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How to Increase Attention Span

Thursday, October 31, 2024

Tips and tricks to stay focused for longer

Focus seems to be in short supply these days. We’re surrounded by multiple devices and tasks competing for our attention all the time, so it can be tricky to stay dialed in. But there are simple ways to improve attention span, says UR Medicine expert Ian Fiebelkorn.

Our brain uses filters to process information. These filters work to enhance the important information, while suppressing distracting information. This process is referred to as attention.

“Aspects of attention are sometimes compared to a spotlight that continuously scans the environment, pausing to illuminate important information,” Fiebelkorn explains.

For example, when crossing a street to meet a friend, you may be mostly focused on your friend standing on the other side of the road. Your attentional spotlight can focus on them but will also track other important events such as approaching vehicles.

“You could think of attention span as the amount of time until the attentional spotlight begins to dim,” adds Fiebelkorn.

The problem is, a constant flow of information from the outside world floods our brain. And because the brain has limited ways to process info, we can’t fully process everything at once. But we can use simple methods to increase a short attention span.