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Modern technology is a wonderful thing. It allows people to keep in touch with far-away friends, remain updated about current events, play games, and talk to people, often all via one, small, hand-held device.
One of the pitfalls, however, of modern life is that it can be very distracting, and it can be difficult to maintain attention when one needs to, according to The National Geographic. So, with this in mind, here are some tips for increasing your attention span in this noisy digital age.
From Two Point Five Minutes to Forty Seconds
Over the past two decades the average attention span — that is to say, the ability to sustain focus on a single task — has shrunk from two point five minutes to 40 seconds. This decrease in the ability to remain focused is linked to reduced productivity, increased errors, and higher stress levels.
So what can be done about it? One thing that has been suggested is to figure out your chronotype, which is your body’s natural rhythm of energy and fatigue. Take notes as to when you feel alert and when you feel tired throughout the day, and try and plan your most important tasks for the times you most naturally feel energetic.
Another important part of increasing your attention span is taking intentional breaks. Instead of flitting from task to task, or getting distracted in the middle of a task, arrange your time so that you are working for a set number of minutes — something like 25 — and then take a five minute break. These breaks are especially effective if they include some sort of physical exercise.
Clearing Your Mind
But sometimes small breaks are just not enough. The NYT suggests giving your brain some real downtime by doing things like eating a meal without a screen present, or taking a walk without your headphones in, or getting out in nature for a bit.
Additionally, it is a good idea to simply reduce distraction. This can be done by taking some extreme measures like switching from a smartphone to a flip phone, or it can be as simple as adding some friction to the process of accessing distractions — such as requiring a password to access your phone, or logging out of social media after each session.
Science Focus suggests a few other techniques to help your attention span: For instance, listening to binaural beats — beats of different tones in each of your ears — have been found to help people relax and focus. In addition, practicing yoga nidra — a type of yoga that induces deep relaxation — can also help with attention spans. Another option, if yoga is not your thing, is to try martial arts. They too, have been proven to help increase focus and attention in practitioners.
The world is a busy and distracting place, and it is often hard to focus on tasks that require a lot of attention. However, there are ways to counter this, and to turn yourself into a more focused and relaxed person.
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