Ding – that familiar sound designed to capture your attention instantly. The average adult receives at least 46 push notifications a day from their smartphone, roughly one every 20 minutes during waking hours. These interruptions might seem a small price for staying connected, but research shows they increase stress and reduce productivity. They can even have fatal consequences, with phone-related distraction claiming 29 lives on Australian roads each year.
How Attention Works
A network of areas in the human brain controls selective attention, the process by which we focus on relevant information and ignore the rest. Where attention goes is a balance between your goals and what’s happening around you. Sudden or urgent events can capture your attention and pull it away from what you’re trying to do. From an evolutionary perspective, this helps keep us safe – for instance, while foraging for berries, the rustling of leaves shifts focus to a potential threat like a tiger. Today, however, modern environments hijack this mechanism for less urgent matters, such as the buzz of a new friend request.
The Trouble with Tech
Digital platforms are designed to instantly capture and hold attention by tapping into the brain’s reward and motivation systems. This makes it harder to resist distractions offering rewards like a “like” on your post, and more difficult to stick to tasks requiring sustained attention. Research suggests frequent interruptions may reduce our ability to concentrate – not by affecting fundamental focus, but by increasing how often we switch between activities. “Multitasking” is actually task switching, and research consistently shows it impairs performance on one or both tasks, no matter how familiar or predictable.
What You Can Do
Many factors influence attention, from sleep quality to health conditions like ADHD. However, we can build up our “attention muscles” with minor lifestyle changes.
1. Limit Distractions from Devices
Set up “focus” modes on your phone to automatically filter out notifications, especially while working or driving. Turn off all app notifications and schedule specific times to check them – for example, ten minutes before lunch – using timers to stay accountable. Apps that track screen time may help, but avoid those that gamify off-phone time, as these game-like features are also designed to draw attention. Instead, opt for tools that discourage use and provide data for reflection.
2. Choose Activities That Require Focus
Constantly switching tasks weakens focus. To combat this, prioritise activities demanding sustained attention. Research shows immersive activities like playing music or competitive sport a few times a week may improve attention, as they require longer periods of focus to achieve a goal. Tools like Pomodoro timers, which alternate 25-minute focused work intervals with five-minute breaks, can also help.
3. Reduce Your Overall Tech Use
People who avoid devices before bedtime and keep them out of bedrooms sleep better, studies show, and these practices may improve focus the following day. When you have a free moment, don’t immediately pick up your device. Regularly pausing to let your mind wander allows the brain to process information and form new connections, leaving room for creativity. Reclaiming attention doesn’t require rigid rules; it starts with small, intentional acts of presence. Attention is a precious resource – invest it wisely.
