How to Maintain and Improve Mental Focus

The following pearls of wisdom come from Andrew Huberman’s appearance on the YouTube channel “After Skool”. I highly recommend that you watch it in addition to reading this blog post.

• Mental focus and visual focus are intimately connected
• To train you mental focus, stare and a small object about half a meter away from you for 60–120 seconds without letting your eyes move away. Here is an example you can use on your screen.

Image of a Target that you can use to train your focus

• To keep focus while working or studying, try to blink as little as possible, since blinking signals tiredness to the brain
• It is normal to feel agitated and maybe even a little upset when you are focusing. Don’t stop focusing just because you feel antsy — this is how our brain works, since Adrenaline gets released when we concentrate. If it’s hard for you to focus and you feel like you aren’t doing it right, it’s most likely that you’re are in fact doing it right. Just stay the course and keep pushing forward.
• Focus while studying or working lasts for around 90 minutes (1.5 hrs), so try to get into the rhythm of working / studying in 90 minutes sessions
• The most productive people take breaks in between the 90 minute cycles and go for a walk or do some light exercise and let their mind wander. They do not try to focus consistently for the entire day.
• YouTube, Social Media, and computer games are POISON for your focus. They are digital McDonalds for your brain. They train you to lose focus quickly unless there are flashy images, snappy videos, and alarming sounds. Do NOT watch YouTube or videos, check Social Media sites, or play computer games during the working part of your day. They will wreck your focus and productivity. If you want a break, go for a walk or do some exercise like Yoga, push ups, or squats.
• Keep your workspace clear of visual distractions. You lose focus when you gather input / information from too many sources. This includes your phone. Even try to block out parts of a web page you’re reading that are not critical (eg sidebar menu, ads, etc) so you can just focus on the content. I will position a blank window over the part of the browser that Im not reading.
• Auditory focus steals from visual focus. Visual focus steals from auditory focus. Thats why some people will close their eyes when they are listening to you, or why musicians will also close their eyes to hear the music better. So to maintain mental focus on text you are studying, turn off all music and reduce auditory distractions as much as possible
• Random alerts from phones or applications will steal your focus. Turn your phone on silent when you are studying / working and only allow through emergency or important calls.
• If you want to Google random stuff, don’t do it during the day. Make a list of the things you want to research and then check them out at the end of your work day. This keeps your mind clear and reduces the amount of sources of information and distractions.