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Journalism of Courage
Do you often find your mind wandering when it should be focused on something right in front of the eyes? According to a 2010 study, we spend around 47 per cent of our waking hours thinking about something other than what we are doing. It’s not always a cause for concern, but a short attention span may sometimes be indicative of an underlying issue.
Dr Sachin Baliga, consultant, psychiatry, Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, Bengaluru said, “Attention is the ability to pick out relevant stimuli from a barrage of irrelevant inputs from the environment, whereas sustained attention or concentration is the ability to focus on a particular goal-directed activity for an extended period of time. Attention span is, thus, the length of time for which a person is able to concentrate on a particular activity before getting distracted.”
Highlighting the same, Dr Noorie, a consultant radiologist wrote on Instagram, “Staying focused at all times may not be possible. But the problem is that without proper focus, even the simplest task appears to be more complicated. This can directly affect your productivity and cause stress.”
Further, she mentioned that according to most studies, the average adult has a maximum attention span of about 20 minutes. While individuals can choose to re-focus their attention on the same activity repeatedly, it’s normal for lapses in attention to occur.
Here are seven powerful ways to boost your attention span, according to the expert:
Get rid of obvious distractions
Getting rid of distractions is a great way to boost your attention span and increase focus. Keep all digital devices, including television, mobile phone and computers, away from this area and spend at least one hour in this zone every day. Engage in some outdoor activities or spend time in nature. This will keep your mind occupied, and you’ll not feel overwhelmed by the absence of your phone or laptop.
Stop multitasking
Multitasking shifts your attention and dilutes your focus, so try accomplishing one goal at a time. Concentrating on one goal helps you achieve laser-like focus and makes it easier to reach your goals faster.
Adding to this, Dr Baliga said, “Multitasking involves something called ‘shifting attention’ or the ability to move the focus of attention from one stimulus to the other. Those who have a good attention span are able to multitask well, while those who have poor attention span might find themselves struggling to juggle multiple tasks at the same time. However, it should be noted that too much of multitasking can causes lapses in attention and even forgetfulness.”
Take a break
Taking a quick break can help stimulate your brain and regain your focus. Studies have shown that the brain is designed to detect and respond to change. This means that it stops responding when you’re constantly doing something for a very long time.
That’s why when you work for long hours at a stretch, you feel exhausted, even if you haven’t engaged in any physical activity. This creates a mental block and results in decision fatigue.
Meditate
This helps you bring back your focus the moment you realise that your mind is drifting away. Meditation is just like an exercise, where you train your brain to stay focused without letting it wander away.
In a similar vein, Dr Baliga noted that meditation has a relaxing effect on the body, and helps reduce stress levels and negative emotions. Besides, most meditation techniques involve concentrating on an external object or an internal process, the practice of which can help build one’s attention span.
Sleep well
Lack of sleep can result in lower concentration levels and slower reaction time, making it extremely dangerous to continue engaging in focus-oriented activities like driving. With proper sleep, your brain gets to reinforce the connections between its cells, reactivate old memories and pass on different information from the short to long-term memory. As a result, you wake up with a fresh mind and a better attention span. Make sure to get at least seven hours of sleep every day.
Devoting more time to reading
Develop a routine of 20 to 30 minutes of reading during your lunch break, before work or before bed. You can also re-read something which you already know, searching for new observations. The point is to expose your brain to a new learning stimulus.
Practice attentive listening
Have you ever noticed most of the successful people are not necessarily good speakers, but they are definitely good listeners and observers. Attentive listening helps focus the mind’s ability to receive and absorb information. Try making an effort to keep your body language still and controlled, challenge yourself to listen without interrupting or just listen to an uninterrupted piece of music or podcast.
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