Improving Focus and Fixing Your Attention Span
Dr. Rick and I explore how we can improve focus and fix our attention spans in a world that is constantly trying to distract us. We discuss common reasons it’s hard to focus and three key interventions that can help most people. Rick teaches approaches from mindfulness practice, and I explain how we can improve focus motivation and distress tolerance. Topics include ADHD, the role of dopamine, expanding the “Goldilocks Zone,” the practice of doing hard things, and how we can become less reliant on willpower.
You can watch this episode on YouTube.
Key Topics:
0:00: Introduction
5:25: Three key areas where we seek focus
9:10: Self-belief and inner turmoil
14:10: Three factors for sustaining focus
20:50: The goldilocks zone, physical health, and emotional preoccupation
24:40: Difficulties with meditation and mindfulness
32:40: Willpower vs. motivation
40:20: Quieting the mind
41:25: Decreasing the reward value of our distractions
48:35: Being present with others
54:05: ‘Going wide’, self-compassion, and other tactics for completing tasks
1:02:10: Choice and rumination
1:06:15: Recap
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