训练大脑聚焦的6步法
你觉得你的注意力正在缩短吗？用这些步骤来唤醒它。
作者：GWEN MORAN
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关于话题“多任务工作的副作用”有越来越多的研究。虽然我们可能觉得已经完成了更多工作，但现实情况是，经常性的多任务工作可能使我们的专注能力下降。
让我们知道一点很好。但是，如果你是一个慢性多任务工作者，发现难以集中精力，是否有希望让你的注意力恢复过来？
当蒙特利尔麦吉尔大学的心理学教授，同时也是《这就是你大脑在唱歌：人类痴迷科学》的作者丹尼尔莱维金（Daniel Levitin）不为每个人说话时，他说我们大多数人都可以做一些普通的事情来改善我们的专注力。把这些练习用在适当的地方来提高你的注意力，并且更加有效。
第一步：获得更多睡眠
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虽然我们可能立即想到影响注意力任务的相关问题，但我们的注意力跨度在更大的生理背景下发生，Levitin说。如果你没有适当的睡眠或感觉到很大的压力，即使在最佳的情况下，你也可能发现很难集中注意力。咖啡因可以增加某些人的注意力，但也可能会破坏某些人的注意力，导致他们感到焦虑或“紧张”。了解自己的需求，放松，并能够集中注意力和管理它，这才是提高专注能力的第一步。深入了解更长时间内的注意力。
第二步：写下使你分心的一切
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当人们第一次尝试冥想时，他们的思维往往会漫不经心，或者不想要的想法会蔓延。“我们称之为猴子的思想” - 当需要集中注意力的时候也会发生同样的事情，戴安娜·拉布-《治疗词：作家的癌症之旅》作者。这是坚持写日记甚至列表可以派上用场的地方。她写道，写下你想到的主意或待办事项，让你可以放手或晚些时候再做，她说。
第三步：关闭电子设备
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职业发展专家本杰明布鲁克斯（Benjamin Brooks）是PILOT公司的创始人，这是一个员工教练平台，像任何实践一样，当你为自己的成功而努力时，专注力就是最好的帮助。确保你有手头工作的资源和材料，并腾出时间来完成任务。他说： “一定要关闭电子邮件和社交媒体的推送通知，”。当推送通知被激活时，其他人正在决定你的专注力该在哪里，他补充道。
第四步：对你正在做的事情做出承诺
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这听起来很简单，但为了专注于某些事情，你必须承诺做到这一点，Levitin说。没有这样的承诺，你会因为你的想法或对时间的其他分配而分心。你必须决定这是你现在要完成的工作 - 没有多任务工作法 - 并且做到这一点。
第五步：实践
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Levitin说，“重新获得专注力可能需要练习。您可能需要一次练习10分钟，强迫自己继续完成任务。然后，逐步增加专注于任务的时间。目标是让自己在25到90分钟内完成任务，具体取决于您所从事的工作类型以及您的个人焦点阈值。”
步骤六：整合“分心”间歇
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布鲁克斯说，在不同时期的专注之间，短暂的休息可以帮助你更加有关注力。他说，虽然最有效的休息类型对许多人来说会有所不同，但关键在于做一些不同的事。
“它是指完全停止下来去阅读航空书籍或者让自己喝杯咖啡或者检查一下Politico的更新 - 完全不同的东西 - 实际上允许我重置一秒钟，所以当我重新回到工作时，我正在全力以赴而不是分心，“ 他说。
English Version
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The 6-Step Process To Train Your Brain To Focus
There’s a growing body of research
about how counterproductive multitasking can be. While we may feel
like we’re getting more done, the reality is that regular multitasking can
leave us with a diminishing ability to focus.
That’s good to know. But if you’re a
chronic multitasker who finds it hard to focus, is there any hope of getting
your attention span back?
While neuroscientist Daniel Levitin,
psychology professor at McGill University in Montreal and author of This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession won’t
speak definitively for everyone, he says there are some general things most of
us can do to improve our focus. Put these practices into place to sharpen your
concentration and be more effective.
STEP ONE:
GET MORE SLEEP
While we may immediately think of
task-related issues that affect focus, our attention span happens within a
bigger physiological context, Levitin says. If you’re not getting proper sleep or feeling a great deal of stress,
you may find it hard to focus, even in the best circumstances. Caffeine can
increase focus in some people but may undermine it in others, causing them to feel
anxious or “jittery.” Understanding your own needs to feel rested and able to
focus—and tending to them—is really the first step to improving your ability to
hone in on what’s got your attention for longer periods of time.
STEP TWO: WRITE DOWN WHAT IS DISTRACTING YOU
When people try to meditate for the first
time, it’s common for their minds to wander or for unwanted thoughts to creep
in. “We call that the monkey mind”—and the same thing can happen when it’s time
to focus, says Diana Raab, author of Healing with Words: A Writer’s Cancer Journey. This is
where keeping a journal or even a list can come in handy. Write down the
thought or to-do list items that pop into your mind so you can let them go or deal
with them later, she says.
STEP THREE: TURN OFF DIGITAL DISTRACTIONS
Like any practice, focus happens best when
you set yourself up for success, says professional development expert Benjamin
Brooks, founder of PILOT,
Inc., an employee coaching platform. Be sure you have the resources and
materials for the job at hand and block out time to work on the task. “Be sure
to turn off notifications for email and social media,” he says. When push
notifications are activated, other people are deciding where your focus goes,
he adds.
STEP FOUR: COMMIT TO WHAT YOU’RE DOING
It sounds simple, but in order to focus on
something, you have to commit to doing it, Levitin says. Without such
commitment, you’re going to be distracted by your thoughts or other demands on
your time. You’ve got to decide that this is the work you’ll complete
now—without multitasking—and do it.
