#338: How to Beat Distraction and Stay Focused

#338: How to Beat Distraction and Stay Focused

If you’re like me, you have a love-hate relationship with your digital devices. On the one hand, they give us access to unlimited amounts of information, connect us with friends and family, and allow us to work from pretty much anywhere. On the other hand, they can captivate our attention so much that we feel distracted and angsty. And try as we might, we often find it hard to ignore the itch to stop scrolling through Instagram and really listen to what a loved one is saying. Why do these devices feel so dang addictive?
My guest today is a neuroscientist who’s studied that question in depth. His name is Adam Gazzaley and he’s the founder of Gazzaley Labs at the University of California at San Francisco. There, he and his team have researched what goes on in our brains when we use our digital devices, why they distract us, and what we can do about it.
Today on the show, Adam and I discuss the science of distraction and focus. Adam walks us through the cognitive functions we use to focus our attention and to avoid distraction. He then explains why these evolved cognitive functions are mismatched to today’s constantly buzzing digital devices, using a theory of optimal food foraging borrowed from biology. We then discuss action steps grounded in science on how you can beat distraction and stay more focused throughout the day. We end our conversation talking about Adam’s work creating prescription video games (yes, prescription) that can be used to help elderly patients and individuals with ADHD.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Episoder(1158)

Books, Routines, and Habits: The Founders’ Guide to Self-Improvement

Books, Routines, and Habits: The Founders’ Guide to Self-Improvement

Note: This is a rebroadcast.A lot of self-improvement advice and content feels empty. And there’s a reason for that. It often offers routines and habits to practice, but doesn’t offer a strong, overar...

1 Jul 202545min

Ancient Buddhist Principles for Modern Life’s Dilemmas

Ancient Buddhist Principles for Modern Life’s Dilemmas

When you’re feeling stressed, burnt out, and anxious — when you’re striving and achieving but still finding yourself persistently dissatisfied with life — you might start looking for answers beyond wh...

24 Jun 202551min

How to Turn Vices Into Career-Advancing Virtues

How to Turn Vices Into Career-Advancing Virtues

What if the traits you’ve been taught to suppress your entire career are actually the very qualities that separate those who get what they want from those who stay stuck waiting for recognition that n...

17 Jun 202554min

Men Don't Run in the Rain — And 7 Other Essential Lessons for Being a Man

Men Don't Run in the Rain — And 7 Other Essential Lessons for Being a Man

When Rick Burgess was growing up, his father, Bill Burgess, was also his football coach. But Bill was a mentor on and off the field not only for his own son but for the many young men he coached at bo...

10 Jun 202553min

The Making of a Supreme Commander — How Eisenhower Became the Leader Who Delivered Victory on D-Day

The Making of a Supreme Commander — How Eisenhower Became the Leader Who Delivered Victory on D-Day

That Dwight D. Eisenhower became Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in Europe, orchestrating the largest amphibious invasion in history on June 6, 1944, was far from inevitable.He came from the mi...

3 Jun 202550min

How to Have the Manners and Charm of a Proper English Gentleman

How to Have the Manners and Charm of a Proper English Gentleman

The British just seem like a classier bunch. Part of it is that winning accent. But it's also because English culture has long been steeped in the tradition of learning and practicing etiquette.Here t...

27 Mai 202549min

Become a Master of Uncertainty

Become a Master of Uncertainty

Uncertainty is a constant of human existence. How will market conditions affect your new business venture? What will be the results of the medical test you just took? Will a new relationship work out?...

20 Mai 202550min

Building Tribe — How to Create and Sustain Communities of Men

Building Tribe — How to Create and Sustain Communities of Men

Community is one of life's most valuable but increasingly scarce resources. While we hear about a supposed epidemic of male loneliness, many men still resist joining groups or struggle to maintain inv...

13 Mai 202546min

Populært innen Fakta

mikkels-paskenotter
fastlegen
dine-penger-pengeradet
relasjonspodden-med-dora-thorhallsdottir-kjersti-idem
foreldreradet
treningspodden
rss-strid-de-norske-borgerkrigene
jakt-og-fiskepodden
rss-bisarr-historie
hverdagspsyken
sinnsyn
gravid-uke-for-uke
fryktlos
tomprat-med-gunnar-tjomlid
rss-kunsten-a-leve
level-up-med-anniken-binz
rss-kull
takk-og-lov-med-anine-kierulf
hagespiren-podcast
uroskolen