Become More Attentive — by NOT Paying Attention

The human mind is fickle and inconsistent; flitting from one to another thought and skipping from one to a second and third task or idea without the person’s own volition. Each of us has experienced difficulty in properly focusing on the task at hand — it could be study material, a work project — anything that demands our attention. Why is it so difficult to stay focused? How can we improve our attention span?

Attention span of a goldfish?

As a result of the increasingly digitized lifestyles we live, our concentration span has shrunk in recent times. A study by Microsoft Corporation involving 2,000 participants found that our attention span has dropped by a third since the turn of the century; from 12 to just 8 seconds. This does of course depend upon the type or nature of task one is working at but the central fact remains; that we are unable to concentrate for long on any one thing which impacts our productivity and ability to attain targets. Is it actually possible to increase the span of attention and the quality of focus?

Don’t multitask

Some of us may boast about being able to multitask, but multitasking could simply be a way of spreading yourself too thin; a case of trying to do everything and succeeding in none of those. As spiritual guru Sadhguru reminds us, it is important not to pay attention to everything. It is important to just be more attentive so we don’t miss a thing.

Exercise

As I have said before, exercise is good for physical as well as mental health. Research shows that it helps rewire our brain circuits in a way that enhance mental performance, concentration and memory capacity. As a yoga instructor, I have found that yoga increases my own capacity to focus and helps my students as well, because of the way it helps centre the mind; making us more self aware and mindful.

Tune out

When you leave your office, leave your work behind. Don’t carry it home with you because this will prevent you from concentrating properly either on your family or your work. This kind of distraction robs you of leisure while doing nothing to contribute to work. In fact research shows that our best ideas come when we don’t expect them. They come to us when we are not thinking actively about them; when we are out walking, in the shower, maybe cooking up a meal or when we completely tune out.

Cut out other sensory distractions

Chatter in the background, the sound of the TV or other ambient noise is not only distracting, it is fatiguing without us even being aware of it. Cutting out noise, jarring lights and even strong smells can help prevent sensory overload and help in concentration. It is worth the effort of shutting doors and windows, requesting others to keep it down a bit and giving greater attention to reducing clutter in your vicinity.

Take breaks

Taking breaks while working is another tried and tested way to improve concentration. After about 20 minutes of sustained effort, experts recommend taking a few minutes’ break to improve performance and enable sustained effort. It could be a minute to make a phone call, to take a walk around your work space or simply some time to sit still with your eyes shut. To rest our eyes which spend so much time staring at digital screens, take frequent breaks to disengage from the screen and to stare at distant objects for some seconds. Take a 20 second break every 20 minutes — this formula is seen to work really well for a lot of people.

Sleep well

There is nothing quite like restful, uninterrupted sleep to heal and rejuvenate the body and the brain. The day you are well rested you will notice that you are sharper, more alert and more focused during the work day. It will be a productive, fruitful day with fewer instances of feeling hassled and unequal to the task at hand.

Do nothing

Doing nothing is underrated. We are so conditioned to think that we have to be doing something at all times, that most of us feel guilty about spending time doing absolutely nothing. Some of us find it impossible to do absolutely nothing. In this case, engage in a favorite hobby or spend time doing something seemingly frivolous; such as having a pillow fight with your kids!

Meditate

I have found meditation to be the most effective way to enhance mindfulness and to increase attention span. Meditation is all about training the mind to be less erratic and more in control of itself. It is about being able to make the brain look inward, to calm itself and to behave less like a busy bee jumping from one to another flower. Researchers have found that “meditation not only changes brain patterns, but it also confers advantages in mental focus that may improve cognitive performance.” If you’ve been thinking about starting meditation or yoga, perhaps this helped you make up your mind?