In a world with shorter and shorter attention spans, the ability to focus for long stretches of hours almost feels like a superpower. In order to get that superpower, you have to understand something about yourself:
Your body runs on two things: calories and dopamine.
Take either of those away, and you won’t be able to do anything. (Let’s forget about water for a second, OK?… You know what? in fact, let’s not forget about it- stay hydrated. There… That’s all you will ever need to know about water.) Assuming you eat real food, exercise regularly (or at least try to…), and that you are within limits of a healthy BMI, we can concentrate on dopamine.
There are so many things influencing dopamine, that this topic could turn into an entire book. In fact, there are many books about it, and at least one really good one. However, always remember the law of diminishing returns- it pays greatly to know the basics and adjust accordingly, it pays less and less to know every minor detail and optimize the remaining 5%.
That being said, the biggest player in your overall focus and alertness will be your sleep. If you don’t sleep well, no quick tip or anything I’d say will help move the needle. Get good sleep and then you can spend time learning about everything else. There will be a post about sleep very soon, so stay tuned (and let me know in the comments or through email, what else would be interesting for you).
Why is it so hard to focus on one task for a long time? The reasons are plentiful, and in my humble opinion not entirely understood… otherwise, scientists would have already found a way to allow us to focus all day without side effects. But, just because they’re still working on that one, doesn’t mean that you can’t optimize the things we already DO understand…
Why can’t you focus immediately and for as long as you want? Well, unfortunately, your willpower is limited! That’s one reason why the later the day gets, the harder it is for you to make decisions. You should, in fact, make the important decisions earlier in the day. This is also the reason why so many successful people tackle the biggest task early in the morning- when both focus and willpower are at their full capacity.
But what if you need to focus RIGHT NOW and don’t have time for people telling you that “you shouldn’t eat junk food, and that you shouldn’t stay up late”?
Look, I get it, you came here for instant help (and you won’t be disappointed). But first, let me just remind you: there are no free lunches; get your values straight, manage your schedule, and then concentrate on enhancing your focus. Without the other two, not even the best performance-enhancing drugs could help you out in the long run.
Ok, that being said, here are a collection of things you can do to enhance your focus:
Shame-based practices (as well as love-based practices) really work; You can write a check to an organization you hate, and give it to a friend who will cash it if you don’t deliver what you promised. Why does this work? Well, Epinephrine (adrenaline),1 promotes autonomic arousal, which leads to more dopamine- so just by thinking about the chance that YOU would help a political party, or any other organization, that you hate... makes the rage bubble up inside you, and will give you a 'mission' to motivate and focus you.
You can try to trick your brain, by telling yourself that you really love the task in front of you. I know this sounds stupid, but it actually works. For the most part of my life, I hated repetitive tasks in front of the screen… however, with this technique, I can copy-paste numbers and links for hours (without wanting to kill myself.)
General focus, in the brain, is anchored to visual focus: so, if you visually focus on something, you trigger the release of norepinephrine2, epinephrine, and acetylcholine3. Try visually focusing on one spot for 60-120 seconds! That’s all it takes! (It helps even more, if this spot is roughly at the same distance from you as the work that you want to focus on will be).
You can even try blinking less! The more you can maintain that mental tunnel focus - the more you will be able to focus. However, there is a reason you and I blink, so don’t overdo this one.
Our attention drifts all the time, which is normal, but we have to re-anchor it. We have to consciously keep bringing it back. The problem with having your smartphone readily available, is that you are missing out on that ‘bringing it back’ part- you are deliberately untraining your brain to focus. So get rid of your smartphone (you don’t have to throw it to the bin, just put it out of sight and on airplane mode), and anything that provides cheap dopamine when you have to focus.
If you are low on energy and can’t focus try a 10 min NSDR protocol.4
Maybe what you lack is not focus but motivation? You can find 10 ways for insatnt motivation here.
Ok, now we enter the dangerous territory of advice, supplements, so i’ll tread lightly: I’m not a doctor, and I don’t play one on the internet. So before taking anything, consult with your health care professional. However, there are multiple studies that show the positive effects of 300mg DHA (Omega 3 fatty acids) daily, on the ability to focus.
That’s all the things you can do to immediately enhance focus. Well, all but one: it turns out that a single meditation session of roughly 15 minutes can significantly improve your focus in a near-permanent way. Not a 15min session per day, week, month, or year… a SINGLE 15min meditation session. So, do you still think meditation isn’t worth trying?
If you don’t know how to get started with meditation read the second part of this post.
If there aren’t many ways of enhancing focus, the number one thing you can do is to avoid things that drain your focus and willpower.
You probably know best what is draining your focus, however, I’m guessing that one of those things, is your smartphone. Here is another post that might help you to stop playing with it.
In addition to that, having a daily routine helps make the right decisions. If you don’t know by now, I am a big fan and believer in habits, routines, and most importantly - systems. I always try to install new, good habits, throughout my day and get rid of bad ones. I treat it as a game, and I’m not too hard on myself if I fail, as long as I keep trying and learning. I encourage you to do the same.
Before I’ll let you go today, here is a quick recap of focus management:
Sleep - fix your sleep first, and then optimize everything else
Take conscious breaks: do yoga, meditation or NSDR
Avoid cheap dopamine at all cost
Install shame (and love) based techniques
Try visually focusing on one spot for 60-120s
Do a single 15 min meditation
Try a daily dose of 300mg DHA
There is so much more to talk about… but remember: get the basics down first.
Until then, have a successful day
GNF
Feel free to use the comment section for your questions, or answer this email. I read every email myself and try to answer quickly. If you want a one-on-one session where I help you increase your focus, check out my offer on gumroad.
Epinephrine/Adrenaline is involved in many important bodily functions such as fight-or-flight responses, heart outputs, pupil dilation responses, and blood sugar levels.
Norepinephrine/ Noradrenaline’s general function, is to mobilize the brain and body for action, it increases arousal and alertness, promotes vigilance, and focuses attention.
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(Epinephrine and norepinephrine are very similar neurotransmitters and hormones. While epinephrine has slightly more of an effect on your heart, norepinephrine has more of an effect on your blood vessels.)
Acetylcholine is the organic chemical that neurons of the nervous system release in order to activate muscles.
NSDR (non-sleep deep rest) is a tool that allows you to control the relaxation of your overall state of mind, by using a specific form of breathing to slow your heart rate down.