Key insights

• 🧠 Attention span is susceptible to external stimuli, triggering responses in the brain and leading to distractions.
• 🧠 Understanding the impact of environment and technology on distractibility can aid in improving attention span.
• 🧠 Dealing with internal cues like intrusive thoughts requires behavioral inhibition to maintain focus on the task at hand.
• 🧠 Writing down distractions and training outside of work time can strengthen behavioral inhibition.
• 🧠 Practicing tasks that go against instincts, delaying gratification, and mindfulness help build behavioral inhibition.

Q&A

• What are some key habits for building behavioral inhibition?

  Practicing tasks that go against instincts, such as delaying gratification, and engaging in mindfulness activities like focusing on breath and attention can effectively train the ability to inhibit behavior and refocus attention.

• How can behavioral inhibition be strengthened?

  Behavioral inhibition can be strengthened by writing down distractions and important internal thoughts to address them later, as well as training outside of work time to improve this ability, akin to exercising a muscle.

• How do humans respond to internal cues and intrusive thoughts?

  Humans, unlike animals, also respond to internal cues and intrusive thoughts. Dealing with these thoughts requires behavioral inhibition, which involves not acting on distractions and maintaining focus on the task at hand.

• What are some tips to improve attention span?

  To improve attention span, one can change their environment, use technology to reduce distractibility, practice behavioral inhibition, and train outside of work time to strengthen focus.

• How can neuroscience and psychology help understand attention span?

  Neuroscience and psychology provide insights into how the brain responds to distractions and competing motivations, helping understand why attention span may waver and how it can be improved.

• What is attention span?

  Attention span is the ability to stay focused on a task for the intended duration without being distracted by external or internal stimuli.

• 00:00 🧠 Understanding attention span and how to improve it with neuroscience and psychology. Tips to focus on your goals and avoid getting distracted by competing motivations.
• 01:27 Humans are easily distracted by external stimuli, which trigger a series of responses in the brain, leading to a lack of focus. Ideal attention span involves staying focused on a task for the intended duration, but our brains are naturally prone to distractions.
• 03:10 Humans and animals share the tendency to get distracted, but humans also respond to internal cues and intrusive thoughts. To improve attention, changing the environment and using technology can help reduce distractibility.
• 05:02 Dealing with internal cues like intrusive thoughts require behavioral inhibition, which involves not acting on distractions and maintaining focus on the task at hand.
• 06:48 To increase behavioral inhibition when working, write down distractions and important internal thoughts to address them later. Train outside of work time to strengthen your behavioral inhibition, as it's like a muscle that gets easier to use with practice.
• 08:23 Training behavioral inhibition can help improve focus and attention span. Practicing tasks that go against instincts, such as delaying gratification, and mindfulness are key habits for building behavioral inhibition.