Here’s a quick question – how easy do you find it to focus? Are you able to turn your attention 100% to what’s in front of you, or does your brain ping between emails, news headlines, social media updates, a work to-do list, a colleague/colleagues, family members, an upcoming meeting or presentation, or any other of a million things?

Our attention is increasingly scattered as our brains try to keep up with far more information than they were built for. Dr Amishi Jha, Professor of Psychology at Miami University and author of Peak Mind, believes that what we pay attention to is an enormous component of our success, but one that we overlook. According to research, she estimates we have ‘off-task thoughts’ around 50% of the time. Imagine how much more effective we would be if we could harness more of our attention on a regular basis.

Jha also says, reassuringly, that people have always struggled with their attention. Even mediaeval monks, busy with chanting or prayers, could find themselves distracted by thoughts of lunch. In Jha’s words, our attention is powerful, but vulnerable.

What depletes our attention?

Our attention is particularly vulnerable to three things – stress, threat, and low mood. Think back to a time when any of those three were particularly present for you, and you might also notice there was a corresponding dip in your attention. The classic ‘tell’ for me is leaving my bank card in an ATM (yes, I’ve done it more than once). Each time has been when I’ve been moving house, one of life’s textbook stressors.

Other distractors will feel familiar to many – ‘mental time travel’, where we focus on an event that happened in the past or worry about something coming up in the future. ‘Mind travel’ is when we find ourselves imagining what someone else might be thinking, instead of focusing on our own thoughts. And ‘attentional rubbernecking’ is when our attention gets hijacked by something we find particularly interesting or ‘sticky’ – whether it’s a fascinating news story, a problem we keep turning over in our thoughts, or anything else that our minds are drawn to.

Fine-tuning our focus

Fortunately, there are ways to re-engage our attention and focus. First off, it’s useful to know about our three different attentional ‘modes’ and their different uses.

Mode 1 is the focused Flashlight. This is when our attention is like a torch beam, clearly illuminating whatever we direct our attention to, whether it’s an external event or internal thought or feeling. It’s great when we need to focus on something, and less useful if we’re trying to take in a lot of things.

Mode 2 is the broader Floodlight. Just like stadium lights, our attention is widely distributed and scanning the environment. The opposite of the flashlight, it’s ideal for taking in lots of information, but less useful when we want to home in on something specific.

Mode 3 is what Jha calls Executive Control, and I think of as a light or dimmer switch. This is where we become aware of where our attention is and what mode it’s in, and deliberately redirect it to where it might be more useful.

Building your attention muscle

Simply knowing the difference between flashlight and floodlight modes can have a big impact on how we direct our attention throughout the day. An even bigger boost comes through mindfulness training. I know, we’re all busy. But following research with people in military service, athletes, and students, Jha believes that just 12 minutes of mindfulness, three to five times a week, can noticeably strengthen our attention.

There are hundreds of mindfulness programmes and apps available, so experiment with one that resonates with you, and crucially, is easy for you to build into your day. Jha’s book suggests the ‘Focus, Notice, Redirect’ method: focus on the breath, notice when your mind wanders and redirect the mind back to the breath. This has the useful bonus of mapping onto the Flashlight, Floodlight, Executive Control model. But don’t limit yourself – 12 minutes of mindful breathing, body scanning, a personal mantra, mindful stretching, or yoga, or whatever your personal mindfulness preference is, will make a difference. Be consistent over a few weeks, and you’ll see your focus increase and your distractibility drop.

Rebecca Alexander
Executive Coach rebecca@coaching-studio.co.uk