technology, a daunting task considering the average American’s spending. Use screens for at least 10 hours per day.

Paradoxically, technology can help, she said. Schedule memorization work during the first hours of the day when your attention span is low, and use technology to block distractions when you’re at your best mentally. At night, I write down my tasks to get them off my brain and clear my list.

Distracted by social media sites? Mark Hide Icons. “Remove icons from your desktop and bury your phone’s apps inside folders, where it takes extra effort to find them. Put your phone in another room or put it in a drawer. Please lock it.”

Learning when to take breaks is also important. “If you have to read something multiple times, or the words simply don’t stick in your memory, it’s time to stop and refill,” she said.

The best break is walk in nature: “Just a 20-minute walk in nature can be quite relaxing for people,” Mark said. “And we found that it helps people generate more ideas – it’s called divergent thinking

Too cold to walk outside? Do something engaging that doesn’t require mental effort.

“I have a friend who is a professor at MIT, and his favorite activity is matching socks,” Mark said. “Another friend likes ironing. You get an idea and then go back to the hard work and see it with fresh eyes.”

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