Our attention has never been so overwhelmed as it is now. From the time we wake up in the morning till we go to bed at night, we are constantly hooked to our phones and gadgets to get things done. In short, our life is like a series of screens.

All of this overstimulates the brain and creates a struggle to focus. The state of your attention is directly dependent on the state of your life. In this article, know how you can leverage the power of attention to get your brain to focus, be creative and get distracted lesser.


Manage Attention with Intention 


What does it take to focus in a world of distractions? Research says that when you are trying to focus hard on any task, it takes around 40seconds of focus before you are distracted or interrupted. For example, when you are working on your PC, how often are you tempted to pick up your phone and check messages?

This happens because the brain is stimulated by bite-sized information that you get from your phones, social media, and other channels. The rush of dopamine, the reward hormone of the brain is the reason why you crave for distractions.

To get over these distractions, you need to get to a model where you begin to use your attention with intention. For example, don’t seek to use your phone automatically, use it only when you need it.


De-Stimulate Your Brain


Take time-outs from technology and gadgets. Simply use that time for a designated time of boredom doing nothing and just reflecting on the moment. This will de-stimulate your mind for a while and get you back on track with increased attention.

For example, if you have to present a meeting at your office, go for a mindless wander, indulge in a hobby like knitting or drawing. This will enable your brain to unwind, relax and then focus on the task at hand.

Sure, it will take some time for the brain to adjust to the low level of stimulation. But if you give it around a week’s time, you are sure to feel an increase in your attention span. More attention span means more ideas and more plans.

There will always be distractions around you. But, the less stimulated your brain is, the lesser the need to seek those distractions.


Scatter Focus – More Ideas, More Plans


“Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost”. This quote applies to the focus of the brain as well. So, let your brain scatter its focus for a while to connect the several constellations of ideas. Letting your attention to rest for a while, will enable to scatter your focus onto three main places – Past, Present and Future.

According to statistics when you implement scatter focus, the brain thinks about the past 12%, present 28% and future 48%. The remaining amount of time, the mind is dull and goes blank.

Let’s assume you are in a long queue or commuting from work. The next time you have an urge to pick up your phone, refrain from it and simply dwell in the moment.

Your mind will automatically go into thinking about the rest of your day and you will probably get more ideas and plans to finish a challenging task. When ideas circulate, you will also get more creative.


You Need More Space


We always think that we need to do more to fit in more and that’s why you like to multitask doing more things at a time. Sure, you need to be a go-getter in today’s competitive world. But you can be one only when you give your mind some space to relax.

You should not over-do things at a time so much that your mind forgets to wander for at least some time. If you look at what allows traffic to move down a lane, it is not how fast the cars are moving, it is rather about the space between the vehicles that eases the traffic. Your work and life are the same way.


Distraction is not the Enemy of Focus


Distraction is rather the symptom of why you are not able to focus. The real villain is over-stimulation. So, let’s take up a two-week challenge. For this period de-stimulate your brain, use your phones less only when you absolutely need to. Spend more time in other activities like getting a massage, meditating, reading a book, mobile-free stroll or engaging in a hobby.

Have a disconnection ritual from the digital world for some time of the day and get in touch with the physical world. If you are distracted every moment, the over-stimulation accumulates over time to create a life full of distractions and disarray. 

Re-discover boredom just for a few minutes, scatter your attention, you will experience a deeper clarity and be more productive.



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