I have been trying to increase my attention span for a long time. And now I have some level of control of it. So, today, we’re going to go over the Golden mindset and eight tips to increase your attention span for good. Let’s dive in!
Improving your attention span is crucial. Studies show that students with shorter attention spans tend to perform worse on tests, struggle to retain information long-term, and have a harder time connecting disparate ideas into cohesive understanding.
The Golden Mindset
Improving your attention span is not just about social media. Once you understand not to blame everything on social media and take accountability, that’s the first step to actually making progress. Realize that technology is meant to improve your life. There are many benefits to it, and you are the one who uses it. Make sure that technology is not the thing using you.
Instead of thinking, “My phone is decreasing my attention span,” shift your mindset to understand that your reactions are what’s decreasing your attention span. Each negative effect is simply a product of a reaction. When your phone is right there and you get a notification, you are in control of the reaction in response to the technology. Get excited because you being in control means that you can literally get your life back and become smarter.
Between stimulus and response lies a space. In that space lies our freedom and power to choose a response. In our response lies our growth and our happiness.
Now that you’ve taken accountability over your actions, what actions should we do? It’s all about habits. The more you do something bad for yourself, the more you’re going to do it, and it snowballs. So, we need to switch it around to start doing some good habits so that you can continually improve. Here are the eight tips to start doing today:
1. Don’t Have Dynamic Tabs Open
If you use things like Facebook Messenger or have an email account, if that tab is open and a new message comes in, it will ding and have a notification change that tab. This is distracting. Have those dynamic tabs closed and allot dedicated time to check what those messages are. Recently, I’ve been trying to have my email tab closed because even if I don’t have notifications coming up, if I see that email tab, I will be tempted to click it every once in a while just to check if something new is there.
2. Minimize Multitasking
I see people reading the comments while watching video. That is so bad because you are processing English words while reading other English words, and your mind is just like going haywire. So even if you think you’re a master multitasker, try to really put your time and energy and focus all on one thing at a time. The moment you realize you’re multitasking, pull yourself away.
3. Create No Phone Zones
No phone in the bathroom because that’s gross. No phone in the bedroom because you can end up scrolling on your bed forever. And No phone at the dinner table because your family and friends are more important than seeing what Taylor Swift has done on her latest Eras Tour.
4. Say “I’ll Do It After X”
Often, when we’re working, distractions will inevitably pop up. Whether it’s your mom telling you to do something or your brain making up stuff on its own, instead of dealing with that right away, write it down on a piece of paper and tell yourself that you will deal with it after X, after the thing that you’re currently doing right now. So if I’m working on a math set and I’m grinding through the five problems and I suddenly remember I have to write an email, I will write that task down next to me on a piece of paper or on a reminder system and then I’ll say I will write that email after I finish problem three. So finishing problem three would be my X that you fill in for this situation.
This is an amazing habit because it trains you to understand that you’re in control, that notifications and other people don’t own your time. They can’t force you to step away from your current endeavor. Just because someone texted you doesn’t mean you have to respond right away. Just because a new K-pop music video came up doesn’t mean you have to watch it right away. So, Just because phone notifications are a thing doesn’t mean you can’t turn them off and prevent them from happening in the first place.
5. Automate Work/School Hours on Your Phone
The great thing about technology is that there are a lot of automation tools. On iPhone, for example, you can set times where your phone will automatically go on Focus mode, which means that it will automatically not have notifications during that time. For example, I also set a sleep mode where an hour before I set my sleep time, my phone will automatically go on Do Not Disturb so I won’t get any new notifications. It’s all about setting boundaries so you don’t jump from one thing to the next, which prevents your brain from also jumping from one thing to the next.
6. Be Curious Like a Kid
During wait times like waiting in line for your chicken sandwich or riding the subway, what are most people doing? They’re scrolling on their phones. Why? Because they’re bored. They’re no longer curious or interested about the things that are literally happening right in front of them. It’s not like you’re locked in a white box with nothing to look at. You can look at what people are doing around you. If you’re riding in a car, you can stare outside the window and look at the scenery. Trying to distract yourself from boredom is one of the fastest ways to ruin your attention span because that is telling yourself that every single second you have to be stimulated by something.
One of the easiest ways to maintain a more zen state of mind where you’re not like itching to pull out your phone is to become curious about what’s happening around you. Observe what that lady in front of you is wearing. Look outside and notice how the flowers are extra pretty today. If you daydream a lot, this is your chance to be preoccupied with your own thoughts and think about what you want in life, what you want to eat for dinner tonight. With all that wait time, instead of wasting it on your phone, you could have figured out your whole life’s purpose by now.
7. Consume Long-Form Content
Any video you watch from now on, try to do it on 1x speed without skipping. I dare you. That’s level one of consuming long-form content. Level two is listening to a podcast. Podcasts are amazing because you can listen to them on the go, but you also have to train yourself to actively listen and absorb words, which will probably make you a better student, so you actually hear what your teacher is talking about instead of just letting the words go in one ear and out the other. Podcasts are slower, more conversational, but you’ll find some of the most valuable advice ever and some of the most amazing facts ever hidden in these podcasts. So because you want to find those little golden nuggets, you’ll be able to train yourself to listen intently and patiently to whatever the podcaster is talking about.
If you ask me what podcast I recommend, and the top one I recommend is—”Your A+ Life.” It’s launching on Spotify, so you can check out the link here. They talk about discipline and motivation. They also go in-depth as to how they built confidence and dealt with the insecurities that they had, plus many more golden nuggets that you won’t find easily. So definitely check out the podcast.
Level three of long-form content is to read a book. By being so dedicated to reading a book from cover to cover, that reflects the dedication and commitment you will have to other large tasks. When you read a book, your eyes literally can only look at one thing at once, and you have to process what the words are saying, so it’s a time of intent focus, different from levels one and two where your eyes can still be observing and taking in other things. As you go up these three levels, remember to prioritize the type of content, the kind that gives you value. Train yourself to like that instead, and it will be so much easier to stay off of things that decrease your attention span.
8. Consume to Absorb, Not Skim
This habit even applies to TikToks because usually, when you scroll through TikToks, you’re skimming through them, barely taking in what’s happening in the first two seconds before deciding to scroll by. But if your entire feed is study tips or skincare advice and you’re watching each video all the way through, really absorbing the information, then that is actually good for your attention span. Regardless of the type of content you consume, engage deeply and actively.
So many of you are already doing this because you leave long comments that indicate how much you internalize the advice, and that will increase the probability of you applying that advice. And you know what’s amazing? You engaging. When I write these blogs that you’re reading right now, I’m reflecting and synthesizing other information to put out to help others. When you write that comment, you’re actually doing the exact same thing. You are also putting your reflections on the internet and providing value. Plus, you just turned what you learned into your own knowledge. That piece of advice is now internalized into yourself and will become a greater and greater part of yourself each time you engage.
Having a short attention span means that you’re not living life to the fullest because with anything that happens in your life, you are going to be distracted or your mind is not going to be there. And when your mind is not there, you can’t enjoy the full thing. It is more fulfilling and meaningful when you can be fully present at the moment and focus on the people in front of you and the task that you’re currently doing.
When you realize the amazing life you’re about to build and the improved relationships with others by improving your attention span, it should motivate you to want to keep it up for the rest of your life. So, I challenge you to choose one or two of these eight habits to start working on right now, and with enough consistency, you will find that each day you are more and more able to focus and perform your work to the best of your ability.
Remember, improving your attention span is a journey. Stay committed, and you’ll see amazing results in your focus and overall well-being.
