If you feel like you've been skimming articles and social media feeds a bit too fast lately, you're not alone: experts say that one of the sociological side effects of the COVID-19 pandemic is that it has decreased our attention spans. Along with the burnout and fatigue that many experienced as a non-viral side effect of living through a pandemic, a shortened attention span appears to be another large-scale side effect.
Researchers have found that stress and anxiety can create gaps in our memory and in our ability to concentrate.
The stream of information about the pandemic and — for those who were lucky enough to work from home — the constant ding of work chat messages created an environment of perpetual distraction, testing many people's ability to focus. People like Lia Taylor Schwartz, a New York-based social justice advocate, agree that the pandemic has made their attention span much shorter; "I can't watch a movie. I tell myself to read one chapter of a book where I used to sit and read many," Schwartz expressed over Twitter.
Psychologists have theories that describe what happened. Dr. William Becker, a psychology professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, says that the pandemic created a state of "continuous partial attention," in which the public was constantly monitoring news updates and notifications. That, in turn, makes us unable to concentrate on a single task for an extended period of time.
Other experts agree with Becker's statement and the predicament of not being able to concentrate. Dr. Todd Braver, a professor of psychology and brain sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, told TIME that "our brains are hard-wired to be vigilant" about COVID-19; that vigilance occupies the same cognitive resources we need for other tasks. Braver also stated that, although it may be happening subconsciously, your brain is "diverting some of your capacity to try to deal with anxiety."
Accordingly, researchers have found that stress and anxiety can create gaps in our memory and in our ability to concentrate. Anxiety has been proven to impair the efficient function of the attentional system within the brain and the subsequent processing of memories. Additionally, with anxiety causing an increase in attention to threat-related stimuli, items as simple as reading a book or watching a TV show would be less prioritized by the brain.
Even as life returns to normal, many of us still attest to having "burnout brain." And while there are steps that you can take to get your focus back, experts say the most important thing to keep in mind is to be patient with yourself. Jolting from one environment to another is difficult and our bodies need time to re-adapt to a new situation.
"We're all relearning how to do this. I think the first step is to be kind to yourself and try not to get frustrated," Jeni Stolow, a social and behavioral scientist and assistant professor at Temple University's College of Public Health said. "Our bodies are absolutely incredible and capable of [adapting], but you have to be patient."
Indeed, experts say there are a few things that can be done to get back on track and feel like you've gotten your attention span back.
Don't multitask
While being able to multitask may be a skill that everyone wants – and thinks they need — our brains are only capable of concentrating on one or two things at a time, which is a fundamental limitation of our human brain.
"Multitasking — or toggling between spreadsheets and email — can increase mistakes, reduce creativity, and cause fatigue," said Johann Hari, the author of "Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention – and How to Think Deeply Again" to the New York Times.
During weekends and days off, experts say to keep those periods of time free from work as much as possible to decrease stressors and give your brain a break.
So if your tasks require you to multitask, chances are that you will need to take a break more often and even make more mistakes than just focusing on one task. If you are already finding it difficult to focus, it may be more worthwhile to dedicate all of your energy to only one task. This means putting away all other distractions like social media and notifications, and completely concentrating on the task. Instead, you can commit to reading the news and checking your timeline at specific points throughout the day, Braver suggests.
Amid distractions like reading the news or checking your notifications, putting these distractions away and then committing to checking up on them at specific points throughout the day is more beneficial to your overall work performance and concentration, Braver said.
Take breaks – outside
Although the brain may be a muscle, taking breaks ensures that you are giving yourself time to breathe and giving your brain a needed change of pace.
"We can't expect to lift weights nonstop all day, and we can't expect to use sustained focus and attention for extended periods of time, either," said Dr. Mark, author of "Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness, and Productivity," in a New York Times interview.
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Braver also has seen research prove that taking these breaks outside surrounded by green space "has a rejuvenating effect on attention."
Give yourself time off
"Take time for self-care and self-compassion," Braver says. "Appreciate that nobody is operating at 100% of their full capacity. We're all doing the best we can."
During weekends and days off, experts say to keep those periods of time free from work as much as possible to decrease stressors and give your brain a break. Whether that means logging out of all social media or turning off your computer, making time to restore and rejuvenate will allow you to relax and tackle the next day with more energy and focus.
While these may be difficult to incorporate into your daily routine and returning back to normal life may be challenging, studies show incorporating even one or two of these could make a meaningful difference.
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