How to improve your attention span, according to experts
In recent years, people have reported feeling more distracted and less able to focus. It’s an issue that has impacted people in their everyday lives, from students in school to drivers on the road.
Researchers at the University of California who studied this for decades found that the average person went from being able to be on a single screen for 2.5 minutes in 2004 to 46 seconds in more recent years.
Several reasons are cited for this. While some say phones are to blame, other research shows people would be distracted with or without the devices.
When it comes to one’s attention span, Dr. Michael Ziffra, a psychiatrist at Northwestern Medicine, told the Associated Press that it is “in many ways similar to a muscle in the sense that we can build it up with practice and exercises.”
“Conversely, it can weaken if we’re not exercising it,” Ziffra said.
What to do, and not to do, to re-focus
The Associated Press spoke to experts who suggested the best way to “retrain your mind” and get your attention back to what matters.
Several said taking what they call “active” breaks, or ones that take up physical or mental energy, are a good way to do this. Stacey Nye, a clinical psychologist at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, told the AP that taking 30 minutes to take a walk, or even just moving to another room, can help people recharge.
However, some breaks are better than others: looking at your phone won’t work, experts said.
Cindy Lustig, a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Michigan, said smartphones are enticing when the brain is understimulated. But she suggested to the AP that those who want to focus should turn off unnecessary notifications, or even put their phone on “do not disturb” or in a different room altogether.
Multitasking can also be detrimental, experts warned.
Nye said in the AP that people can try working on one thing for a set period of time and “begin to work (their) way up” from there.
The “Pomodoro technique,” which involves setting a timer and working on something for around 30 minutes before taking a five-minute break, is one method, Lustig said.
Another way to train your brain to focus? Have a hobby, though not just any hobby, according to the AP. Lustig said people should choose hobbies that involve practice and a goal, such as playing an instrument or getting better at a sport.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
