Attention Management: Tips for Attention Management Training

Attention management refers to a collection of behaviors and habits you can use to better focus on the task at hand and prevent yourself from becoming distracted. By implementing effective attention management practices, you can mitigate external factors of distraction (like smartphone notifications or conversations with coworkers) as well as internal factors, too (like daydreaming).

With the rise of working from home—the place where we might have the greatest number of distractions at our fingertips—attention management is more important now than ever.

Attention management refers to practices specifically undertaken to increase focus, whereas time management refers to effectively scheduling out your tasks for the day and sticking to that schedule. Both attention and time management strategies often intersect, as both are extremely important to maintaining a high level of productivity.

When you increase your ability to manage your attention, you’ll reap numerous benefits in both your professional and personal life. Here are just three positives to expect from developing greater attention management skills:

1. 1. Improved focus: When you learn to more effectively manage your attention span, you can focus on one task at a time for longer. Greater focus is the ultimate goal of any attention management strategy, as this steady and constant degree of attention can lead to a flow state in which you lose track of time and find yourself fully immersed in a given task.
2. 2. Increased productivity: More focused work leads to getting more done in less time. As you improve your attention management skills, it becomes easier to follow through on any given initiative in a shorter period of time than would’ve been possible had you procrastinated. Across an entire organization, this helps all team members work together like a well-oiled machine to churn out impressive results in record time.
3. 3. Unlocked potential: When you gain power over your full attention capacity, you unlock your potential as a human being. If you find yourself constantly distracted, it’s easy to feel as if you’re ruled over by these distractions. Attention management frees you up to live a life of choice by your own rules and terms. The sooner you devote your attention and focus to achieving your goals in an efficient period, the more free time you’ll have for leisure as well.

You can do a lot to improve your attention management abilities. Keep these seven tips in mind as you strive to increase your focus and manage your attention span:

1. 1. Create a conducive work environment. Whether you work from home or in a traditional office, do your best to create a distraction-free workspace. Turn on “Do Not Disturb” capabilities on your smartphone and find a place where you can seek solitude from your coworkers when necessary. Of course, you’ll likely need to take phone calls, respond to emails and messages, and so on during the day, too—just try to schedule out periods of total focus as well.
2. 2. Focus on one task at a time. While some excel at multitasking, try to become as adept as possible at single-tasking first. When you’re able to focus entirely on a single task in the given moment, it’s easier to enter a flow state. By contrast, multitasking can easily become more distracting than empowering when it comes to completing deep work and staying focused.
3. 3. Have grace for yourself. Even the most focused people in the world still fall into spells of procrastination and daydreaming. Rather than beat yourself up for these occasional diversions, cut yourself some slack. Self-criticism can become a powerful distraction in its own right, making it more difficult to gain the confidence and wherewithal to get things done. If you notice yourself drifting off, just return your attention to the task at hand as soon as possible.
4. 4. Minimize technological distractions. Turn off notifications on your computer or smartphone when you have to focus on a specific task. Utilize apps to create a more distraction-free environment even on your device’s screen. Today’s technological devices are both distractions you’ll encounter in the average workday and effective tools you can use to stave off your mind wandering in the first place.
5. 5. Practice mindfulness. Developing a mindfulness and meditation practice in your daily life helps you become less reactive overall. As you meditate, you train yourself to notice when your mind wanders and then simply return to the object of focus (e.g., your breath). This proves just as useful when you get distracted at work and need to return your attention to the task at hand.
6. 6. Stick to a schedule. Try to develop a schedule foregrounding your most important tasks and stick to it rather than engaging in rapid-fire task-switching. When you set a schedule and commit to following it, you give each task its own dedicated time. This helps motivate you to remain attentive to one thing at a time rather than encouraging you to flit around from one task to another.
7. 7. Use time management strategies. Be proactive in using time management strategies to supplement your attention management skills. Consider the Pomodoro method, which requires you to pay attention for a certain amount of time and then take a short break at a stopping point to recharge.

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