A few years ago, I stumbled upon an app called “Track Your Happiness.” The premise of the app was quite simple; at random points throughout the day, the app would ask me to report my mood, and ask me what I was doing, allowing me to discover what makes me happy. I immediate downloaded the app and faithfully reported my emotional state throughout the day.
It turns out, the app was part of a study conducted by psychologists Matthew A. Killingsworth and Daniel T. Gilbert of Harvard University. After collecting data from over 2,200 volunteers (including me) they discovered an interesting pattern: when people reported negative emotions, they were more likely to report that they were not fully focused on the task at hand – no matter what that task is. In other words, when our minds wander, we are unhappy. And according to this study’s findings, our minds wander for approximately 46.9 percent of our waking hours.
Do we really spend nearly 50% of our day not focused on what we are doing? In their book “The One Thing,” authors Gary Keller and Jay Papasan report that the typical worker is interrupted approximately every 11 minutes. Those interruptions take a real toll; according to distraction researcher Gloria Mark, it takes an average of 25 minutes to recover from those distractions and re-focus to the task at hand.
It isn’t just distractions that throw off our focus; many of us choose to multi-task our way through the workday. The problem is, according to Earl Miller, a neuroscientist at MIT and expert on divided attention, we just weren’t built to multi-task. According to Miller, “when people think they’re multitasking, they’re actually just switching from one task to another very rapidly. And every time they do, there’s a cognitive cost in doing so.” But many of us are convinced that multi-tasking is effective, even rewarding, because of a dopamine feedback loop which rewards our brain for breaking our focus and searching for different external stimulation.
So, if you are in the habit of multi-tasking, or find that your day is full of distractions, how do you learn to stay focused on one task?
One simple technique you can use to help improve your focus is the Pomodoro Method. Named for the tomato-shaped timer used by Francesco Cirillo (who developed the method), the technique is quite simple. Select a task that you will work on for 25 minutes; set a timer (it doesn’t need to be a tomato), and turn off ALL distractions: turn off mail notifications, silence the phone, close the office door, close your web browser (or if you are working online, close all other tabs). Commit to focusing solely on the task for 25 minutes; at 25 minutes, give yourself a 5 minute “reward” break when you can check emails, text messages, social media, etc. After you’ve repeated this pattern 4 times, give yourself a longer reward break.
At first it won’t be easy; habits take time to form – in his book “Making Habits, Breaking Habits,” psychologist Jeremy Dean found that it takes on average 66 days, depending on the complexity of the new behavior, for a new habit to stick. So even if you fail to make it the entire 25 minutes the first few times you try, keep it up. Once this new “deep work” behavior becomes a habit, you’ll find that you are able to complete more tasks and – bonus – find yourself happier too!
Kim Price is an exceptionally gifted instructional designer and online learning content producer.
Kim fondly remembers her first computer: a TRS-80. It didn’t have any games or programs, so with the help of a BASIC programming book, she learned to write simple programs for herself. This marked the beginning of her lifetime love for computer technology!
Kim’s love for technology opened the doors for her to teach in higher education; first at the College of Southern Nevada, and later at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. With over a decade teaching experience in higher education, Kim realized her passion for designing and facilitating learning experiences that make smart people even smarter. She continues to cultivate her passion for teaching and technology as a technology trainer in higher education.
