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: 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. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 When I asked headspace to sponsor a portion of this video, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I genuinely thought I was only going to use their focus music and white noise, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 because I love listening to those to the point that 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 it is ruining my YouTube recommendations and Spotify Wrapped. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So it is just great to have access to headspace's collection. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 But headspace also has stretches, workouts, podcasts and meditation. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 They have content specifically for beginners, like me, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 who don't know where to start. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 It's in their basics course. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 But if you don't want to commit to that, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 they also have shorter exercises 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 including my favourite thing I discovered on this app, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 which is "Star Wars: Breathe with Yoda." 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 It's a 1-minute breathing exercise 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and Yoda's just sitting there levitating rocks. I love it. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 However, they also have longer, less structured stuff 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 for people with more experience. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Just the sheer amount of variety is probably my favorite thing about headspace 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 They bring together so many resources to help you be kind to your mind; so, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 even if meditation doesn't end up helping, maybe movement will. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Or, another cool thing that I found - this is so sick - they have ASMR 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and there's like a thing at the bottom that lets you control the balance between 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 voice and, like, environmental noise. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Headspace, do more of this! 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 If you want to try out headspace, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 completely for free for 60 days, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 you can sign up using the link in the description, or scan the QR code. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Okay, lets learn how to meditate. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 "Hi, and welcome to-" "-Hi" 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 My first experience with meditation was... 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 strange? Now, the voice kept telling me to 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 focus on my breathing, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 but I might have focused a little too hard 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 because I was worried I forgot how to breathe. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I should wear my head scanner thing for this! 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Back to breathing. [exhales] 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 But eventually, I think I got the hang of it 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and after 10 minutes 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 -How am I supposed to know if meditation is working? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Is there a light? Like what happens? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 "I don't think there is an exact science to it. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 It's just - you're supposed to just feel better. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Or feel changed. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Did it do anything?" 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I don't know! 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Do you just keep doing it? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 "That's kind of it. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I know that's probably not what you wanted to hear, but-" 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So I just trust the process? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So, for the next few days, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I continued with my focus schedule and wore my EEG. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 But I also tried to meditate in the morning, or evening, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 or just random moments when I felt like it. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 And then, something kind of wild happened. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Meditation works! 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 And I wish I could tell you this because 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I have achieved enlightenment or I have a new found sense of peace, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 but, no. I just feel normal . 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 About as normal as the distribution of 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 the sample means of my experimental populations, justifying the use of 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 a two-sampled t-test resulting in these p-values. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Ooh! How significant. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 This EEG has seriously paid off 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 because even though I don't feel that different, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I was able to use its measurements to do some statistics 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and find that meditation has improved basically all of my performance metrics: 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 engagement, excitement, interest. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Also, stress, but that might be because 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I was wearing this when you guys 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 sold out our last merch drop in less than 24 hours. Thank you for that. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So good stress. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 The coolest thing is that all of this is on top of what I already gained 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 by minimising distractions and avoiding multitasking. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 At least according to these regressions 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I ran. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 But the benefits of meditation came at a surprising cost. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 You see these peaks of intense focus? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Yeah, those stopped happening. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 But I also stopped experiencing these huge dips. Now I'm just fine. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 This whole thing is just... fine. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 You know, I started this video because I wanted to feel more in control of my attention. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I didn't want to rely on being distracted every single second. And you know what? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Done. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I am literally, statistically more engaged 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and anecdotally, I was doing the dishes the other day and 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I started playing a podcast out of habit, then I realised: 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I'd rather just clean in silence. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Who am I? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I know I should be happy. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Happy that for folks without attention disorders, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 fixing your focus is as simple as 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 minimising distractions, avoiding multitasking, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and maybe meditating if it all gets too much. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I should be happy. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 But I'm not. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Like I think it's really cool that meditation can work 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 even if you don't know how it works, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 but I'm me... 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and I need to know how. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So I guess if you only cared about fixing your focus, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 the video is done. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 You heard my advice. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 But, if you're like me 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and you want to know why, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 come with me 'cause we're gonna find out. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 It was strange getting to the bottom of this. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 because I was looking for an answer when I didn't really have a question. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I just had a sense of unease because I had solved my original problem 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 without understanding how or why my solution really worked. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 It was only after spending the day in the library, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 flipping through any book I could find about meditation, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 when I realised my question and its answer. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 You see, earlier we learned how focus works according to science, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and the tips I found in those productivity books were in line with that. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 They should have helped me stay focused. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 But they didn't. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Not in the long run. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 However, when I added meditation to the mix, it all worked. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 The question is how. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Specifically, how did meditation influence my focus 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 differently than productivity tips. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Okay. So, meditation as we know it 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 originated in India with 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Theravada Buddhism. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 However, it's since evolved into a wide range of practices 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 used throughout the world, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 including more securlarised and intrumentalised forms 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 that became popular in the west with books like Wherever You Go There You Are. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 This approach to meditation became known as mindfulness based interventions 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and has two main forms: 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 open monitoring, where you observe your experiences in real time without reacting 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 you just recognise things as they are; 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and focused attention, where you concentrate on something specific like breathing. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Now the interesting thing is that 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 this religiously informed framework, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 with origins from thousands of years ago, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 has a lot of surprising parallels 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 with our modern scientific understanding of attention. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 In fact, some Buddhist practitioners have 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 been found to out-perform the norm at meditative tasks, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 suggesting that meditation is, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 at least in part, helping them focus. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Now, I should probably say that 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 a lot of this research, while promising, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 is still inconclusive. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Meditation, and even attention, are still kind of nebulous concepts 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 that make it difficult to achieve rigourous, scientific consensus. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 However, despite the similarities I found between religious theory 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and these pop science attention books, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I did notice, one key difference: 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 how they manage distractions. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 You see, the pop science and productivity books I read 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 emphasised cutting out distractions 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and building walls in your space and schedule to protect your focus. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 This is straight forward in concept 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 but really difficult to maintain 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 if have a lot of responsibilities that are outside your control. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 In contrast, the mindfulness approach targets your focus directly, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 cultivating it to be easier to command and resilient to distractions. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 This forms a sort of spectrum 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 where you either reshape your environment to restore your attention, or 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 reinforce your attention to endure the world. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Now here's the thing, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 when you feel your attention span 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 slipping through your fingers, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 that pop science, productivity approach is really tempting. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 But only because it's unavoidable, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 like, a lot of the content around reclaiming your focus 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 is for the sake of using it on something else. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 But it is also tempting because the advice is so tangible. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 You turn off your notifications, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 you build out a schedule, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 you get rid of the distractions 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and see it replaced with things you do care about. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Compare that to meditation 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 which is so subtle that, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 if I wasn't wearing an EEG for three weeks, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I would have just assumed that it did nothing. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 However, the average person like you or I, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 can never fully control our environments. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 And the supports we use to try are shockingly fragile. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So if they break, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 when they break, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 all we're left with is our core ability to focus. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 And if that sucks, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 we end up where we started. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 That's why I think meditation helped me out. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 The whole exercise is realising that your mind naturally wanders, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 but you also have the power 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 to nudge it back to where you want it to be. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Now, I'm obviously not going to go full tilt 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and become a Buddhist Monk because - to be honest - 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I can't pull of orange. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 However, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 the great thing about a spectrum is 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 that we can find ourselves somewhere in the middle: 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 structuring our days more thoughtfully 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 end lowering the noise, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 not to a silence, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 but to a gentle hum 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 that we can enjoy at our own pace. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 But either way, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 have a lovely day.