by Caryl Teh
Does this sound familiar? Spent a few minutes working on a Word Doc, then fell down a rabbit hole of Shang-Chi behind-the-scenes clips. Or replied a single email, then rewarded yourself with a not-so-brief scroll through news or social media. You have a lengthy to-do list and looming deadlines, but that doesn’t seem to be enough of a kick in the pants to make you buckle down and focus. That’s not great news. So why can’t you focus? And is there anything you can do about it? Absolutely. Here are two suggestions.
Reason #1: You’re Not Getting Enough Sleep, and It’s Killing Your Brain Cells
What this looks like:
- Yawning at your desk
- Eyes feel like they’re trudging through cement to stay open
- Debating your third (ok, fourth) cup of coffee at 11am
This might not be news for you, but you need to hear it: You’re not getting enough sleep and it’s really hindering your ability to concentrate.
Explanation:
- Brain tasks like memory, cognitive speed, executive attention require neurons to fire in your brain.
- Research from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine on mice found that after only three days of 4-5 hours of sleep, 25% (that a QUARTER, mind you) of their neurons essential for brain alertness, began to die off.
- Even though the study was done on mice, scientists hypothesise that the same thing could happen in humans brains.
Suggested action:
- Scrambling for another caffeine boost, napping at your desk and slapping yourself are not good long-term solutions. They’re just a band-aid.
- A better solution: Take a quick walk outside. It will get your blood pumping and expose you to some much needed performance-enhancing natural light.
- A better solution: Opt for water over coffee. Sorry coffee-lovers, but dehydration might be making you reeeally sleepy.
- The best solution: Evaluate and rearrange your schedule to ensure that you’re giving yourself enough sleep whenever you can – that’s 7-9 hours according to the National Sleep Foundation.
Image source: National Sleep Foundation
Reason #2: You’ve Been Doom-Scrolling
What this looks like:
- Life feels like it’s just droning on… the days, weeks and months blur into each other… “Oh, it’s already 2022?”
- Seemingly endless meetings make it impossible for you to get into the flow and finally check SOMETHING off your growing to-do list
Explanation:
Your emotional state is directly tied to your ability to focus. British psychologist, Dr. Graham Davey explained that bad news reminds us that many things are beyond our control, causing our personal worries to seem more threatening and severe than they normally would. And that distress can hinder your concentration.
On the flip side, you might think that good or exciting news might have the opposite effect. Unfortunately, not necessarily. If it raises your adrenaline too far past your optimum level, you might start feeling a sense of anxiety that results in decreased work performance. Psychologists call this the “Yerkes-Dodson Law”.
Suggested action:
- This doesn’t mean that life is best when monotonous. Or that you should ignore all news and live under a rock.
- Here’s where you can start: be aware and acknowledge what’s distracting you.
- Then try to lower your adrenaline: focus on something more visceral, e.g. your breathing. This helps calm you down and renew your ability to concentrate.
So there you have it. Two possible reasons why you’re struggling to focus. We hope that you’ll find the above suggestions helpful to rejuvenate your mind and attention span. Remember: walk, hydrate, sleep, and stay calm.
