What has happened to our attention spans? Has our busy world shrunk them to the point where we can’t concentrate but for a few moments? Are we all like hyperactive children with caffeine doing for us what sugar does for kids? Has Twitter convinced us that any thought can be expressed in 120 characters or less? Can you make it through this article without being distracted? Look, a squirrel!
A recent LinkedIn article suggested that meetings start with a ten minute quiet period for all the attendees to read the materials they didn’t read in advance of the meeting. My understanding is that Amazon does this with all their meetings. In school we had 50-minute periods but now many are suggesting that ten minutes is the maximum attention span.
We’ve come to expect any business’s value proposition can be expressed in an “elevator pitch.” And the elevator isn’t going very far, so make it quick. Blogs are supposed to be no more than 400 words.
I would suggest that if our experience is one of not concentrating on anything more than ten minutes, then we are simply reacting to our environment. If we want to be proactive, to plan, to be thoughtful, to do more than just react, we need to be able to concentrate for longer periods of time.
Can We Do Better? Or Are We Too Busy to Succeed?
This lack of attention span is a side-effect of our busy lives. A friend calls this “too busy to succeed.” What he really means is we tend to not prioritize properly, allowing ourselves to be distracted by unimportant, but often urgent, matters.
There is a lot on the web about this topic. (Just be careful you don’t get distracted!) The research shows that we can change our attention span. Neuroplasticity is how our brain changes to deal with new experiences. One of the miracles of our brains is their ability to change physically based on what tasks we ask them to do. Our brains, like our bodies, respond well to diet and exercise.
Here are some of the things that can improve your attention span:
Regular Attentional Training
Just like interval training for a marathon, regular attentional training is good for improving attention span. Use a timer and focus on a task until the buzzer goes off. Take a short break and then get back to the task. During the break, get up and do something physical. The timed intervals for concentration should start short (like two minutes) and work up as you get better at concentrating. Try it; it’s harder than you think.
Unplug
Turn off instant messaging and social media. Close down windows that are not related to the task you are trying to concentrate on. Take away the distractions; they can wait.
Meditation
Meditation has been shown to have a number of benefits. One is helping improve concentration and attention span.
Get a Good Night’s Sleep
There could be a whole separate article on this topic. Medical professionals say to drink no caffeine after noon. Try to turn off all electronic media (even the TV) at least an hour before bed. Try reading a book (those things printed on paper; you remember) for half an hour before bed.
Have you made it this far? Good for you; that’s progress.
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