3 harmful myths about attention in the digital age

Attention is the foundational pillar of digital wellness. Your ability to stay focused and in charge of your attention and filter out distractions is crucial both to perform well at work, but also for any of your life experiences – otherwise you don’t get a sense that you are fully present with your life!

Do you use your attention muscle wisely? Perhaps, you think you are - but lots of popular advise actually will make your attention muscle weaker, not stronger.

There are a few misconceptions about attention we want to undo in this post.

Myth 1. Distractions are bad

Not true. We cannot be focused all the time. We don't need to, either.

Attention rhythms are the natural fluctuations in our ability to focus throughout the day, a concept highlighted in Gloria Mark's research on attention. Unlike the common belief that we can maintain steady focus, our attention cycles through peaks and valleys.

During peak periods, our brains are primed for deep work, making it the best time to tackle complex and demanding tasks. Conversely, during valleys, our focus wanes, making it an ideal time for routine activities or short breaks.

Understanding and leveraging these attention rhythms can significantly enhance productivity and digital well-being. By aligning our most challenging tasks with peak attention periods and embracing breaks during low points, we can work more efficiently and sustainably.

Instead of fighting against the natural ebb and flow of our focus, we can optimize our schedules to work with it, ultimately leading to better outcomes and reduced burnout.

Distractions aren't bad, they are natural - and perhaps a sign that you need to take a break.

Myth 2. You need to learn multitasking if you want to stay relevant in the fast informational age (variation - you need to learn to work faster).

Our clients heard this a lot from managers. This is plain wrong.

Only 2.5% of population can multitask without losing productivity or other costs.

Proper multitasking can only be done with activities that do not require intense cognitive engagement. For instance, listening to music while performing household chores is a form of multitasking that doesn’t cost you much. It works, because one task is automatic or routine, allowing the brain to manage both without significant interference.

However, if both tasks require cognitive effort, things change. For example, driving while talking over the phone can turn dangerous if something happens on the road and the driver is distracted by the conversation.

Task switching comes with a cost. It leads to higher stress levels, increased frustration, and a greater sense of time pressure, increased number of mistakes and even impacts your immune system.

Myth 3. You should train your willpower to avoid distractions.

A very dangerous myth. Willpower depends on the pre-frontal cortex, which is a highly energy-consuming resource. When you are tired, it effectively shuts down, so it's more difficult to resist distractions.

People who have a strong willpower don’t rely on it – they actually use it to build systems helping them avoid distractions. For example, if you want to reduce eating chocolate, don’t buy chocolate – rather than have it at home and stare at it.

In digital wellbeing coaching, we encourage clients to start building the systems using their willpower instead of trying to resist the urge. And it works.

P.S. We have created a free test to measure how you use attention in the digital age. It only takes 5 minutes and you instantly get results and tips on how to improve your attention score. Take the test now.