Why You Can't Focus (And What Actually Helps)

Season 3, Episode 5

You don't have a discipline problem; you have an environment problem. 

In today's episode, I'm breaking down how technology is designed to fragment your focus, and what you can actually do about it. 

From phone habits to notifications to deep work (concept coined by the book Deep Work by Cal Newport), this is a practical guide to protecting your attention so you can create with clarity. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:14

Hey there, and welcome back to your next chapter, the podcast for women who read, write, and live creatively. I'm your host, Rebecca Hasselak. And today we are following up on the episode from last week. Last week was all about setting boundaries to protect our creative work. And this week we are specifically zeroing in on technology boundaries because let's face it, technology has a way to really consume us if we're not careful. So let's dig in. Most people don't struggle with discipline. They struggle with environments that make focus nearly impossible. So a lot of the time we might hear someone say, Oh, I can't focus. It's so hard to focus. But then we realize, okay, their phone is sitting face up next to them. They're getting notifications. They are also being pulled away by the notifications on their desktop device, showing them that another email has rolled in. And they might also be in a physical environment where they're hearing other people's conversations or there's road noise or something that isn't conducive to really good creative work. So obviously, today we're not talking about the road noise or the people's conversations or things like that. We're talking about just the technology come in, but that is a huge component. And there is so much research out there now. I was reading something about the fact that even just having your phone in the same room as you, even if you have it upside down, even if you have it in Do Not Disturb, if it is in the same room as you, it is stealing your attention. And that's scary and also kind of crazy. But I worked with the CEO of a company for a long time. And he wrote an article once for, I forget which outlet it was, but he was writing about a practice that he had cultivated over time, which was actually leaving his phone in his car every day when he got home from work. And he was kind of talking about the same thing where it was just like if it was even around, he felt the compulsion to check it, which we all do. And so, in order to be present with his family and to leave the office at the office, he would actually leave it in his car from like 6 to 9 p.m. and be able to just really show up for his family in that way. So that was a really cool tip. And that is a tip I will leave you with. But I also have plenty of others. So just know this you're not failing at focus. You are operating in a system that is designed to fragment it. The problem with technology, the problem with all of these different apps and tools is that the vast majority are actually engineered to, well, to create addiction is not really overstating it, but to at least pull you back in and grab your attention. That is literally what they're created for because they are able to get more money, more advertising, more funding, more sales if they are able to prove that users are actively in their systems for longer periods of time. So it all goes back to money, which so many things do, but that's not our problem to solve. What we need to figure out is how to manage ourselves, how to set boundaries with our technology in order to protect our creativity and our own goals. So here's the problem. It's great to say, well, I'm just gonna be disciplined. I won't look at my phone while I'm working, but that's way too vague. And the fact is that discipline alone doesn't work, unfortunately, even if you think you are an incredibly disciplined person. There's just too many decisions, too many interruptions, and the constant dopamine pull of all of these notifications. So the solution is to change your defaults, not your willpower. A few things that break focus, which are obvious and we've already kind of talked about, but phone notifications, switching between apps, even having multiple tabs open on your computer, which is the one I am still guilty of. Above all these, I've I've really done a lot to be careful about my technology use and my guardrails and my boundaries, but I do end up being that person with like 45 tabs open and it becomes overwhelming. And I can feel my brain going, oh my gosh. And then eventually there reaches a point where I'm like, just shut them all, burn them all down, and we're gonna start over. I don't recommend that approach. I recommend maybe keeping just a couple tabs open at a time, maybe even one. And when I do write, I open up Scrivener and I do close down all my other tabs because just mentally I need to know that those tabs are not open. It does something mentally when you're aware that all of these individual screens are vying for your attention. But the other thing is just constant checking. Every single interruption resets your attention. I would say I am above average with protecting my ability to be present with my family. I have tried very hard to focus on that. I work very hard to not look at my phone when I'm having a conversation. I try to protect my creativity with technology. So I would say I'm definitely above average in these things. And still, I have been noticing recently that when I'm in the house and I'm going anywhere, like maybe I go upstairs just to get something I need, like, oh, I left my headphones upstairs or whatever. I go upstairs and I grab my phone and I bring it with me. And then I've been trying to be aware of that. And I'm thinking to myself, I don't need my phone to go upstairs. I'm not gonna need to call someone in the 30 seconds it's taking me to walk upstairs and downstairs. Why am I bringing it with me? But it's just such a habit and it's so ingrained in us. And there are other times where I'll just pick it up and navigate to my email and I realize, oh my gosh, I literally just hacked my email like two minutes ago and I knew there wasn't anything new. And even if there was, do I have to know about it right now? And the answer is no, almost all the time. Like I don't, it's not an urgent situation. And if it was urgent, someone would probably call me. So becoming aware of it is one of the first steps because even when we think we have it under control, a lot of the time you might start to notice you don't if you are actually honest with yourself and pay attention. I sure have. So, what is the solution? When it comes to creativity and this topic, my favorite book is called Deep Work, and it's by Cal Newport. C-A-L Newport. Deep work. I highly recommend it. It is so powerful, but the core principle behind it is that your attention is your most valuable resource. Tech should be structured around protecting it, not consuming it. So when Mr. Newport, I was gonna call him Cal, but I don't think we have that kind of relationship. So we'll just go with Mr. Newport. When he talks about deep work, that is the work that is uninterrupted, focused time that is spent on something meaningful. So when I am writing my novels, I am engaging in deep work. I love it. Deep work is my favorite kind of work. It's also scarce, right? Because how often do we have those uninterrupted times to really focus on something meaningful? So when we do, we need to make it count. It matters because when you're allowed to get into a state of deep work, you can have a higher quality output, you're gonna make faster progress, and you're going to have more satisfaction. So, what are your defaults? How can you get into a true state of deep work without all of these things pinging you and pulling you out of your focus? Here are a few ideas. One is to just put your phone in the other room. You know, I mentioned that already. I think that would actually be really good for me. As a mom and as a mom who regularly gets anxious, I feel tethered to my phone because I want to make sure that my family can reach me if they need to. But what I have started doing is putting my phone in do not disturb mode and making sure that if my kids were to call me, my partner were to call me, my parents were to call me, or either of the schools were to call me, that would override my silence settings and I would be able to receive a phone call. So that makes me feel better because then any other notifications are not that important, frankly. At least not in the moment right now. You know, I I care about everyone who wants to contact me, but it's not something I need to stop work for unless it's one of those people or one of those places. So if I put in do not disturb and actually put it in the other room, that would be even better. Because as I mentioned, even just having it sitting here, even if it's face down, even if it's on do not disturb, I am much more likely to pick it up and check it every so often, which steals my attention and breaks my focus. So that's something I think I'm gonna try. Another thing is to turn your notifications off. I mean, my mom thinks it's funny because my phone is on silent, but notifications drive me insane. I hate them. And also they do steal your focus if you're in the middle of trying to focus. So for me, I like to put my phone on silent, and then if I do, do not disturb, that accomplishes both things. It can be silent, but I can know and feel assured that if someone important needs to reach me, they'll be able to. The other thing is just keeping one tab open at a time. It honestly gives your brain a little bit of a breather to only have one tab to focus on and not feel pulled between each of them. You can also set work windows 30 to 60 minutes. I'm on one tab, I'm on one task, my phone is in the other room, I have a timer set, and when that timer goes off, then I can check something. I can break out of this focus and I can do whatever else I want to do at that time. A couple other things that Mr. Newport mentions in Deep Work is that technology needs to earn its place. If you are adding a new app or joining a new program, don't just do it because you've heard cool things about it or it sounds like it might be slightly beneficial. It needs to earn its place. Does it add value to your life? Does it add value to your current projects? Does it add value, enough value that it justifies the attention it might take? So really, really be honest with yourself about that. You can also schedule time for specific things. So I mentioned the work block. I like those blocks of deep focus. When I'm writing, I'll try to usually set them for like, I usually do two hours, is kind of the sweet spot for me where I can just get really lost in my deep work, really entrenched in it. And it gives me enough time to go deep and go far without feeling like, oh my gosh, now I'm super hungry and getting distracted that way. So for me, I like to do that. But you can also schedule time during your week or during your days for specific technologies. For instance, maybe you check your email at nine in the morning and at 1 p.m. Schedule it. And that way you're not compulsively going back and checking your email because do you need to check it at 9 and 9.30 and 9.32 and 9.46? I mean, you get the point, right? No, and every time you do, your focus is broken. You're training your brain to expect this form of stimulation, which is also dangerous because our brains are just getting way too used to constant stimulation, and they need to be able to have rest, have stillness, and not be so compulsive. The next one ties into this because it's embrace boredom. Deep work, the book, talks about this. And I'm a big proponent of this. I do this even sometimes. My daughter doesn't like it very much. But in the car, sometimes she'll be like, Can we put on a song? And I'll say, you know what? No, we're gonna not have any input for a few minutes, and we're gonna let our brains just sort of wander. And she's not a big fan of that. And I get it because we're so used to having constant stimulation. But I find it to be really helpful. Our brains need some quiet moments in our life. So when you're at the grocery store, I challenge myself to do this too. Don't just immediately pull out your phone. Like, someone didn't just text you in the moment between when you grabbed sweet potatoes and got to the checkout stand. Like the odds of that happening are very slim. Probably no one texted you since last time you looked at it. You might not have a new email. So why are you just opening up apps because you can't stand and look around you for two minutes? You know, it's crazy when you think about it, but all of us do it. So try to embrace boredom. If you're sitting outside, be outside. Notice your senses. If you're on a walk, try a walk. I almost said try a naked walk. And I don't mean a naked walk, I mean a walk that is free of sensory input. I don't know why that's the expression that came to me. Anyway, I'm saying give your brain a break and try to do that regularly. The more you catch yourself being compulsive with your phone and your computer and all your apps and everything, the more opportunity you have to make little adjustments. And every little adjustment, every brain break you give yourself, every time you resist the urge, you are strengthening your brain and you are protecting your creativity. Also, Deepwork recommends using website blockers. I have never experimented with those because the reality is that when I'm writing, I want to be writing. And so all I really need to do is put my phone in Do Not Disturb, close down my tabs, and open up Scrivener. I'm not going to be tempted to go jump over to Google unless I need to actually like research something for the book. So that hasn't really been necessary for me. But if you find that you're someone who's just constantly opening up tabs or drawn to certain websites and you just can't quit, website blockers are a thing. There's also an app called Freedom. I know I've heard about it. I don't remember if it was from that book or just hearing about it more generally. I think that also helps you manage your technology use on your phone and possibly your computer. So maybe worth looking into. But the point is you need to be intentional because if you're not, technology will steal your productivity, your attention, and ultimately your creativity. So when you are thinking about this, remember that focus isn't just time, it's also energy. So everything that pulls your focus away for a second is also pulling your energy away. So try to protect the mornings if possible. That's usually when creativity thrives, but everybody's different, so you might have your own time. Try to protect post-workout clarity. Those endorphins are just excellent for creativity. Try to give yourself quiet windows, even if they're little micro windows during the day where you can just be quiet, enjoy stillness, have a moment. Even if you're feeling bored, be proud of that. Like I kind of get excited if my brain feels a little bit bored because I'm never bored. I always have a million things I'm thinking of. And I'm sort of like, wow, yes, I've had a moment of stillness whenever that feeling does creep in. And also don't schedule creative work when you're depleted. Know yourself, know when you're gonna work best, and try to schedule it around that. So just remember that small shifts can really change everything. Before checking your phone, define a clear task and stop while you have energy and try to just be aware. Like I said before, the more you start noticing where technology pulls you away, the more you can do something about it and you can be practical and find solutions that actually work for you. I've given you a lot of options. Read deep work and see what else the author has to offer. But remember that you're not someone who tries to focus, but you're someone who builds an environment where focus happens. Build an environment that is conducive to focus, you guys. You're worth it. Your art is worth it. And just remember discipline is exhausting, but defaults are sustainable. And I want to leave you with a quick quote from one of my favorites who is uh Ralph Waldo Emerson. I love his quotes. I will be honest, I actually have never read any of his complete works, which I probably should, but he has some of the best quotes out there, you guys. Love his quotes. And he says concentration is the secret of strength. So I challenge you to defend your concentration and in so doing, protect your creativity. I hope this helps you. And until next time, keep creating and keep turning the page.