We live and work in an increasingly disruptive world. Research shows interruptions occur about every 12 minutes in the workplace and even more frequently in other settings. Authors Dr. Adam Gazzaley, a neuroscientist, and Dr. Larry Rosen, a psychologist, explain how our ability to pay attention works and what we can do to stay focused.
- Researchers say our ability to pay attention is equal parts focusing and ignoring.
- Irrelevant information bogs down our ability to suppress distraction, especially as we age.
- To increase our ability to focus, researchers suggest both boosting our ability to concentrate as well as reducing distraction.
Source: Medium, January 18, 2019. Link. The authors share how to boost concentration and reduce distraction:
To reduce distraction –
- Use one screen, one browser window, and one computer program at a time.
- Keep your physical and virtual desktop tidy.
To increase our ability to concentrate –
- Exercise, meditation, and spending time in nature may help boost cognitive control.
- Some cognitive exercises and immersive action video games also seem to improve our ability to focus.
INSIGHTS: This article fits the challenges animal health pros face daily. We hope that AHD delivers actionable, relevant information from media sources and reduces the number of sources any individual must review to stay current.