This is what I am asking right now. I am confronting myself whether I am suffering from a "short attention span" syndrome or simply procrastinating. I can barely focus on my tasks. I am easily distracted. I can't endure watching long dramas anymore, so I stopped reviewing drama series, because it's hard to finish even 10 episodes, no matter how interesting it is.
My thoughts are always elsewhere. Even though I am busy every day. No matter how preoccupied my days are, my brain still has the appetite to fly somewhere else, wishing I were in a different body or a different person, and doing different work lol! This is really crazy.
It feels like my brain is trying to create a different world for me, a different space for me, perhaps to get on with life and to forget my disappointments, regrets, worries, anxieties, and circumstances. So I can't plan what things need to be done.
Maybe I really need to pause, need to go somewhere, and change the atmosphere to stir myself back to healthy thoughts and perspective. And get on with my dreams and long-term plans. Because right now I cannot concentrate.
To find solutions to my current problem about "my distracted thoughts", I read this article from the University of Rochester Medical Center, which I think is very useful.
According to the article, "Our brain uses filters to process information. These filters work to enhance the important information while suppressing distracting information."
A constant flow of information from the outside world floods our brains. And because the brain has limited ways to process info, we can’t fully process everything at once.
Why Is My Attention Span So Short?
According to a research from the University of Rochester: The attentional spotlight not only dims on the slower timescales typically associated with ‘attention span’ but now dims on a faster timescale as well,” explains Ian explains Fiebelkorn, an associate professor of Neuroscience in the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience.
This means that between four and six times per second, there’s an opportunity for a distraction to pull your attention away from what you’re trying to focus on.
In other words, it’s natural for our minds to wander here and there. But with a few adjustments, you can help train your brain and improve your focus.
The article recommended tips on how to improve Attention Span and stay focused:
1. Decrease distractions.
As the brain creates opportunities for attentional shifting to help keep us from becoming overly focused on one thing, we become susceptible to distraction.
"The best way to avoid frequent shifts of the attentional spotlight is therefore to eliminate potential distractions". Turning off cell phone and disconnecting from the internet are some. These tips are quite impossible to do since my job is a content creator who utilizes the internet.
2. Schedule breaks.
It is true that human brains easily get tired with so many tasks so to avoid experiencing fatigue, we need to schedule short breaks. Taking a break from doing our regular routine will freshen up our minds
3. Focus on one task at a time
Multitasking has become a big part of our culture, but when we try to do too many things at once, we can’t give the individual tasks the attention needed. If you have an important task, give it your full focus and complete it before moving on to the next.
I will try to take note of the above tips and try to apply them in my daily life.
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