ClassX Video Lessons If your attention span has been hijacked, here’s how to take it back. | Amishi Jha
Have you ever wondered where your attention is right now? The human brain’s attention system is a remarkable feature that sets us apart as humans. Attention is the driving force behind our ability to think, feel, and connect with the world around us. Essentially, what we focus on shapes our lives.
Throughout our evolutionary history, our brains have faced the challenge of processing an overwhelming amount of information from our environment. Attention emerged as a crucial solution, allowing us to prioritize what matters most. However, certain aspects of human experience can disrupt our attention. Given its importance, we must be mindful of where we direct this valuable mental resource.
Just like our bodies, our minds require regular exercise to maintain optimal psychological well-being. This realization sparked my interest in exploring whether we can train our attention. My name is Amishi Jha, a neuroscientist and professor at the University of Miami, and the author of “Peak Mind: Find Your Focus, Own Your Attention, Invest 12 Minutes a Day.”
The brain’s attention system is incredibly powerful, and we utilize it in three major ways to achieve success in our daily lives:
Attention is the glue that links our thoughts. When we think, ideas come to mind, and we connect them to other ideas through attention. This process is essential for cognitive functioning.
Attention also plays a role in our emotional experiences. Consider the last time you felt joy. If you weren’t fully attentive, you might have missed the positive emotional impact of that moment.
Our social interactions rely on attention. Without it, we can’t truly care for others or experience their care. In fact, paying attention to someone is one of the highest forms of love.
Despite its power, attention is fragile and susceptible to stress, threat, and negative moods—factors that can be likened to kryptonite for attention. In today’s world, we often find ourselves in a VUCA environment: Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous. This constant state can lead to an attentional crisis.
Moreover, our brains are naturally drawn to certain types of information—threatening, novel, self-related, and entertaining. This is the essence of the ‘Attention Economy,’ where engineers design products to capture and retain our attention.
Another challenge is ‘Mental Time Travel,’ where our attention drifts to the past or future, leaving us absent from the present moment. Research shows that about 50% of our waking moments are spent away from the present.
However, there’s hope. Decades of research, including my own, have identified mindfulness training as a solution. Mindfulness meditation, which focuses on the present moment, strengthens attention. Practicing for just 12 minutes a day can develop ‘Meta-Awareness’—the ability to be conscious of our thoughts and mental processes in real-time.
Meta-Awareness empowers us to take control of our attention, allowing us to savor life’s moments and tackle challenges effectively. While it’s natural for our minds to wander, mindfulness teaches us to gently bring our focus back to the present and begin again.
By understanding and training our attention, we can enhance our mental well-being and lead more fulfilling lives.
Engage in a 12-minute guided mindfulness meditation session. Focus on your breath and bring your attention back whenever it wanders. Reflect on how this practice affects your ability to stay present and attentive in daily life.
Keep a daily journal for one week, noting moments when your attention was disrupted and what caused it. Analyze patterns and identify strategies to improve your focus based on these observations.
Participate in a group discussion about the ‘Attention Economy.’ Explore how technology and media capture your attention and brainstorm ways to manage these influences effectively.
In pairs, role-play scenarios where attention affects emotional experiences. Discuss how being fully attentive can enhance emotional connections and share insights with the class.
Attend a workshop focused on developing meta-awareness. Practice exercises that help you become more conscious of your thoughts and mental processes, and discuss how this awareness can improve your attention management.
Attention – The cognitive process of selectively concentrating on one aspect of the environment while ignoring other things. – During the lecture, the professor emphasized the importance of attention in enhancing learning and memory retention.
Mindfulness – The practice of maintaining a non-judgmental state of heightened or complete awareness of one’s thoughts, emotions, or experiences on a moment-to-moment basis. – Incorporating mindfulness into daily routines can significantly reduce stress and improve mental clarity.
Thinking – The process of using one’s mind to consider or reason about something. – Critical thinking is essential in psychology to evaluate theories and research findings effectively.
Feeling – An emotional state or reaction. – Understanding the difference between thinking and feeling is crucial in cognitive-behavioral therapy.
Connecting – The act of establishing a relationship or link between two or more things. – In psychology, connecting past experiences with present behavior can help in understanding one’s actions.
Awareness – The knowledge or perception of a situation or fact. – Developing self-awareness is a key component of emotional intelligence.
Psychology – The scientific study of the human mind and its functions, especially those affecting behavior in a given context. – Psychology provides insights into how individuals think, feel, and behave.
Cognitive – Relating to the mental processes of perception, memory, judgment, and reasoning. – Cognitive development theories explore how thinking evolves from childhood to adulthood.
Emotional – Relating to a person’s emotions. – Emotional regulation is a critical skill for managing stress and maintaining mental health.
Crisis – A time of intense difficulty, trouble, or danger, often requiring a critical decision or change. – Psychological support is crucial during a crisis to help individuals cope with their emotions and make informed decisions.
