BERLIN: When was the last time you actually finished reading something without repeatedly checking your phone?
If you have to think for a moment, that may be your answer. Many of us are concerned that our ability to concentrate on one thing for any length of time is dwindling.
"In recent years, we’ve forgotten how to focus and concentrate for any length of time,” says Cordula Nussbaum, coach and author.
The main cause of our shortened attention spans is the changing media landscape, she says. Social media with its bite-sized snippets of information, and the smartphone, always to hand and keeping us up to date with a stream of alerts.
We have become wary of silence. "If nothing comes from outside, many people now feel the urge, ‘I could just quickly grab my mobile’,” says Nussbaum.
How to regain focus
"The brain has got used to something happening every few minutes; otherwise, you become restless,” says neuroscientist and author Henning Beck.
Paradoxically, people engrossed in their phones seem captivated, attentive and focused. But this kind of attention ultimately fails to fulfil us, he says.
"There’s no goal and no end; you can’t get anywhere,” says Beck. "You haven’t achieved anything to be proud of after watching countless Instagram videos.”
That sounds rather discouraging at first. But Nussbaum offers us good news, too. "Everything we’ve forgotten, we can learn again,” she says.
Targeted training and new routines
There is no point, though, in demonising technology in general. Instead, it’s better to use it sensibly and purposefully, says Beck.
That involves consciously putting it aside time and again to do things that offer more than just a short-term thrill.
In practical terms, it means focusing on a consistent activity rather than letting your mind jump from one thing to another. "Distraction is a choice,” says Beck.
If habits – such as constantly reaching for your phone – have become ingrained over the years, you need to rewire them.
Beck suggests consciously setting aside spaces and times without screens.
"A good rule, for example, is: not in the morning before, and not in the evening after, brushing your teeth.”
You could also banish your phone from the dining room altogether, and only checking emails on your computer, she says.
You can also disable notifications on your device.
Instead, find alternative routines. You could take a printed magazine with you on the train journey, rather than getting lost in your phone.
Or, she says, "find hobbies where you can’t look at a screen.” After all, our brain needs such periods of rest.
Clarify your inner motivation
"Recognition is the first step towards change,” says Nussbaum. In her experience, once people understand how they are being manipulated by social media’s short-term reward system, many want to resist it.
"The key is asking 'why'," she says. Do I want to move away from feeling torn and just flitting from one topic to the next? People who aren’t changing their behaviour simply because they have to, but who know what they want to discover or gain, are more motivated.
Specifically, she says we should take small steps.
That could be putting your phone away for five or 10 minutes to start with – and keeping it out of sight.
If you feel restless, you should acknowledge this and observe it as if from the outside.
"Taking a few calm, deep breaths helps," she says. "And then try to hold out for just a moment longer."
Retraining your attention works best with topics you find engaging. "Don’t try to read a thick book that doesn’t interest you at all,” says Nussbaum.
"Make it as easy as possible for yourself. Perhaps some light reading or a good audiobook, where you try to hold your attention.” You simply notice your mind wandering without judging it, and consciously refocus your attention, she says.
‘Mind-cleansing’: Letting it all out in one go
If, in everyday life, your head is too full of thoughts to focus on anything, she advises we try "mind-cleansing." That means "let your mind to let out everything that’s swirling around in there, and write it all down in a completely random way,” says Nussbaum. "That can really help to restore calm to your mind.”
If you like, you can then organise the list and consider which items you could tackle next.
If you really want to tick off tasks with full concentration, stick to one basic principle: only ever do one thing at a time.
After all, our brains aren’t designed for multitasking, says Beck. You make more mistakes, find it harder to prioritise and struggle to concentrate.
The brain isn’t a computer with multiple tabs open and programmes running simultaneously, he says. "Our strength compared to a machine is our ability to think deeply and be creative, rather than constantly jumping back and forth.”
Focusing on just one thing pays dividends.
"The attention I give to other people – for example, in conversation - is the greatest mark of appreciation I can offer,” says Nussbaum. That applies in your personal life or at work. – dpa
