How to improve your attention span with little tricks

Do you feel like you can’t focus anymore? Like finishing a book is an impossible feat? Or that the only way to keep your mind and hands occupied is by endlessly scrolling through social media?

You’re far from alone. Decades of research suggest the average person’s attention span for a single screen has dropped to just 47 seconds — down from 2.5 minutes in 2004. A constant stream of news, global uncertainty, and hours of screen time only make things worse, experts say.

“There’s often a sense of helplessness or powerlessness when my patients talk about this,” said Dr Michael Ziffra, a psychiatrist at Northwestern Medicine. “But these behaviours can change. You can improve your attention span.”

Here are some ways to begin. As you read this, try setting a 2.5-minute timer and challenge yourself to stay with the article — no switching tabs or checking your phone.

How did we lose focus?

A shifting attention span isn’t a flaw — it’s evolutionary. Our brains are designed to scan the environment and quickly react to potential threats.

What captures our attention has changed. For our ancestors, it might have been a sudden rustle in the bushes signalling a predator. Today, it’s breaking news alerts or a flood of notifications.

The Covid pandemic distorted people’s sense of time and pushed screen use to new extremes, says Stacey Nye, a clinical psychologist at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.

Technology isn’t the only factor, but the constant pings and short-form videos chip away at our ability to focus over time.

“Our attention span has been trained to operate in quick bursts,” Nye said. “That disrupts the brain’s natural ability to stay focused.”

Take ‘active breaks’

One of the most effective ways to retrain your focus, experts say, is by taking “active” breaks. These needn’t take more than 30 minutes and can be as simple as a walk while paying attention to your surroundings or eating lunch in a different room.

Get creative — keep a list of activities or draw one at random from a bowl. Try crafts, short meditations, cooking a simple meal, or taking a stroll. Doing it with a friend can make it even more effective.

The key is to engage the brain in a physical or mindful task — not passive phone-scrolling.

When the brain feels under-stimulated, it tends to latch on to the nearest distraction. The smartphone, described by cognitive neuroscientist Cindy Lustig of the University of Michigan as “a constant change machine,” is an obvious choice.

Disable non-essential notifications and embrace ‘do not disturb’ mode — particularly before bed. Even better, put the phone in another room entirely, Lustig recommends.

Ditch multitasking

Multitasking might feel productive, but neuroscientists strongly advise against it.

“Be a single-tasker,” Nye said. “Focus on one task at a time, for a set duration, and gradually increase your tolerance.”

Lustig advocates the “Pomodoro technique” — set a timer to focus on a task for 25 or 30 minutes, followed by a five-minute break.

“I tell myself: I can do anything for this amount of time,” she said. “And everything else will still be there when I’m done.”

Find a hobby, set a goal

Hobbies help — but not just any hobbies. Lustig suggests picking activities with a clear goal or element of deliberate practice, such as playing an instrument for an audience or improving at a sport.

And start with something you genuinely like. “You don’t need to dive into heavy nonfiction," she said. “If it’s a romance novel that gets you started, go with that. You can build up from there.”

Finally, be kind to yourself. Everyone has good days and bad days. Attention span isn’t static — it can vary depending on the task or time of day.

The important thing is to be intentional about improving it. “It’s a lot like a muscle — the more we train it, the stronger it gets,” Ziffra said. “But it can weaken without regular use.”