How to Stay Focused in an Age of Distraction

Girls distracted by their phones.

Source: GHCassel, CC0 1.0 (2018) via Wikimedia Commons/Public domain

Our lives today are filled with distractions. Our attention is hijacked by a barrage of breaking news, cell phone notifications, advertisements, and social media posts. British psychologist Steve Taylor says that we are becoming increasingly distracted and disconnected (2022).

What’s behind all this? A cultural shift based on our increasing use of electronic technology. Psychologists Jean Twenge and Jonathan Haidt have warned that the increasing use of smartphones has led to growing anxiety among young people (Haidt, 2024; Twenge, 2018). And Parent Coaching Institute founder Gloria DeGaetano warns of the adverse effects of screens and smartphones on children’s developing brains (DeGaetano, 2023).

With the majority of adults now using smartphones, some employers contact their workers outside of business hours, leading to frequent interruptions at home and a sense of being constantly “on call.”

The use of computers has affected how we see ourselves. Many people practice multitasking, believing that our brains, like computers, can have several “windows” open at once. But research at UCLA has shown that, unlike computers, humans cannot really multitask. Our brains shift from one task to the next, losing focus and concentration with each shift (Foerde, Knowlton & Poldrack, 2006).

Add to this the inability to focus caused by sleep deprivation, experienced by one in three Americans (NHLBI, 2023), which, according to psychologist Zelana Montminy, author of Finding Focus, reduces activity in our prefrontal cortex and increases activity in our amygdala, the brain’s alarm center (2025a).

Negative emotions can also undermine our ability to focus. Sadness drains our energy, and worry may give us an illusion of control but actually keeps our brains in survival mode, constantly scanning for danger (Montminy, 2025a). By contrast, psychologist Barbara Fredrickson (2001) has found that positive emotions “broaden and build” our ability to focus, think clearly, and solve problems.

The onslaught of distractions can cause chronic stress, which neuroscientist Joseph LeDoux (1996) has found can undermine our emotional and physical health. But you can help restore your sense of focus with these seven practices:

1. Taking a mindful pause. Psychologist Ilene Berns-Zare says you can focus on your breath as an anchor to bring you back to the present moment (2025).
2. Slowing down with one-pointed attention. You can catch yourself when rushing or multitasking, and follow meditation teacher Eknath Easwaran’s advice to consciously slow down and focus on being present (2016).
3. Saying a mantram, a spiritual word or phrase. In one study, busy health care workers at the San Diego Veterans Hospital said a mantram from their own spiritual traditions, which led to significant reductions in stress (Bormann et al., 2006). In another study, when veterans with PTSD used a mantram, they experienced a significant reduction in PTSD symptoms (Bormann et al., 2013). You might want to choose a mantram for yourself.
4. Getting in touch with nature. For centuries, poets have written about the restorative effects of nature, and recent research has shown that a short walk in natural surroundings can relieve depression and restore our focus (Kaplan, 1995; Townsend, 2006). Psychologist Zelana Montminy (2025a) explains that nature restores us by reducing our stress hormones and engaging our parasympathetic nervous system, enabling us to relax. How can you get more in touch with nature?
5. Reading. An engaging narrative, a novel or biography, can help you deepen and sustain your attention, expose you to new perspectives, and even increase your creativity (Montminy, 2025a).
6. Playing a musical instrument can help you focus better. Playing a musical instrument has been shown to increase brain development in young people (Hyde et al., 2009). It can integrate your auditory and fine motor skills along with your emotional expression and pattern recognition (Montminy, 2025a). Would you like to play a musical instrument or join a drumming circle?
7. Engaging in a creative craft or hobby can also help you focus (Montminy, 2025b). A hobby you enjoy—whether it’s drawing, painting, needlework, woodworking, gardening, or something else involves sustained focus and concentration that can sharpen your focus and restore your emotional balance (Montminy, 2025a).

The important thing is not to mindlessly surrender to the distracting world around you. “Every act of focus is taking your power back,” says Dr. Montminy, who emphasizes the vital importance of regaining our focus (2025a).

Remember that you have choices. As psychiatrist and holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl wrote in Man’s Search for Meaning, everything can be taken from us “but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way” (1984).

You can choose to restore your focus and take charge of your life.

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This post is for informational purposes and should not substitute for psychotherapy with a qualified professional.

© 2025 Diane Dreher, All Rights Reserved.