We live in a society where we’re constantly being pulled in different directions. Between email and the telephone on your desk and the cell phone in your pocket, there’s tons of distractions out there and it can be hard to focus on just one thing. Fast Company posted an article on how we can train our brain to increase our attention span. It mentions things that many of us know like getting more sleep and removing your cell phone from your desk so the buzzing and notifications aren’t a distraction.
But when it comes to tasks that we’re just frustrated or bored with, they make the suggestion to just power through. The idea is that when you start to think of doing something different or walking away from that project, force yourself to work for just five more minutes. It is a small step but over time it will teach your brain that the response to that feeling is to power through instead of walk away. Over time that may allow you to increase your attention span, possibly to the point that you aren’t considering walking away mid-project anymore.
We can apply this concept to things like checking our emails or cell phone during the day. Whether than let those be constant distractions, dedicate a specific time or times during the day. Whether that is at the top of every hour or first things in the morning, the middle of the day, and right before you leave.
Once you make these changes a habit, your brain will remember them and allow you to live a more distraction-free day!