A new survey from The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center reveals the main contributors to short attention spans. Learn expert tips on improving focus.
In an era inundated with digital distractions and mounting stress, maintaining focus has become increasingly challenging. Recent studies highlight that the average attention span has dwindled to just eight seconds. The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine’s latest survey illuminates the primary factors contributing to this trend and offers actionable solutions.
The national survey sampled 1,000 American adults, finding that stress and anxiety are the leading contributors to short attention spans (43%). This was closely followed by lack of sleep (39%) and the pervasive influence of digital devices (35%).
“The stress and the ruminating and thinking about things over and over in your mind can certainly impact attention span and the ability to focus,” Evita Singh, a psychiatrist with Ohio State’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, said in a news release. “Often when patients come to see me, they’re worried about their ability to focus, and there’s a good chance that it ends up being because they’re so stressed out or they’re anxious. So we work on treating that.”
Other factors identified by the survey include boredom or lack of interest (31%), multitasking (23%), lack of physical activity (21%), poor diet or hydration (20%) and medical conditions such as ADHD (18%).
Alarmingly, only a quarter of respondents reported no trouble with their attention span.
Singh warns of the long-term effects of sustained distraction.
“When people are multitasking, when they have so many things in their mind that they’re thinking about, they can get exhausted,” Singh explained. “And then it’s really hard to enjoy things, which can then lead to depression or anxiety.”
In response to these challenges, Singh developed a practical tool called “Take Five” to help improve focus:
- T – Take frequent breaks.
- A – Actively engage in the one task at hand.
- K – Keep distractions to a minimum.
- E – Eliminate multitasking.
- Five – Take five minutes to refocus.
“For example, can we do five minutes of a small workout practice, or a little bit of mindfulness or something else that we enjoy?” Singh suggested.
The findings spotlight a growing need for strategies to combat the distractions of modern life.
If tools like “Take Five” prove insufficient, Singh advises seeking professional help.
“There are many different things that can lead to why we’re having a hard time focusing or having trouble with attention,” Singh added. “But being able to recognize that while also giving grace to ourselves that we don’t need to be ‘on’ and focusing 100% of the time is also really important.”