One of the most consequential choices we make on a daily basis is how to use our attention. It affects our perceptions, our emotions, and our decisions. And yet, we donât spend much time questioning why we should focus on one thing versus another. We generally just let it happen.
We can be more intentional about where we focus. Instead of checking our news feed just because weâre bored and saw the icon on our phone, we can check it only when we actively decide we should. And instead of letting our mind drift toward anxieties while relaxing, we can focus on something more enjoyable.
Itâs not always easy, but we have more control over our attention than we think we do.
đ Attention determines how you feel
You can think of your attention like a filter. When you look at a scene, your brain processes all of the visual information contained within it. But your brain cells will be most active in processing information related to the object your mind is focused on.
When you look at an apple, for example, your brain processes it more intensively if you focus your attention on it than if you think about something else. Attention amplifies the information hitting your senses.
Last year, researchers tested this in the context of emotion. You feel emotions just like you âfeelâ the image of an apple. So if your brain creates a stronger âappleâ experience when you focus on an apple, it may also create a stronger âsadnessâ experience when you focus on sadness.
The researchers created composite images containing emotional items in the foreground and neutral items in the background (e.g. a crying child in the foreground and trees in the background). They then asked people to look at those images and focus their attention either on the foreground or background while reporting how emotional they felt.
As the graph below shows, the more people focused on the emotional foregrounds of each image, the more emotional they felt. And the more they focused on the neutral backgrounds (âBG areasâ), the less emotional they felt. In fact, when they focused their attention entirely on the neutral background, their emotional ratings were almost as low as when they looked at a picture containing no emotional items whatsoever (the blue line in the graph).
Emotional images and stories are all around usâin the news, on social media, in our relationships, etc. But the extremity of your emotional reactions depends on how you use your attention around those images and stories. Sometimes, itâs essential to pay attention to whatâs going on because we need to understand what we can do about it. But all too often, we lose sight of practicality and end up obsessing over stories that prolong our suffering.
Iâm not recommending we ignore the bad news and trauma around the world and pretend it doesnât exist. But I am suggesting that we remain fully conscious of where we focus and the fact that we have a choice in the matter. Many of the products we use and much of the information we consume is designed to be mentally addictive.
When it all gets too much, itâs time to refocus. Attention is one of your most precious resources, and you should maintain control of it.
đ Extreme circumstances
You might think shifting your attention is too superficial to help with any serious problem. But there are reasons to be more optimistic.
A few years ago, I ran a study in Germany with people who have Tourette syndromeâa disorder characterized by repetitive movements of the body called tics. Tics can be deeply uncomfortable and frustrating, and they create urges to move that are difficult to control.
People with the disorder often report feeling the worst urges to tic when they least want to tic, for example during social interactions. And they describe having fewer urges to tic when theyâre fully immersed in a task theyâre enjoying.
To see whether this had anything to do with attention, I created an experiment that asked people with Tourette syndrome to move their fingers in particular sequences while focusing their attention on various events: the colors appearing on a computer screen, their finger movements, or their tics.
Tics were most frequent when they were the focus of attention. When the focus was on colors or finger movements, tics sharply declined. So even with problems as serious as tics, simple attention strategies are helpful.
The upshot is that you should move your attention away from the painful or maddening things in your lifeâ whether theyâre tics or other more common daily anxietiesâand focus it instead on the more pleasant things in your life.
To be clear, that doesnât mean you should suppress painful thoughts. As one of my previous newsletters explained, suppression can be counterproductive. It simply means you should acknowledge any thoughts and emotions you have, and then play an active part in deciding where you want to guide your attention next.
Attention is like oxygen to worrying thoughts. Take it away and they eventually suffocate.
âïž Takeaway tips
Analyze where you spend your attention each day: How much time do you generally spend on social networks? How much do you read the news? How much do you think about work outside of work? Do you spend as much time as you would like with friends/family? Break down where your attention goes each day, and weigh up whether thatâs the optimal balance for you.
Pay attention to your attention: Attention is a strange psychological concept, and scientists are still working out exactly what it means. But youâre the best person to work out whatâs going on within your own subjective experience. Ask yourself these questions as often as possible throughout the day:
What is my mind focused on right now?
Am I feeling distracted or in control?
Is this what I want to be focused on?
Take control: Whenever you decide your attention is misplaced, bring your mind gently back to wherever you need it without feeling frustrated. Attention has a habit of drifting, but frustration just makes things worse.
When you need to focus better at work, you can also follow certain time management rules (e.g. 30 mins uninterrupted work followed by a 5-min break). I donât have a formal system to recommend myself, but I have friends who swear by the Pomodoro technique if youâre interested.
đĄ A final quote
This weekâs quote is from one of my favorite poets on Instagram. When I use my attention just rightâfocusing on the present moment and feeling fully aware of my surroundingsâthe world appears very much like Alison Maleeâs poem below.
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đŹ I love to hear from readers. Reach out any time with comments or questions.
Until next time,
Erman Misirlisoy, PhD
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