Forty-seven seconds. That was the average length of time an adult could focus on a screen for in 2021, according to research by Gloria Mark, a professor of informatics at the University of California. Twenty years ago, in 2004, that number stood at two-and-a-half minutes.
Our attention spans – how long we’re able to concentrate without being distracted – are shrinking. Our focus – how intensely we can think about things – is suffering too. The causes: technology that’s designed to demand our attention; endless tools for procrastination at our fingertips; rising stress and anxiety disorders; and poor sleep quality. But there are solutions. From quick-fix hacks to major lifestyle changes, we asked experts for their tips on how to think harder for longer.
Find your ‘why’
A strong sense of purpose, says Eloise Skinner, author and psychotherapist, “gathers our attention on a singular focus” and helps us to avoid getting distracted. To find that purpose, Skinner recommends trying the “five whys” exercise – developed in the 1930s by Sakichi Toyoda, a Japanese industrialist and inventor – in which you examine your reasons for wanting to do something until you find the core one.
You might, initially, ask yourself why you’re filling out a spreadsheet, for example. The answer could be because your boss has told you to do so. Why? Because it’s part of your job. Eventually, you’ll reach your core “why”, which in this case could be that “this work supports my family”. Write it down so you can return to it when you feel your focus dissipating.
Go for a morning walk
Exposure to natural light in the morning tells our brains to stop producing melatonin, the sleep hormone, and kickstarts the release of hormones such as cortisol, which make us feel more alert.
It means a morning walk could help you feel ready to focus for the day ahead, says Maryanne Taylor, sleep consultant and founder of the Sleep Works. Taken regularly, these walks can also help improve focus in the long term, establishing a rhythm that helps ensure melatonin is released at the right time in the evening, making it easier to sleep. “During sleep our brains consolidate memories and process emotions,” says Taylor. “This ‘cognitive housekeeping’ allows us to wake up with a clearer mind every day.”
Eat protein for breakfast
Studies show that people who eat breakfast tend to have better attention, memory and overall cognitive performance compared with those who skip it, says Jane Thurnell-Read, author of The Science of Healthy Ageing: Unlocking the Secrets to Longevity, Vitality, and Disease Prevention. Protein helps produce neurotransmitters that allow neurons within the brain to communicate and boost concentration.
Tidy up your workspace
“Clutter causes unproductivity,” says Kathryn Lord, of the More to Organising service. “Scientists at Princeton University’s Neuroscience Institute have used fMRI (a type of MRI scan that reveals which areas of your brain are most active) and other approaches to show that constant visual reminders of disorganisation drain our cognitive resources and reduce our ability to focus.”
Try journalling
It’s not just decluttering physically that boosts concentration. Elif Köse, a confidence coach, swears by journalling as a way to clear mental clutter: “I use it as a brain dump at the beginning and end of the day. Let’s say you had a stressful day and feel anxious about something. If you write it down, you’re acknowledging those feelings instead of letting them swirl around, taking up your mental energy. That frees up space to stay focused for longer stretches of time the next day.”
Stay hydrated
“Our brain is made up mostly of water, and being dehydrated could lead to distracting headaches and decreased cognitive function,” says health coach Vanessa Sturman, who suggests keeping a water bottle with you at all times and eating food with a high water content, such as fruit. Water is also needed for the production of hormones and neurotransmitters in the brain, and studies have shown that dehydration has a detrimental effect on short-term memory and attention. The NHS recommends that adults drink six to eight glasses of fluid a day.
Boost your dopamine before you start work
Dopamine is the reward hormone: it makes us feel good. We get a hit of it, for example, when we eat tasty food, have sex or go for a run. Often, we delay the delivery of this hormone until after we’ve completed a task, using the anticipation of a reward – a catch-up with friends, a nice coffee, some chocolate – as incentives to finish our work.
However, a lack of dopamine in our system can cause us to procrastinate as we look outside work for a feelgood hit. This is often why we end up scrolling on our phones. Instead, psychotherapist Melissa Amos suggests getting the dopamine flowing before you do a challenging task. “Sit down after a high-intensity exercise or yoga session,” she says. “If you do your work straight after finishing these activities, your dopamine will be high and will naturally fuel you.”
Gamify your life
Of course, rewards can be motivating. Gamification consultant Kimba Cooper-Martin, who helps businesses make their marketing more engaging, says using extrinsic motivation (doing something to get a prize or to avoid punishment) can make it easier to stay focused on tasks. She recommends tracker apps such as Habitica, on which you can give yourself the satisfaction of marking a task as completed.
Use a daily tracker as you spend more time each day focusing on a project. Challenge yourself to work on it for, say, four minutes on the first day, five on the second day and so on, says Cooper-Martin. “Enable yourself to win on day one so you will be more motivated to continue on day two.”
Manage your stress
If you’re experiencing symptoms such as panic attacks, insomnia, gastrointestinal issues or anxiety, you may have a dysregulated nervous system, where your body’s fight or flight response and its rest and digest function have become imbalanced. Your body ends up constantly on edge, making it hard to concentrate, says Sylvia Tillmann, who teaches trauma-releasing exercises that help to release tension held in the body through stretching.
“People with a well-regulated nervous system can handle stress better, return to a calm baseline quickly and are less overwhelmed by life,” Tillmann says. She recommends daily cold showers as a way of calming your nervous system. In moments where you find yourself too panicked to concentrate, try long-exhale breathing – making your out breath last longer than your in breath. It signals to the nervous system that it’s safe to calm down.
Switch to your peripheral vision
If you’re feeling overwhelmed or unfocused in a work meeting, empowerment coach Annabella Zeiddar recommends switching from your foveal (central) vision – which we use for activities such as reading, driving and on computers – to peripheral vision, which is what we can see out of the corners of our eyes. It can be done at any time without anyone noticing.
“Simply focus on a point straight ahead of you and allow your gaze to soften so that you’re aware of everything in your field of vision,” she says. The switch to peripheral vision activates the vagus nerve, which runs from the brain stem to the abdomen. “It is part of the nervous system that regulates relaxation,” says Zeiddar, telling our body that we’re safe. “Feeling safe promotes clarity and lengthens focus because our brain isn’t preoccupied with looking out for threats or managing stress or anxiety.”
Lock away your phone
Cognitive behavioural psychotherapist Leanne Alston takes a hardline approach to stopping social media from distracting us from our work: “Get a safe for your phone and lock it away. If you have to have your phone near you while completing a task, try deleting apps so that you have to log on to websites through your browser. This slows down the process and makes you think more about what you’re doing.” Alston also recommends turning off notifications and setting social media time limits, which you can do through your phone’s settings.
Know when to speak to your GP
There are lifestyle adjustments you can make to improve your attention span, but it’s also important to know when to seek medical advice. According to GP and menopause specialist Dr Deepali Misra-Sharp, diabetes, heart disease and thyroid disorders affect concentration, as can sleep disorders, mental health conditions, chronic pain and nutrient deficiencies, such as a lack of iron, B12 or omega-3 fatty acids.
For women, it could also be a sign of menopause. “Declining levels of oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone can affect neurotransmitters in the brain that influence mood, memory and attention,” says Misra-Sharp, who advises women to keep track of any symptoms to share with their GP.
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