How to Get Your Brain to Focus | Chris Bailey | TEDxManchester

The speaker began observing their own behavior a few years ago and realized their life was a continuous series of screens, from the moment they woke up until the end of the day. They started with their phone, watching cooking videos and bouncing between apps, then moved to an iPad while cooking breakfast, and subsequently to a computer for work, all while a smartwatch provided constant distractions. The phone, however, was identified as the primary culprit, consuming hours of their time daily. To address this, the speaker embarked on an experiment: limiting phone use to a maximum of 30 minutes per day for a month. This allotted time had to cover all essential activities, from using maps to calling family, listening to music, and podcasts. After about a week of adjustment to a lower level of stimulation, three significant changes occurred: their attention span grew, they found it easier to focus, and their mind generated more ideas and future plans, especially when it wandered. This personal observation led the speaker on a long journey to understand focus in a distracted world. They meticulously reviewed hundreds of research papers, creating a detailed web of interconnected notes. They also consulted experts globally and conducted further self-experiments, accumulating 25,000 words of research notes on the topic. The research revealed fascinating insights into attention spans. When working in front of a computer with a phone nearby, people focus on one task for only about 40 seconds before switching. This drops to 35 seconds when communication tools like Slack are open. The core issue, the speaker discovered, is not merely distraction but rather overstimulation. Our brains crave distraction, acting as a symptom of a deeper problem. We love tiny nuggets of information from social media and email, and our minds reward us with dopamine—a pleasure chemical—for seeking out and finding novelty. This "novelty bias" means our brains are in a hyperstimulated state, constantly bouncing between various stimulating objects of attention. Considering the phone's impact on their attention, the speaker wondered what would happen if they further reduced stimulation. The feeling of transitioning from high to low stimulation is called "boredom," a restlessness experienced when the mind is no longer constantly engaged. To explore this, the speaker challenged readers of their website to suggest the most boring activities imaginable, committing to an hour of boredom daily for a month. This led to activities such as reading iTunes terms and conditions, waiting on hold with Air Canada's baggage claims, counting zeroes in the first 10,000 digits of Pi, and watching a clock tick. Remarkably, these extreme boredom experiments yielded the same positive effects as the smartphone experiment. It took about a week for the mind to adjust to a lower stimulation level, aligning with research suggesting it takes about eight days for the mind to fully calm down, such as during a vacation. The speaker's attention span expanded further, allowing for more effortless focus because their mind, being less stimulated, no longer sought distraction. More importantly, new ideas and plans emerged because their mind had more opportunities to wander. The speaker referenced J. R. R. Tolkien's quote, "not all those who wander are lost," applying it to focus. Our best ideas often strike when we are not intensely focused, such as during a shower, when the mind can connect disparate ideas. This deliberate letting the mind wander is termed "scatter focus." Research indicates that when attention is allowed to rest, it predominantly wanders to three areas: the past (12% of the time, often recalling ideas), the present (28% of the time, solving immediate problems), and most significantly, the future (48% of the time). This "prospective bias" explains why we often plan out our entire day during a morning shower. To foster this beneficial mind-wandering, the speaker suggests engaging in simple activities that don't consume full attention. For them, it’s knitting, which helps calm nerves and sparks numerous ideas. Other examples include taking an extra-long shower or bath, walking without a phone, or simply waiting in line without digital engagement. The key is to create moments where the mind can freely roam, leading to increased creativity and problem-solving. The speaker proposes two fundamental shifts in how we approach attention. First, instead of trying to fit more into our lives, we need more space. Just as space between cars allows traffic to flow, space in our lives allows our work and ideas to progress. We are doing too much, and our minds rarely wander, which is when our best ideas emerge. Second, distraction should not be seen as the enemy of focus, but rather as a symptom of an overstimulated mind. The speaker concludes with a two-week challenge: intentionally reduce mental stimulation and observe the effects on attention, ideas, focus, and plans. This involves using phone features to reduce screen time, establishing daily disconnection rituals (like no internet from 8 PM to 8 AM), and weekly technology Sabbaths. Re-discovering boredom, even for a few minutes, is encouraged. The core message is that the state of our attention determines the state of our lives. A distracted and overstimulated life leads to a sense of overwhelm, while a calmer, less stimulated mind fosters productivity, focus, creativity, and ultimately, a better life.