Our ability to focus and pay attention plays a crucial role in every aspect of our life: reaching our goals, maintaining close relationships, thinking deeply, as well as our ability to be kind, compassionate and empathetic.
Feel Better Live More Bitesize is my weekly podcast for your mind, body, and heart. Each week I’ll be featuring inspirational stories and practical tips from some of my former guests.
Today’s clip is from episode 228 of the podcast with the brilliant Johann Hari, author of the book ‘Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention’.
In this clip, Johann explains how our attention is being stolen and shares some steps that we can take to get it back.
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Actionable Insights
1. Avoid Multitasking, Focus Singularly
Recognize that the human brain can only consciously think about one thing at a time, and ‘multitasking’ is actually rapid switching between tasks. Avoid this switching as it consumes mental bandwidth, leads to mistakes, impairs memory, and reduces creativity.
2. Lock Away Your Phone Daily
Implement a routine of locking your phone away in a K-safe for a set period each day (e.g., four hours) to create clear, uninterrupted time for focus and presence.
Delete distracting social media applications (e.g., Instagram, Twitter, Facebook) from your phone for a period (e.g., a month) to reduce reflexive checking, overcome cravings, and enhance calm, relaxation, and focus.
4. Cultivate Mind Wandering
Create space for your mind to wander, as this crucial form of thought allows your brain to make sense of experiences, filter information, anticipate the future, and connect different learnings, fostering creativity.
5. Recognize Attention-Stealing Design
Be aware that technology and app designers intentionally create features (like phone vibrations for notifications) that cause constant interruptions and hijack your attention, making it difficult to resist distractions.
6. Reflect on Your Best Self
Engage in self-reflection by asking what kind of activities you are doing when you feel like the best version of yourself, to guide your choices and prioritize actions that align with that state.