Your attention span sucks.
Don’t worry, mine does too.
The modern world is built to distract us.
In 2020 in the United States, $250 billion was spent on advertising.
Yep… your attention is so valuable, people will literally pay billions to get it.
So why are you giving it away so cheaply?
I’m convinced that learning to control your attention span is the single greatest thing you can do for your self-development.
Why?
Because it’s such an incredibly rare attribute these days.
And because it’s so rare, you don’t even have to go to great lengths to make yours above average.
I’m not going to tell you to meditate twice a day, delete all your social media and reduce your screen time to 30 minutes (though this is all great stuff).
There are, however, loads of small improvements you can make that will have a huge effect on your attention span and overall enjoyment of life.
Let me tell you how I’m improving my life with slower, more mindful consumption.
Make Friends With Dopamine
I don’t want to make this blog too ‘sciencey’, but before we begin, you really need to know how much of an impact dopamine has on your life.
Dopamine regulates the brain’s reward system.
It influences how we perceive pleasure and maintain focus.
High levels of dopamine are associated with increased motivation and attention, while imbalances can lead to difficulty concentrating and susceptibility to distractions.
If you’re constantly exposing yourself to activities that elicit a high dopamine response (like scrolling through TikTok, taking drugs and listening to Skrillex), then the quiet, mundane moments are going to seem way more boring.
Over the past decade, the world has been shifting to accommodate our ever-decreasing attention spans.
Short-form videos are king.
Cricket games are now mostly 20 overs instead of 50.
And audiobooks are more popular than ever… so people can ‘multi-task’ whilst they read.
We love short sh*t.
But it’s a Catch-22, a seemingly never-ending loop.
Our attention spans are decreasing because we’re consuming more fast-paced content.
But we’re craving even faster-paced content because our attention spans are decreasing.
Scary, isn’t it?
The Pitfalls of Instant Gratification
The availability of instant gratification has taken over, and is ruining, our lives.
Access to technology makes it so easy to spike our dopamine levels and get that hit we’re craving.
The likes on social media, the swipes on dating apps, the laughs on TikTok, and the pleasure from p*rn sites.
Why go through the discomfort of meeting a girl in public when you can just swipe right from the comfort of your own bed?
Why watch a documentary and learn something new, when you can just numb your mind and forget your problems exist with a quick TikTok scroll?
People have no incentive to do hard sh*t anymore.
Why?
Because they’re constantly rewarding themselves with cheap dopamine.
But if you’re reading this, then I know you’re not one of those people.
At least, you don’t want to be.
You realise that instant gratification does not equate to prolonged enjoyment.
There are many ways to fix this.
Here are a few that have worked for me.
Practical Ways to Incorporate Slow Content
Like I said, I’m not going tell you to give up the niceties of modern life and go on a 10-day silent meditation retreat (I did this, and I can’t wait to write about it for you all).
There are ways to still consume the content you love, in a way that doesn’t throttle your dopamine levels.
Here are some things you can do right now to increase your attention span:
1. Listen To A Full Album, Stop Shuffling Music.
This sounds easy, but I can assure you it’s not.
I bet you listen to your playlists on shuffle, like everybody does.
And I bet you skip songs until you find one that matches your mood, like everybody does.
When was the last time you listened to a full album, front to back?
Yeah, there will be songs you don’t love… but that’s the point!
I listened to nothing but full albums for an entire month, and it was incredibly tough.
But this little challenge completely re-programmed my mind when it came to my music consumption.
There is something beautiful about listening to an artist’s work in the way they intended.
2. Walk In Nature Without Music
“There is no medicine you can take that has such a direct influence on your health as a walk in a beautiful forest.”
Qing Li – Forest Bathing
I’ve been called a masochist by my friends for not listening to music whilst I run.
But I find this is the only time I’m genuinely in tune with the world around me.
There is no need to have something blasting in your ears when you’re outdoors.
This is your time to switch off and reconnect.
There is something special about actually listening to the world moving around you.
If for you, like me, it’s the only time of the day when you’re actually with your own thoughts – then this is probably the biggest change you can make.
3. Eat Without Watching YouTube
“When walking, walk. When eating, eat.”
Zen Proverb
Okay… this one is tough.
When was the last time you ate your meal without any distractions?
I think this is the most difficult tip on this list, but that probably makes it the most important.
When you actually have to sit with your food and pay attention to what you’re eating, you’ll probably put more effort into what you make for yourself.
That quick, throw-together, unhealthy meal might taste a lot crappier without something distracting you whilst you eat it.
What if you were to take some time to create a hearty, healthy meal to enjoy?
And whatever you’re watching whilst you’re eating – you know you’re not going to remember it anyway.
4. Engage In Long-Form Conversations
I used to enjoy texting.
Now I hate it.
I forced myself to stop engaging in shallow, meaningless conversations through text a while ago.
And now my friendships have never been stronger.
Instead of distracting myself, and the other person, talking about random crap throughout the day, I now call them or save the chat for our next café catch-up
If talking to someone is important to you, then take the time to do it properly.
Stop checking your phone to reply to them 50 times each day.
5. Watch Long-Form Content
I’ll be honest… I struggle to sit still and finish an entire movie.
This has always been a challenge for me, and I’m crediting YouTube as the culprit.
But whenever I actually take the time to sit down and watch a movie or documentary, it’s always far more enjoyable than short-form content.
It might be uncomfortable and a bit boring at first (that’s how whack our attention spans are) but it will almost certainly be of more value to you.
Stop watching YouTube Shorts, you’re not remembering them anyway.
Remember To Sit In Silence
“All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”
Blaise Pascal
One more thing…
I said I wouldn’t tell you to meditate, and I still won’t.
But please, if you aren’t sitting with your thoughts at least a few times each week – just try it.
You don’t have to meditate, just sit.
Eyes closed, eyes open, however you want to do it.
No distractions, just silence.
Consuming slow content might change your life.
But consuming no content will change your life.
