Learning to focus in a noisy world

Learning to focus in a noisy world

28th November 2023

[The Probe November 2023]

There’s so much going on and so many things fighting for our attention. Clever algorithms and metaverse wizardry keep us hooked in a continuous cycle of doom-scrolling on our phones. Hundreds of TV channels clamour for our viewing attention. Retailers vie for our custom at every turn. Our senses are literally under assault from the moment we wake up to the time we go to bed. So how do we focus? How do we dedicate time and attention to anything at all when the odds aren’t just stacked against us – they’re actually designed to throw us off course?

Added to digital distractions we also have any number of commitments that are important to us. We have regular and essential interactions with family and friends; professional endeavours to pursue and keep on top of; and that’s alongside our day-to-day routines. How do we do it?

Focus is something I am working on personally and so I have been looking at how other people do things.

The digital detox

This sounds quite extreme to anyone (like me) who has a phone addiction. However I believe a digital detox is something that has real benefits even if you decide to switch off from it in short bursts, maybe building up to longer periods of time. 

According to “How to break up with your phone” by Catherine Price you should assess how much time you are actually spending on your phone and other digital devices. You can set this tracker up on your smart phone. You have been warned: it’s quite alarming how quickly the few minutes here and there add up to hours. Once you know what you’re dealing with there are a few strategies that you can implement to reduce this to a more reasonable level. This includes setting boundaries, removing some/all social media apps and being more conscious of the quality of your phone time. 

I like the idea of having longer chunks of time away from my phone at weekends, especially if I am with my family who would be contacted in an emergency if I am unavailable. For insomniacs who lie in bed unable to put their phone down, why not put it on the other side of the room during the night? 

Email-free work time

A while ago I read about someone who designated his mornings to focused work time. He turned off his phone and emails every morning while he completed his work tasks without interruption. He said it was calming, peaceful and highly productive. It’s not for everyone as often our work needs external references via emails, websites, research and other digital information that we are so accustomed to having at our fingertips. But how about trying this concept just one morning a week where we set aside space for projects that need our whole attention. It would work for planning, scoping, writing and other broader activities. 

Be strict about meetings

Another digital sponge is the miracle that is Zoom and Teams. Pre-Covid we all spent much longer traveling to meetings all over the country and indeed the world. Now, we find ourselves to be “much more productive” as we can have several meetings a day via the computer screen. I’m not sure that overloading our workdays with online meetings is very healthy or productive. Maybe a better balance could be found by ring-fencing times when you don’t/won’t book meetings. They interrupt the flow of your day and don’t allow for that different energy you get when you meet in person with a coffee in your hand. Someone I work with is less productive after 3pm so she schedules her Zoom calls for after then, knowing that the majority of her focused work is complete for the day.

Be present

Another aspect of behaviour that can improve our focus is the ability to be completely present. Put your phone away, get in the zone of whatever you are spending time doing and really show up. This works well for reading, learning, exercise and other pursuits that demand your full attention. Don’t let the noise get in the way. 

Focus means we fully address the thing in front of us. We can do it well, maintaining a line of thought from beginning to end. We should be able to complete projects quicker and to a higher standard. By being more careful with our time I am sure we can achieve more. I’m certainly going to keep trying. 

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