Sep 12

Sep 12 Why is it so hard to concentrate? (and what to do about it)

Hands up if you’ve found yourself halfway through a task, only to get distracted by scrolling on your phone or through emails or messages, or the realisation that there’s something you have done but haven’t, or…..well, any number of other ‘or’s’? Maybe, like me, at this point you’re frantically waving both hands in the air. Welcome to the world of distraction.

What with the endless stream of notifications, the 24/7 news cycle, and the who-know-how-many-other things competing for our attention, it’s no wonder our poor brains constantly feel as if they’re in a blender with no off button. Without citing any expert research or scientific background (I’m sure there’s plenty available, I just haven’t been able to concentrate long enough to look for it), this is where my finger points as the big culprits behind our current collective lack of focus.

Technology Overload
I mean, this is the obvious one, isn’t it? Our myriad devices - phones, laptops, smartwatches - are buzzing with notifications all the time. So even when we’re not consciously checking our screens, we’re subconsciously on alert, waiting for the next ping.

Information Overload
Living in the information age sounds like a good thing, until you realise that our beleaguered brains are being bombarded with more information in a day than our predecessors used to get in a year. What with news articles, social media, messages, emails, and the random fun facts you pick up from YouTube videos (Did you know octopuses have three hearts? You’re welcome), it’s no wonder we can’t stop our minds from meandering endlessly.

Stress and Anxiety
Whether it’s work demands, global events - almost all of them somewhere between awful and terrifying, or the general pressures of daily life, stress and anxiety are major attention thieves. It can make you feel as if your brain is constantly stuck in fight-or-flight mode, which in turn, makes it even harder to focus.

The Myth of Multitasking
We’ve been told for years that multitasking is a skill, but let me let you into a secret: we humans are terrible at it. When you jump from one task to another, your brain takes time to switch gears. It’s been shown that it takes an average of 23 minutes to regain focus after a distraction (I did manage to do a smidgen of research). Because the back-and-forth of multi-tasking makes everything take longer, you end up feeling even more scattered.

I’m sure that’s not an exhaustive list (feel free to add to it, it you’re not busy doing several somethings else). But does that mean we’re all doomed to a life of distraction? Of course not. There are ways to get better at concentrating (without having to give up your phone entirely, because clearly that’s never going to be an option).

Normally when I make these kinds of suggestions, they’re things I recommend because they’ve worked for me. In the spirit of openness and honesty, I will say that whilst these are strategies I try to use, some of them are more works in progress than I might like. This first one in particular, ahem…..

1. Limit your distractions

The hardest one to do is, naturally, the most effective. Try starting small by, for example, putting your phone in another room or on Do Not Disturb when you have something you really need to focus on. You can always check your messages later, and it turns out the world doesn’t end if you don’t respond immediately (who knew). If you’re working on your computer, apps like Freedom or Cold Turkey can block distracting sites of your choosing and for whatever length of time you need.

2. Use the Pomodoro Technique

I didn’t know this was what this popular time management hack was called, but it’s where you work for 25 minutes, take a 5-minute break, and repeat. After four rounds, you take a longer break (around 20-30 minutes). Breaking work into chunks gives your brain a chance to reset, so you can come back fresh and more focused. I’ve found setting myself the task of concentrating for 25 minutes feels manageable and can also result in me staying focused for longer because I’ve become properly immersed in the task.

3. Take Care of Your Brain

This is a broader one, but it’s important to remember that our brains need enough sleep, a healthy diet, regular exercise, and hydration to work at their best.

4. Be mindful

I know, I know, mindfulness has become such a buzzword/cliche. But there’s a reason for that. Studies show that practicing mindfulness—even just for a few minutes a day - really does help improve your focus and reduce stress. You don’t have to sit cross-legged in silence for ages. Even practicing deep breathing before you start a task - there’s a useful guide to deep breathing on the British Heart Foundation website , can help calm your mind and boost your concentration (you can also use it as a way of re-focusing if your mind has wandered off mid-task). Or a use a 5-minute meditation app like Calm.

5. Ditch multi-tasking

When you focus on just one thing at a time it makes you more efficient and less stressed. Fact. What I try to do is to set myself a specific goal, like, “I’m going to work on this blog for the next 25 minutes without checking anything else.” Then, I reward myself with a break after that length of time, see Pomodoro Technique above, (and by break, feel free to read, cup of tea and/or a snack of some sort. Snacks are critical to my concentration efforts) after which I get back to it if it’s not finished.

6. Write It Down

This is one that I find super-effective. You know how all those ‘to-do’s’ have a tendency to float distractingly around your head when you’re trying to concentrate? Or you can’t sort out how to get started, or structure something when there are so many possibilities and things to include. Get everything out of your brain and onto paper. Making a to-do list, or randomly brain-dumping all your thoughts on paper before you start working can clear mental clutter, making it easier to focus on the task at hand.

7. Create a Focus-Friendly Environment

I know I work better when my desk is (relatively) clear and tidy and I’m somewhere that’s (relatively) quiet. If you’re surrounded by distractions (noise, a messy work space, or that pile of laundry staring at you), it’s much harder to get in the zone. Try to create a space to do whatever task you need to tackle that feels calming and organised. If you’re like me and prefer no noise distractions, consider using noise-canceling headphones. Equally if music helps you concentrate, like it does for my lovely fella, fill your boots - and brain - with that.

Whatever strategy, or combination of strategies, you try, and, if you’re anything like me, all too often fail at, be reassured that it’s definitely not just you. Concentrating in a world that’s constantly vying for our attention is a lot harder than it used to be. Slowly building focus-improving habits does make a difference. Now you’ll have to excuse because I’ve just remembered I haven’t made a phone call I need to….