3 Tactics to Defend Your Attention

We live in an era of constant distraction. Some would suggest that we are addicted to distraction.

We need to defend our attention.

The ability to control your attention, concentrate, and focus deeply is a powerful tool for managing stress, directing your mind, taking care of yourself, accomplishing more of what is important, and reaching your dreams. It helps you to think clearly at work, at home, and while pursuing your passions.

If we can control our attention and direct it toward the things that matter most to us, we can experience life more deeply than if we try to race through our daily to-do lists.

In this era of unrelenting distraction, attention is one factor we can control that has a significant impact on our lives. Here are 3 steps you can take to help you control our attention so you can focus deeply and concentrate better.

Step 1: Narrow Your Attention

For world-class performers, as pressure increases, attention narrows.

In critical moments in your life, when you are under enormous pressure, you must perform. So, you narrow your attention.

Check out this extreme example of someone narrowing their attention while under incredible pressure: The first moon landing was fraught with challenges. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, in the landing module, kept losing radio contact with the command module as they were descending toward the moon. The computer on the landing module kept spitting out an error code that no one had time to look up. To make matters worse, the area chosen for the landing was not flat, as the pictures had previously indicated; it was full of truck-size boulders that would have destroyed the lander. And they were running out of fuel. Through all of this, Armstrong fixated on a small field he saw where he thought they could land, and Aldrin called out data on fuel level, speed, and height. Despite the challenges and risk, they focused on what they could control, ignored the distractions, and stayed calm so they could perform despite the pressure of the situation.

Step 2: Direct Your Attention

Engage in single-tasking—allocate your attention to only one thing at a time—so you enter a state of hyper-productivity or positive impact in the moment.

When you go to the park with your kids, leave your phone at home. If you want to take pictures, bring a camera and get your kids taking photos, too.

For family gatherings and meals, don’t bring devices near the table or even into the room. Put them out of sight so you can focus on each other and make that meal together special.

Practice “Being Where Your Feet Are”. Be where your feet are simply means, whatever you are doing, wherever you are, make sure your head and heart are completely there as well—a mindset critical to achieving focus and attentional control.

Step 3: Use Technology Intentionally Not Compulsively

By delineating times when technology is not in the mix, you get to purposefully decide when you want to use it.

Take an hour to connect with friends. Video chat with somebody you haven’t spoken with in a while. Use your mobile device to learn. Find a cool article to read. Follow somebody on Instagram who inspires you.

It’s about intentionality. It’s about connecting with life. It’s about performing at your very best in whatever it is you care about the most. Sometimes tech helps us with that, other times it gets in the way

It’s all about intention rather than compulsion.

Practise using your devices for intentional communication with the people you love. Intentionally engage with social media to celebrate and congratulate people on amazing things that are happening in their lives.

If you cannot manage your devices with intentionality, you will continue to fall into a state of passive consumption, scrolling through your feeds mindlessly. When that happens, the behaviour is definitely controlling you rather than the other way around.

If you’re intentionally engaging, you are in control, but if you are compulsively scrolling, you are likely on someone else’s agenda.

Final Thoughts

When you are actively engaged in a mental activity or task—having a conversation, making decisions, or solving problems—your brain is focused and attentive.

Protecting and defending your attention in an era of constant unrelenting distraction is an uncommon competitive advantage.

It can also make you a better colleague, partner, parent and friend!

That’s it for this week! Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Yours for health, wellbeing & peak performance - Dr. Greg