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In an era where digital devices and social media dominate our lives, maintaining focus and attention has become a significant challenge. Dr. Evita Singh, a psychiatrist with Ohio State's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Health, has developed a tool called "Take Five" to help combat this issue.
Stress, anxiety, and sleep deprivation are among the top reasons for a short attention span, according to recent studies. While a shorter attention span may allow individuals to move through excessive information more quickly, it can also affect the quality of information they retain. If the "Take Five" method is not effective or if a lack of focus is significantly affecting daily life, Singh recommends seeking help from a mental health professional.
The "Take Five" tool consists of five steps: T - Take breaks often, A - Actively engage in just one task at hand, K - Keep distractions to a minimum, E - Eliminate multitasking, and Five - Spend five minutes refocusing with a small workout, mindfulness, or an enjoyable activity.
Regular breaks help prevent mental fatigue and maintain sustained concentration over time. Focusing deliberately on the current activity reduces mind-wandering and enhances productivity. Minimising external interruptions supports better concentration, while removing irrelevant sensory input or multitasking helps preserve cognitive resources for the primary task.
Singh encourages aiming for a five- to 10-minute tech break at least once an hour, especially when aimlessly scrolling through social media. Digital devices often serve as sources of distraction and facilitate multitasking, which can negatively impact attention spans.
Multitasking can lead to mental exhaustion, making it difficult to enjoy activities and potentially contributing to feelings of depression or anxiety. The brain struggles to process multiple streams of information simultaneously, often leading to decreased focus, increased distractibility, and reduced cognitive performance.
Dr. Singh hopes "Take Five" will help individuals train their brains to focus better. However, she predicts that attention spans will continue to shrink, driven by the trend towards shorter videos and quick, easily digestible content. Approximately 25% of respondents in the Ohio State survey reported no trouble with their attention span.
In conclusion, Dr. Evita Singh's "Take Five" tool offers a simple yet effective strategy to improve attention span and focus in the digital age. By following the steps and making conscious efforts to manage their environment and mental habits, individuals can reduce distraction and improve sustained attention, making it a practical method in today's age of pervasive digital and environmental distractions.
- To boost one's mental health and overall focus, individuals can incorporate elements of science and health-and-wellness into their digital life. This could involve regular fitness-and-exercise breaks, mindfulness, or enjoyable activities, as suggested by the "Take Five" tool.
- Even with tools like "Take Five" at hand, it's crucial to acknowledge that mental health issues like anxiety and stress can affect attention spans significantly. In such cases, seeking professional help from a mental health specialist is advisable.
- The media landscape, dominated by digital devices and quick, easily digestible content, can negatively impact attention spans over time. Reducing multitasking, minimizing distractions, and taking regular nutrition-conscious breaks from tech use can help combat this trend and promote better focus and long-term cognitive performance.
