While writing this newsletter, I was interrupted more than 10 times:)), but to be clear, no one actually interrupted me — I did it myself, calling it multitasking in my head. And instead of a couple of hours of research and one hour of writing, this article took me the WHOLE DAY, which is funny enough, because right after I realized this, I saw the research about multitasking and how it actually works. What research shows is that multitasking is not doing many things at the same time, but constantly switching between tasks, and every switch costs us time, mental energy, and focus, even when we think we are being productive, which is exactly how a simple task slowly turns into an exhausting, all-day process.
Researchers who study attention and digital behavior have been warning about this for years. Psychologist and UC Irvine professor Gloria Mark found that our attention on screens can be shockingly short — her work reports an average of about 47 seconds on any screen before attention shifts. She also highlights how costly interruptions are: it can take a long time to fully return to a task after you’ve been pulled away.
So the question becomes: how do we build focus that survives the modern world?
First, we need to accept that attention and focus is a muscle, and we all know how to train them, which is already good news :)) After reading different researchers and books like The 5 AM Club by Robin Sharma and Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence by Daniel Goleman — both very good reads — I selected the top 5 steps that feel right for starting to build this muscle:
1) Treat attention like a budget — spend it on what actually matters
Cal Newport calls deep, distraction-free concentration a competitive advantage in a distracted economy — “like a superpower.” The world rewards people who can do cognitively demanding work without constantly fragmenting their mind.
So here’s the first move:
Decide what deserves your best attention before the day starts.
Not 12 priorities or a romantic to-do list, just one “needle-moving” block.
2) Stop relying on willpower — design your environment instead
Stanford behavior scientist BJ Fogg teaches that behavior happens when Motivation, Ability, and a Prompt converge (his “B=MAP” model).
If your phone is next to you, pinging you, and your work is hard, your brain will do the most logical thing — escape.
So if you want more focus, reduce friction and remove prompts. Turn off all non-human notifications (you decide when to check, not the apps). Close your inbox and Slack/DM tabs unless your job literally requires constant monitoring. Full-screen your work (sounds small; changes everything).
Practical upgrades (pick 2–3, not all):
– Put your phone in another room during focus blocks (not face down — gone).
– Turn off all non-human notifications (you decide when to check, not the apps).
– Close your inbox and Slack/DM tabs unless your job literally requires constant monitoring.
– Full-screen your work (sounds small; changes everything).
– Have a single “distraction dump” note: when you remember something, you write it there instead of switching tasks.
3) Train attention directly — 12 minutes a day
Neuroscientist and psychology professor Amishi Jha (University of Miami) has studied attention under stress and developed mindfulness-based attention training programs designed for high-demand environments.
One of the simplest, research-backed ideas here is that attention improves when you practice returning it.
Not when you “never get distracted.” Getting distracted is normal. The rep is the return.
Try this daily (12 minutes):
– Set a timer for 12 minutes.
– Put your attention on your breath (or sound).
– You will drift:)
– Each time you notice you drifted, label it gently (“thinking”), and come back.
I tried this yesterday, and 12 minutes felt like forever, but when I started to approach it like a workout, it became much easier.
4) Use your biology: work in focus sprints, then break
If you try to force focus endlessly, you’ll lose — and then you’ll blame yourself.
Some popular science communicators (including Huberman Lab) discuss ultradian cycles — roughly 90-minute focus rhythms — and recommend working in aligned blocks with breaks to sustain attention.
You don’t have to be perfect with timing. The point is structure.
A simple structure that works in real life:
– 60–90 minutes: deep focus (one task)
– 10–15 minutes: real break (walk, water, no scrolling)
– Repeat once more if you can
If you can do two real focus blocks, you will already be a step ahead.
5) Build “flow” conditions — because focus is design + meaning
Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s work on flow (“optimal experience”) describes the state where you’re fully immersed, time shifts, and performance rises.
Flow happens more often when:
– the goal is clear,
– the challenge is real but doable,
– the feedback loop is immediate,
– distractions are removed.
So ask yourself:
What would make this task more like a game and less like punishment?
Can you define a win for the next 45 minutes?
Can you make it measurable?
Can you raise the challenge slightly so your brain gets engaged?
And a bonus thing that works personally with me all the time — I love compliments and being rewarded. So I tell myself that after I finish 90 minutes of deep focus on one task, I reward myself with matte tea and milk chocolate raisins from Whole Foods (try it!!!). I also tell myself three to five compliments about how genius I am:))) This was convincing enough for me to finish the task. I have no idea what professors and researchers will say about this:)) but it works perfectly for me. Share your methods — I would truly love to hear them and share them with the community. If you’re still here, this means that very soon focus will be your second name :))