Distraction

Sometimes it’s necessary to get your head down and concentrate.

The first step on the road to recovery is admitting you have a problem. I realised that some time ago. Having a curious mind is both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, it keeps me constantly interested in the world, for I can never be bored. On the other hand, getting work done is difficult because welcome distraction is only ever a click away. 

There is a sweet spot for tasks where the mind can stay focussed with the minimum of effort. It sits midway between overwhelming and boring. At both ends of that spectrum the mind gets numbed, by the difficulty on the one hand, and by tedium on the other. To hold the mind’s interest a task has to keep our attention right in the middle of that spectrum, by offering a challenge that we can just about meet.

Unfortunately, to my mind at least, most tasks don’t fit into that middle category. As far as work is concerned, I’ve found the size of my sweet spot diminishing with time. I find most of the things I have to do either too complex or too mundane to handle efficiently. At both these ends of the spectrum, the mind is prone to wander. And, when you’re working at a computer, it invariably wanders across to the internet. It’s not a conscious process. I suddenly become aware that I’m reading a news article or browsing blips. How did that happen?

I had to seek help, and found it in the shape of a browser add-on. I can limit my time on any particular website. I can lock the whole internet down for periods of time. This is what greets me on the screen when I drift into forbidden territory. I’m trying to retrain my powers of concentration, which I believe were once very good. What’s amazing is how often I find myself directed to this screen, that unconscious click having taken me here. It’s a little frightening to become aware of the extent to which my brain is constantly seeking distraction. 

I suspect I’m not alone?