WEBVTT 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I kind of feel like 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 my attention spam is dying 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 knocks on the door 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 it's just like 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 whenever I try and do anything, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I start craving some sort of distraction 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I can't just focus on one thing at a time 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 even if that thing is sleeping. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 But I have things I wanna do, things I focus on 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I just don't 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 because refreshing Instagram is 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 always going to be easier 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 ... and it's a problem! 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 And I'm tired of it. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I am tired of feeling like my life is so far out of my own control. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So today, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 we are figuring out how to stop scrolling, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and how to start paying attention. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Thank you to our Patreons for supporting the channel, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and headspace for sponsoring 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 a portion of this video. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 With focused music, motivational exercises, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 guided meditations, and more, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 headspace has over a thousand pieces of content 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 to help you be kind to your mind. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 If you want to see how headspace might be helpful to you, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 you can try it out completely for free for 60 days. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 All you have to do is sign up 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 with our link in the description 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 or scan the QR code on screen. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 [slam] 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So, what's in the box? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 [box opening] 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 This is an electroencephalogram, or an EEG. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 It measures electrical activity in the brain 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 which are associated with certain performance metrics 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 like attention, excitement and stress. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Does that look good? How's that - How do I look? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Now these things usually look a little bit more 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 threatening and wire-y, however 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I reached out to this brand called Emotiv 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 that creates more simplified consumer options. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 They gave me a little discount 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 so I could actually afford this for the video. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 And I look like a cyborg. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I think it looks cute. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Okay, so these are my brainwaves 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and if I focus on it 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 really hard 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 it should be able to translate these 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 into more understandable metrics... 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 like attention! Look at that! 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 You see the building of tension and spike in excitement; 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 that's my brain! 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I kind of feel like a videogame character and these are my stats. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 It's cool. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Now I should note that EEG data can be pretty noisy 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and things like movement can really impact the results. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 However, I think that having any level of recording is an improvement 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 because I basically never pay attention to my attention. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 It only every really comes up when I'm feeling guilty about my screentime, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 or I realise that I've done nothing all day. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 And only having these really infrequent and negative interactions with my problem 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 makes it really hard to be objective about the whole thing, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 to understand how bad it actually is 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and see if it's getting better or worse. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 But now, with the help of this brainscanner, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I finally got to measure a baseline for my attention span 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 without getting bogged down by guilt, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 or forgetting to focus on my focus. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 [typing] 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I wore the EEG while I worked, ate, exercised and relaxed. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I did take it off a few times because it gets pretty uncomfortable 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 after really long stretches. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Woah! 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 But, overall, it was pretty easy to ignore 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 while I just lived my life for the rest of the week. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Alongside the EEG, I installed a program to automatically track 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 how often I switched tasks on my computer, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and I recorded how many times I picked up my phone. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Did you know that you can't actually export you screentime data! 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Then I wrote a quick script to compile all this data and visualise it. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Here is my life for the past three days. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Ooh. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 The x-axis is the number of hours in a day. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 These blue bars represent the number of times I picked up my phone. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 This grey line tracks how productive I was at my computer, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and these coloured lines are the median performance metrics from my EEG. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Now, some highlights include this moment 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 where I picked up my phone to start debugging the app that I was using to scan my brain, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and then I ended up [uh] opening Instagram and spending the next two hours on it. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 [laughs] 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 However, during my meeting the next day 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I was like super interested and attentive, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 right? Great? No. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 It's because I kept picking up my phone! 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I was supposed to be on call! 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I kept opening up Instagram! 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 But it's not all bad news: 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 there are these instances where I put down my phone, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I get into the zone, and my brain just lights up. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 The only issue is that in my 8-hour work day, it only happens for, like, an hour. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 It's over here at like 2 o'clock, or 5 o'clock, or 10 o'clock! 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Now something similar does happen to my brain when I am working out, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 but... how often am I doing that? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 All this is to say, is that for the 16-ish hours that I am awake, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I am only engaged and focused for like 12% of it. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 The rest of the time - the 88% of the time - 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I'm all over the place: I'm checked out or I'm distracted. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 This could be most of the rest of my life unless we do something about it. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So let's do that. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So, I started looking for any books about attention, focus and distractions 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and I found a lot of them. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 There was just one problem - they're all identical! 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 They invent different buzz words and 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and they switch out the personal anecdotes 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 that they blend with legitimate science, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 but fundamentally, if you've read one, you've read them all. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Fortunately, you don't need to read any of them because here are the three things 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 that you actually need to know if you want to fix your focus. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 1: Attention and focus are different things. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Attention is a broad concept that boils down to our general awareness, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 while focus is one process that controls that awareness, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 concentrating it on something specific. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 2: Focus is a limited and exhaustible resource. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So, you can only really focus on one thing at a time 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and your ability to do that will tire out the further you get from rest. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 3: Focus also filters out distractions. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 The more there are, the more of your focus is being wasted. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Now some research exists suggesting that certain forms of cognitive training 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 can increase your capacity and ability to focus. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 But the type of training and the effectiveness has varying results. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 The brain is complicated and there is a lot of nuance in the details - 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 especially when you are trying to find things that work for you 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and your specific circumstances. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So to fix my focus, I'm actually only going to do a handful of very simple things 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 that support what we know about focus. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Here's the plan. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 First I need to manage my distractions, starting with the obvious: my phone. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I deleted the apps that I never use, set up time limits for the apps I use 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 way too much (everything except for my wallet) 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and muted basically all of my notifications. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I also installed this app that replaces icons with text. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So now I need to put in a little more effort before I open anything. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I also changed my display to grey scale. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I have never wanted to use my phone less. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 God, this sucks. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I wasn't kidding. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Almost immediately, my phone pick-ups and screen time dropped dramatically. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 However, the silence made me notice the sheer number of 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 internal distractions I have, too. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 These passing thoughts that just take me off task, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 like wandering if I need to buy more toilet paper, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 wishing I learned a musical instrument as a kid 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 or thinking about what I'm going to have for dinner. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 They were rarely urgent, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 but often important enough that I didn't want to ignore or forget them. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So, I dedicated a page in my notebook to quickly write them down for later. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 When later came, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I sorted through those thoughts based on action, importance and time-sensitivity, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and kept it in mind when I was building my schedule which got way more specific. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Now, I'm usually the type of person who 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 only puts, like, events in my calendar - a normal person - however, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 a lot of the books that I've been reading have recommended time-blocking 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 or time-boxing. I don't know. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 It's just setting aside time to do individual tasks. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Apparently, it helps you avoid the temptation to multitask. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 [alarm beeps] 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So, every morning, I took all of my work, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 chores, exercises and hobbies 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and plugged them into my calendar. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Now, I found that the secret is that 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 it's not as simple as just putting an hour aside for each thing. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Since focus is an exhaustible resource, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I need to take into account my energy levels throughout the day 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and how much effort each task is going to take. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Like, reading research papers and writing takes a lot of focus for me. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 It's just really boring. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 [vacuum cleaner with audiobook playing] 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 but listening to audiobooks or animating, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I'm locked in. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I actually find it really hard to disengage from the tasks that I really enjoy. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So I find myself thinking about them or even continuing to do them 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 past their allotted time. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Which means that I should probably think about those switching costs 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 when I'm building my schedule out for the day. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Eventually, I realised this process could be a little more automated, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 so I got Taha to put the process together in a notion template. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Now I can input tasks, tag them and it will show me an order 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 that I can drag into my calendar. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I found it useful, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and if you want to give it a try, I'll include it in our next newsletter. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 But once I controlled my external and internal distractions, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and built out a schedule that minimised multitasking 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and optimised for my energy levels, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 all that was left was actually focusing. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 It was amazing. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I was using my phone less and getting more done. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 My brain was lighting up. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I was way more engaged in everything I did. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I found different soundtracks to make it easier to get in the zone, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and life was great... 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 until it wasn't. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 [uuhhhhh] 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 It is... 12. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I haven't left bed yet. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I've just been using my phone, full color. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Every 15 minutes I hit "remind me in 15 minutes." 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 [uhh] 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 And then 15 minutes later I do it again. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Just feels like we're back where we started. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I ended up using my phone for 7 hours that day - 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 more than I had all week prior. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I had things I could do. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Things I should do. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 But I just couldn't bring myself to get up. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I am kind of proud that I managed to pull up my code on my phone 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and see if there were any clues in my data 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 that could explain what went wrong. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I know, it's pathetic, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 but it was a small victory that led to an interesting discovery: NOTE Paragraph 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 the nights that I used my phone past midnight 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 led to days where I felt more distracted and picked up my phone more often. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I learned in an old video how important sleep could really be, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 so I decided to just give up on the day, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 get some sleep, and try again tomorrow. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 [sigh] 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 [aaaAAAHHH] 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I feel like I'm drowning. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 It's like I'm not doing anything hard, right? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I'm just doing my stuff. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I'm just trying to focus on it more. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Except, I'm trying so hard to focus 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 that everything is making me on edge. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Like, my cat will try and get my attention 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and I'll be annoyed at him for wanting pats. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 It's like there's sand falling 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and I'm trying to catch all of the sand. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 And you can't do it! 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Am I making any sense? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I really need to make every grain of sand count 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 by like doing everything on target 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and even if I'm enjoying something, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I can't because I need to move and catch different grains of sand. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Hold on, hold on, hold on. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 What are you going to day? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 "Have you ever thought about 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 just meditating and doing nothing? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Taking a step back away from the thing that you're working on 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and not working? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Like taking a break?" 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Maybe it was because I was desperate. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Actually, it is totally because I was desperate 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 but I decided to try meditation. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 The only issue is... 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I have no idea how. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Luckily, I have headspace. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I should probably turn the colour on 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 just so you guys can see what the app actually looks like.