Brain Training: How to Stay Focused and Stop Multitasking

The flexibility of online life, connected life, and mobile life is turning your brain to mush. Do one thing at a time.

Stever Robbins,
Episode #372

I've been reading a lot about how multitasking and technology is rewiring our brains. There is now research showing that technology causes our brains to develop differently. Or at least, I think there is, because I've only really skimmed the first couple paragraphs of the articles. OK, OK. Truthfully, I've read the headlines. And that's the limit of how much I can pay attention.

Sadly, this is becoming a serious issue. Yesterday, one of the articles talked about how many people are literally unable to read a full article without checking mail, getting distracted, and some serious multitasking. While reading that article, I probably checked email twice and Facebook twice. I realized that the evil brain training has happened to me, and it is not happy-making. I no longer know how to focus and how to stay focused. The all-knowing Gods of Silicon Valley are doing this quite consciously. Steve Jobs strictly limited his kids' screen time. He knew exactly what damage his products do to the brain. Perhaps someday they'll stop being greedy psychopaths and invent a product that helps us, rather than hurts us. On the other hand ... my Apple stock is doing really well, and that's what matters!

1980s Rules!

As we know from my recent episode on decision-making, it's easier to adopt absolute rules than make nuanced decisions. Where can we find rules that restore our brains and teach us how to focus? We just need to return to the pre-high-tech bastion of sanity, the 1980s. So, get out your leg warmers and your neon dance clothes. Practice your moves from Flash dance, feather your hair, and grab your mascara. And ladies, what are you waiting for? You can't let the men have all the fun, you should also get out your 1980s outfits.

The basic principle is easy: physically remove the possibility for distraction, then just keep your brain on one task. In the 1980s, phones were attached to the walls, so you could only make phone calls in certain physical locations. There were only three major TV networks, shows only came on at certain times, and time shifting was difficult. When you were driving, you couldn't make calls. Generally, when you were doing one thing, it was hard to do something else because physically, the option didn't exist. Maybe you could be on the phone and watch TV, but generally, multitasking as we now know it was quite rare. Even the word "multitasking" was just a buzzword in the IT world that no one else had ever heard.

Pay Attention When Reading

My brain dysfunction became clear with reading. Any article over 300 words is actually hard for me to read. I lose interest after the first few paragraphs and it requires serious effort to keep focus. The new rule: when you start reading an article, you have to finish. That's the rule. If you read the first paragraph, you must read all the way to the end. This will be hard at first, but force yourself. Train your brain the way a Jane Fonda aerobics videotape trains your body! This is the 1980s, back in living color!

You'll discover this does two things: it helps you keep your mind focused, and you'll quickly learn to be more conscious of which links you choose to click.


About the Author

Stever Robbins


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