If you’ve clicked on this headline and are already thinking about what to binge-watch later, welcome! You’re exactly who this article is for.
A study conducted by the University of California confirms that our attention spans are shrinking faster than our patience for slow internet connections. Apparently, the average person’s attention span for a single screen is now 47 seconds, down from 25 minutes in 2004.
Experts Say “You Can Improve Your Attention Span”
Screen time is not the only culprit in our short attention span. The current state of the world also contributes to it, according to Dr. Michael Ziffra, a psychiatrist at Northwestern Medicine. “When my patients talk to me about this stuff, there is often a feeling of helplessness or powerlessness. But you can change these behaviors. You can improve your attention span,” said Dr. Ziffra, per AP News.
Don’t feel bad about losing focus since it’s in our genetic material, and what’s grabbing our attention has changed. Stacey Nye, a clinical psychologist at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, said that our inclination to spend more time glued to our screens was another effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pinging notifications and short-form video content also affected our ability to focus. Nye said, “Our attention span has really been trained to only focus on those little, small blips and it interrupts our natural focus cycles.”
Improving Your Focus
In order to improve your focus, experts suggest doing the following:
Taking active breaks: Active breaks are offline activities that are either physically or mentally stimulating. Cindy Lustig, a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Michigan, said that when we’re bored, we usually grab the first thing we see. Since our phones are always within reach, we end up doomscrolling.
Don’t multitask: Employers might want a “multitasker” in their team, but doing things simultaneously actually breeds mediocrity. Sure, you managed to finish two tasks, but what about the quality? Your attention and focus are divided, so there’s a tendency that you miss something.
Adopt a healthier lifestyle: According to Harvard Medical School, leading a healthier lifestyle can help us focus. There is a direct link between exercise and our brain promoting new connections. When we have seven to eight hours of sleep each night and 150 minutes of exercise per week, we improve our brain function.
Your attention span isn’t shorter than that of a goldfish. It’s just out of shape from being constantly distracted. With patience, a little discipline, and maybe fewer Instagram reels, you’d finally finish that book by your bedside collecting dust, or crochet that baby blanket for your pregnant friend who is due any day now.
