Home » Productivity » 15 Ways to Improve Short

Attention Span and Stay Focused

Last Updated on August 9, 2023

PRODUCTIVITY

15 Ways to Improve
Short Attention Span
and Stay Focused
Written by John Hall
John Hall is the co-founder and
president of Calendar, a leading
scheduling and productivity app that will
change how we manage and invest our
time.

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Technology has done wonders for society.

Healthcare, transportation, and
communication have also improved
dramatically in recent years. However, it’s
undeniable that the fast-paced, convenience-
oriented mindset of modern society has given
rise to more people with a short attention
span.

Short attention span means that your

attention span is how long you’re able to
retain focus on anything from listening to
work without breaking concentration or
focus. A short attention span means that you
are easily distracted or have trouble focusing
on tasks or discussions.

According to a 2015 study, the human

attention span has fallen from 12 to 8 seconds
in less than two decades as a result of the
digitalized lifestyle. We’ve become as
inattentive as a goldfish. This astonishing
discovery has been covered by Time
magazine[1], the Telegraph[2] and the New
York Times.[3] If it sounds absurd, that’s
because it is.

Fortunately, you can regain your attention

span and boost your productivity by
developing a few habits and retrining your
brain.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. What Causes a Short Attention Span?

2. How to Increase Your Attention Span
1. Curb Your Screen Time
2. Remove Distractions
3. Take Notes
4. Drink More Water
5. Get Some Exercise
6. Try Meditating
7. Take a Break
8. Chew Gum
9. Stop Multitasking
10. Get Enough Sleep
11. Turn the Music Up
12. Practice Attentive Listening
13. Experiment With Timeboxing
14. Try Intermittent Fasting
15. Play Some Brain Games
3. Final Thoughts

What Causes a Short

Attention Span?
Most commonly, the cause of a short
attention span is a lack of focus derived from
the modern world trying to pry our attention
away at every waking moment. It can be due
to upbringing as well; for example, a study
from Microsoft Corp revealed how the influx
of information and our behavior on social
media affect our attention spans.[4]

In some rarer cases, short attention spans

are caused by mental or medical conditions
such as ADHD[5] or anxiety. Others are things
like depression, learning disorders, trauma
(or PTSD in worse cases), or a sensory
processing disorder.

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Some signs of a short attention span include:

Missing important details

Di$culty communicating with others
Not listening during meetings and
lectures
Getting easily distracted
Inability to follow through with tasks

How to Increase Your

Attention Span
There are several ways to be improving one’s
short attention span. It’s a matter of
developing habits and learning self-discipline
and focus. What can also help significantly is
to be able to enter into a flow state when
performing work or a specific task. Training
yourself in that manner can increase the
speed of the work and the focus against
distractions.

1. Curb Your Screen Time

Electronics are a huge source of most
people’s distractions. The easy access to
social media sites, online videos, and endless
web pages can spin our minds in constant
circles and distract us from what we should
be doing. There is also too much information
and entertainment for us to handle from
these sources too.

So one good method to improve short

attention spans is to reduce screen time.
Delete social media apps and games from
your phone, and stick to texting and calling.

2. Remove Distractions
Your mobile device won’t be the only thing
calling for your attention. There are several
other distractions that you can run into over
the course of the day. Figure out what they
are, and you can work on removing them little
by little, improving your ability to
concentrate.

Even minor distractions, such as background

noise or a room that’s too hot or cold, can
make you fidgety and cause you to lose focus.
Items cluttering your desk and workspace
can cause anxiety and divert your attention
even for just a second, which is just enough
to break your rhythm.

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For more on how to get into deep work and

focus, read What Is Deep Work and How To
Practice It (Complete Guide).

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3. Take Notes
If you find yourself in a particularly boring
meeting or classroom environment, you may
as well be begging for something to distract
you. This attitude is bad because it can be
transferred to more important meetings or
discussions.

To change this mindset, start taking notes.

This activity demands your focus, which will
help with that short attention span. Taking
notes also improves memory, helps your brain
recall specifics, and provides physical
reminders for those important details you
need to keep handy.

Furthermore, research has shown that

“students who took notes on laptops
performed worse on conceptual questions
than students who took notes longhand,” so
when taking notes, use a pen and paper
instead of your device.[6]

4. Drink More Water

How to fix a short attention span? Staying
hydrated is of utmost importance to your
physical health, but also to short attention
spans. Studies have shown that intense
exercise for two hours in the heat, without
water, can result in loss of attention and
cognitive decline.[7]

Make sure you’re drinking enough water

throughout the day. The key is drinking
consistently, not just guzzling an entire bottle
right before you need to focus. Develop a
habit and you’ll never have to worry about
dehydration getting in your way.

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5. Get Some Exercise

Exercise is beneficial in so many ways. First,
it will improve your focus and short attention
span.[8] Second, exercising provides a tonne
of other benefits on an emotional, physical,
and mental level.

There’s no need to add hours of rigorous

activity to your schedule. If you’re just getting
into the exercise game, an e-bike might be
just the boost you need. Even a short walk of
30 minutes can get your blood moving, and
your brain activated. Outdoor exercise is
especially beneficial, as the sunshine and
sights of nature do wonders for your brain
and psyche.

6. Try Meditating
Meditation isn’t sitting there idly by and doing
nothing. It’s an alternate way to regain your
focus and for you to be paying attention to the
present. It involves a series of short steps to
calm you down, increasing your attention
span.

Most forms of meditation require a calm

atmosphere coupled with breathing
exercises. The extra oxygen stimulates your
brain, and the cadence of breaths helps you
to relax and reclaim your mind in the process.

On a particularly di$cult day, give meditation

a try. Find a private place, turn on some
calming sounds, and enjoy the peace your
brain deserves.

7. Take a Break
One of the causes of a short attention span is
failing to take short breaks regularly. When it
all gets to be too much, give yourself 30
minutes of break time. While meditation is a
conscious effort to regain focus, stepping
back to just get away for some time also has
its uses.

If your focus keeps getting drawn elsewhere,

a break can help you to pay attention to what
you are trying to focus on. Whether it be a
short five-minute break or a weekend away,
giving yourself a break can help you regroup
and improve your ability to concentrate on
what matters most.

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8. Chew Gum
Studies show that chewing gum can help you
focus.[9] While it doesn’t have any magical
properties, this simple activity can keep you
engaged long enough to carry out an activity
without getting too distracted.

By no means is it the greatest strategy out

there. However, similar to jotting notes, it’s a
way to regain your focus during crucial
moments. Situations like when your mind is
wandering, or you’re struggling to pay
attention at the end of a long workday.

When you find yourself in those situations, a

piece of gum could be a lifesaver for your
focus and short attention span.

9. Stop Multitasking
Multitasking is a myth, even though there are
people who claim they’re masters of this
ability. In the end, it’s not a skill you want to
rely on for several reasons. The big one is that
your attention is divided among several tasks,
and that’ll distract you.

When you feel yourself starting to slip, stop

multitasking for a moment. Better yet,
remove that skill from your repertoire of
skills. Force yourself to slow down and focus
on a single task at a time. By doing this, you’ll
find you’ll complete the task much faster and
improve your ability to concentrate.

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10. Get Enough Sleep

Lack of sleep comes with a whole host of
problems. From a focus standpoint, studies
showing lack of sleep leads to memory loss,
di$culty learning, and dwindling attention
span are numerous.[10]

The best solution here is to be getting enough

sleep every night. Developing a consistent
sleep schedule that helps you get to bed at a
decent time each night will be a good first
step.

Learn more about the importance of sleep

and its effects on productivity in The
Importance of Sleep Cycles (and Tips to
Improve Yours).

11. Turn the Music Up

There are many studies showing how music
can improve people’s focus,[11] among other
things. A good playlist can act as a pair of
blinders, filling your mind so that distractions
can’t get in your way.

The only catch with this is that the music

should be instrumental preferably or contain
lyrics that you don’t understand. The reason
for that is lyrics can crowd your thoughts and
compete for your attention span.

Beyond that, the genre can also make an

impact too. Calm genres, such as classical,
are better than upbeat ones that can work
you up too much when you need to buckle
down and focus.

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12. Practice Attentive

Listening
While this is more of a soft skill than the
others on this list, being able to listen is an
underrated practice. Too often, people think
about what they’re going to be saying next
rather than listening to what the person is
saying.

Failing to listen is a sign of a short attention

span. The next time you engage in a
conversation, practice listening intently to
every word that’s said. This will lead to
healthier dialogue and help you improve that
attention span by keeping you grounded in
the present.

This method also leads to a lot of pausing, too

since you’re more focused on what’s being
said and formulating a response later.

13. Experiment With

Timeboxing
Timeboxing is a time management method
used by many business professionals.[12] It
involves blocking off a section of time to
dedicate to a specific activity.

When the block starts, all you worry about is

what you have scheduled for that time. When
the block ends, you move on to the next time
block. You can even set a timer if that helps.
This method can help you maintain focus
throughout your day. Use it wisely, and you’ll
be able to control your attention span and
maximize your productivity.

Similarly, you can look at the Pomodoro

Technique, which consists of 30 minutes of
deep focus on a task followed by a 10-15
minute break.

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All Ages and Fasting Levels

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14. Try Intermittent

Fasting
Fasting has been demonstrated in studies[13]
to help clear the mind and awaken the senses
while also improving brain function.

Keep in mind don’t go without food for too

long or too often, as you still need vitamins
and minerals to function properly. Balance