On Attention
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We often discuss the issue of burnout. Many of our clients work in challenging environments that can have a toll on individual emotional and professional performance. But there is another kind of burnout that is equally important, both for our clients and ourselves: attention burnout.
I find it surprising how little we talk about attention. Perhaps it is because it is the result of factors in our environment, or because it seems benign. But one way to tell your life story is as the sum of what you pay attention to.
The word “attention” comes from the latin word attendere, from ad- ("toward") and tendere ("to stretch"). This points to our mind's amazing ability to extend itself toward a specific object, idea, or task. But now, it seems like we often don't need to stretch toward something. So much information is constantly thrown at us. We face a flood of notifications and stimuli, and it becomes hard to focus on anything worth reaching for. Instead of choosing for ourselves where our attention goes, others choose for us.
We live in an "attention economy," where our attention is a commodity. Tech companies, fueled by ad revenue, tailor content to capture as much of it as possible. We use the phrase "pay attention," but others are literally paying for it. Many of us feel like we’re fighting a losing battle over how we spend our time and mental energy.
Our work cultures also challenge us, demanding more and more of our attention. Over the last century, communications have grown faster and companies more global. COVID-19 was just the most recent catalyst in a longer progression. Don’t get me wrong, this shift has had immense benefits. But it also poses difficulties. Every job now involves twin responsibilities: the job itself and managing all the communications now needed. We feel pressure to answer email, Whatsapp, Teams, Notion, etc. We must stay plugged in to what Cal Newport calls the “Hyperactive Hivemind.”
To put some numbers to the problem… The average office worker consumes around 34 gigabytes of data per day. But it isn’t just the sheer amount of data; on average, the modern-day office worker checks their email 77 times a day. Each task we engage in requires a schema: an idea of how to accomplish it. But each time we switch tasks the schemas become muddled. This is called a “switch cost effect”: switching requires a huge amount of mental energy, but the average office worker now focuses on a task for only three minutes. In part, this is because lots of tasks require us to check different sources and use different platforms. But it is also because we are consistently inundated by urgency—notifications of other tasks that need doing. Our environment can seem militantly opposed to us developing a facility of deep focus.
Add on top of that all the other things that demand our attention: kids and relationships, security issues, financial instability, etc. Is it any wonder that we feel exhausted? But if we’re not careful, we can get sucked into an attention ‘doom loop:’ attention overload creates attention burnout, which can make us more likely to consume more things that suck our attention: the escape of my Instagram feed, scrolling the news, watching TV, etc. These things feel like resting, but actually wear us down.
Attention is a physical resource. As any athlete will tell you, our muscles need sustenance and recovery. Just like our bodies, our minds require calibration and care. It is important to what and how we give our attention. It is tempting to abandon the important for the sake of the urgent, to let the course of our attention be dictated by whatever message is in-bound NOW. But this is a great way to injure ourselves.
As an aside: One of the reasons we love our Essentials is that they encourage a certain way of paying attention. The first level of an Essential is simple. It is easy to remember. The initial demand on one’s attention is quite low. But then, the longer you spend with it, the more attention you give it, the more it unfolds. Like a poem or a piece of art, we can make meaning with and from it. As facilitators, our job is to create an environment in which people can attend to the important things, to step away from the chatter and constant noise. But it is also important for us to consider how we might (for ourselves and for others) create environments that are kinder to our unique faculty of attention.
I think a lot of this is likely intuitive. So HOW do we practice this? Some tactics I have tried include the following:
At risk of being annoyingly obvious, taking a walk outside between tasks has been so helpful for me. (“Sunshine before screen time!”) We often talk about how the magic happens at tea/coffee breaks, in the ‘off’ time—the same is true for our brains. I will probably write something about creativity and empty space later on.
“Chunking” time: deliberately focusing on only one task at a time. To do this I usually have to close out all windows etc. I have a ‘focus’ user profile on my computer that has no internet, which I use for writing and reading. Usually I set a timer and work on only one thing for a set period.
Blocking: Setting Email/notification free periods. Even better yet, marking them on your calendar.
Being more selectively intentional about inclusion on emails etc. inclusion is nice, but can create noise.
Minimizing ‘back and forth’: trying to include all the necessary information and proactively list potential decisions in communications to avoid ongoing back and forth (I’ve not been very successful at this). Basically, ‘discussions’ should happen synchronously.
Black and white phone screens to reduce appeal of social media etc.
Not opening hyperlinks in an article until after I have finished reading 😃
What things have you tried?
Some resources I have found helpful:
This article from our archive on CCL’s 6 Aesthetic Principles of Creative leadership. Attention is #1.
Gloria Mark, Attention Span
Johann Hari, Stolen Focus
Cal Newport, Deep Work
Shoshana Zuboff, Surveillance Capitalism
[Bonus] Some reflection questions if you want to think about this further:
Do you choose where your attention goes? If so, how?
In moments of attention burnout, what activities or habits tend to drain your attention further, and which activities help you recover focus and energy?
Think about a time when you felt fully absorbed in a task (in a state of flow). What conditions allowed you to achieve this focus, and how could you recreate them more often?
How has technology changed your relationship with focus?
When you think of in the perspective of the story of your life, what are things you wish you paid more attention to?
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Many people talk about burnout at work. It affects how we feel and perform. But there is another type of burnout: attention burnout.
Attention shapes our lives. But we do not always choose where our attention goes. We are surrounded by information, notifications, and distractions, making it hard to focus. Tech companies and ads compete for our attention, making it feel like we are losing control over it.
Work also demands a lot of attention. Emails, messages, and meetings fill our day, leaving little time to focus deeply. The average worker switches tasks often, checking emails about 77 times a day, which can make focusing difficult.
Outside of work, other things need our attention: family, finances, and personal problems. This can lead to attention burnout, where we feel tired and unfocused. Social media and TV might seem relaxing, but they can drain our energy more.
Attention is a limited resource, like physical energy. It needs rest and care. We should be careful about what we pay attention to and avoid letting distractions control us.
Some tips for managing attention include:
• Taking breaks between tasks, like walking outside.
• Focusing on one task at a time by closing other windows and using timers.
• Setting time for work without notifications or emails.
• Minimizing unnecessary back-and-forth in communication.
What have you tried to improve your attention?
Resources to learn more:
• Gloria Mark, Attention Span
• Cal Newport, Deep Work
• Nicholas Carr, The Shallows
Reflection questions:
• How do you choose where to focus your attention?
• What activities help you recover focus when you feel attention burnout?
• What conditions help you focus fully on a task?
• What do you wish you payed more attention to?
