Tip of the Week: Reclaim Your Attention

The quality of our attention shapes the quality of our lives. And, our attention is more limited than we think. The concept of multi-tasking has been debunked. It turns out our brain can only fully focus on one thing at a time.

Going back and forth between activities causes “switch cost”: we’re not doing anything 100%. The more we multi-task, the less attention we pay to each activity, making us less productive - and less present.

Our phone is the ultimate distraction machine. It pulls our attention constantly. Can’t we check a message or scroll while we have a conversation? Sure. But the conversation - and the connection - is compromised.

Even when we’re giving something our full attention, our phones can hijack us. Studies show that getting a notification during an enjoyable activity - even if we don’t check it - reduces our enjoyment by more than 10%.

So how can you protect your attention, as well as your connection and enjoyment?

Two Ways to Reclaim Your Attention

#1. Lose your phone during important activities

Even when we put our phone out of reach or in our pocket, studies show that our attention is still impacted. When you’re focused on something important - work, homework, a conversation, or having fun - your best bet is to put your phone out of reach and out of sight.

#2. Turn off / filter notifications

Use Do Not Disturb or create a custom filter.

Silence calls and notifications using the Focus feature. It lets you decide who can interrupt you and when.

Disable your app notifications.

For motivation, check your daily notifications in Screen Time to see how often your apps are interrupting you.

Go on a no (or low) notification challenge with your family or friends. Make it fun/competitive!

Your attention is your most valuable resource, don’t let your phone take it without your consent

Want to learn more?

Happiness Problem #3 - Our Attention is Limited, Yale’s Science of Well-Being for Teens

How Can We Deal with Our Limited Attention, Yale’s Science of Well-Being for Teens

The Myth of Multi-tastking, Psychology Today

Everything You Need to Break Up with Your Phone, New York Times