How to permanently improve your attention span at work
Here’s something no teacher,? parent, or mentor probably EVER told you: your ability to focus (on your work or a learning task) is a SKILL. What this means is that you CAN learn to focus better. And, yes, you can permanently improve your attention span… it just takes a little practice!
This is great news for those of you who, like me, struggle to focus for—oh man, did I close the garage door this morning? Where did I put my keys? And if two vegetarians get into a fight, can you still call it “a beef”?
This is how my brain used to work before I trained it to focus like a peregrine falcon on a pigeon. So if you feel like Homer Simpson in a donut factory every time you sit down to work or attack some learning goal, here’s what you can do…
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# 1 Declutter your brain
First, you will never be able to improve your attention span if you are swimming against a CONSTANT current of distractions, stressors, and disorder. This goes deeper than external distractions, like a messy desk top, your phone, or a needy pet. It’s about the internal noise that arises because you feel overwhelmed and stressed. So:
If you deal with this BIGGER PICTURE first, you should find your attention span organically improving on its own. If not, here are some other tips:
# 2 Break it down. Start small. Set a timer.
The bigger and more intimidating a task, the more likely you are to become distracted. Feeling overwhelmed is a shortcut to procrastinating! So break your challenge down into multiple smaller goals, parse them out over the time you have available, and then commit to getting the first thing done RIGHT NOW. Start small.
You can even set a timer for just 15 minutes. I can almost guarantee you that once you’ve started, you’ll find it easier to just go with it. Then, as you progress, you can increase those “time goals” to 20 mins, 25 mins, 30 mins, and so on. With each increment, you’ll teach your brain to buckle down and focus for just a little bit longer.
[Pssst! If your challenge is learning related, check out Brainscape’s Academy article ‘‘I can’t concentrate!’ How to focus better when studying’.]
# 3 Do the hardest thing first
Remember that prioritized to-do list I recommended you make in tip # 1? Well, scan it for the most difficult task—the one you’d feel the most relief to get done—and DO IT FIRST. Even if you don’t complete it, just getting started will make you feel so much better. And this will send you into your day more productive and motivated. Plus, doing the hardest task first will make everything else feel easy by comparison, which’ll grease the wheels on your progress.
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By the way, this leverages the same psychology behind starting your day with a cold shower! Brainscape’s founder and CEO, Andrew Cohen, absolutely swears by them, citing greater mental resilience and an energized mindset as just two of the many benefits of plunging yourself into an ice-cold shower for at least one minute every morning.
# 4 Teach yourself to do one thing at a time
It sounds simple and yet proves near impossible what with society’s insistent pressure on us to multitask and get more done in less time. So when your brain starts becoming frayed in an effort to accomplish many things at once, consciously stop. Take a deep breath, tuck away your phone, close any unnecessary windows on your computer, and narrow your attention to just the one thing you’re trying to accomplish.
At first, you may find yourself cracking the whip on your brain every few minutes… but if you consistently and doggedly bring yourself back on track every time your mind wanders, the time in between each rerouting will become longer and longer until, eventually, your focus sharpens and lengthens.
# 5 Change things up before your brain starts to wander
Rather than boring your brain with the same repetitive task for hours at a time, change things up right before your focus begins to flag. So if, for example, you notice that after 45 minutes of a certain task you begin to feel bored, switch to a different task to keep your brain engaged.?
Importantly, have those tasks lined up and in order of priority! Don’t just stop what you’re doing because you’re getting distracted and flail about for something else to do. If you do that, you’ll probably find yourself fussing about with unimportant, low-priority tasks, rather than attacking the more important ones.
[Hey! Check out Brainscape’s original Academy article ‘10 Focus exercises to build your attention span like a muscle’.]
A final note on improving your attention span
Every one of these tips requires practice and a devotion: doing each exercise over and over again until it stops feeling uncomfortable… and as soon as that happens, pushing yourself yet again, ever so slightly out of your comfort zone to focus for just a little bit longer and work just a little bit more efficiently.?
And if you use these approaches in concert, they’re sure to improve your attention span, whether your challenge is blazing your way up the corporate ladder, getting your start-up on its feet, or advancing your education with a professional certification.
Just remember too that difficulty focusing could be a symptom of ADD/ADHD. So if none of the techniques I’ve mentioned above really do it for you, consider speaking to your doctor or read this article on how to be more productive with ADHD.
Now, close this window and get to it!