Health
Is your attention span MIA? Here's how to fix it
Our attention spans are under attack in a world of constant pings, dings and digital distractions. Here are 7 evidence-based ways to reclaim your focus.
By Sabrina Rogers
You can’t seem to read more than two pages of your book before your mind wanders off. Or when you’re supposed to be filing your tax return, you suddenly realise you’ve been watching cat reels on your phone for 27 minutes straight.
With the number of Australians diagnosed with ADHD more than doubling between 2013 and 2020 and a 300% rise in the number of people medicated for the condition over the course of a decade, you’d be forgiven for wondering whether this neurodevelopmental condition is to blame for your difficulty focusing.
And while many adults find freedom in an ADHD diagnosis that finally explains why they’ve always struggled to stay on task, it’s not the only explanation. The truth is that our attention spans are shrinking in an increasingly digital world filled with endless distractions.
Dr Gloria Mark, Chancellor's Professor of Informatics at the University of California, Irvine, has been studying human attention for more than two decades.
When she first measured the average attention span on any screen in 2004, it was 2.5 minutes. In 2012, it had dropped to an average of 75 seconds. And by 2020, it had plummeted to 47 seconds - a finding Dr Mark says has been closely replicated by other researchers.
How does technology disrupt attention and focus?
“Constant exposure to notifications, multitasking and rapid content switching can fragment our attention, reduce our tolerance for sustained focus and increase impulsive checking behaviours,” says neuroscientist Justine Gatt, founder and director of wellbeing company Tilt Your Life and Adjunct Professor of Psychology at the University of New South Wales.
“When a notification or interruption occurs, our brain has to disengage from one goal and reconfigure itself for another. The prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for goal-directed focus, is interrupted. At the same time, the dopamine-based reward systems may be activated, making these distractions hard to ignore.”
This constant switching between tasks and distractions comes with a cognitive cost and can translate into meaningful delays.
“Research shows that to fully regain deep focus after an interruption, it takes between a few minutes for short, simple tasks up to 25 minutes for complex, cognitively demanding tasks,” says Professor Gatt. “Even brief interruptions have measurable effects including increased error rates, slower completion times and reduced depth of thinking.”
The rapid-fire nature of the social media content we consume every day is another key driver in the decline of our attention spans.
A major 2025 research review of data from more than 98,000 people across 71 studies found that scrolling through short-form videos - such as those seen in Facebook and Instagram reels and TikTok videos - is associated with poorer cognition in young people and adults alike. The biggest impacts were seen on attention and impulse control.
7 ways to fix your attention span
“From a neuroscience perspective, attention is shaped both by environmental inputs and habit loops,” says Professor Gatt. “The most effective strategies work by either reducing the number of competing stimuli or strengthening the brain’s capacity to sustain focus.”
Here are 7 ways to strengthen your attention:
1. Audit your distraction patterns
Awareness is the first step to behaviour change, so start by noticing when and why your focus slips.
Do you reach for your phone when you’re bored, stressed or just because a notification pops up? Track your habits for a few days and see what patterns emerge.
2. Reduce external triggers
If your phone won’t stop dinging, put it on silent or ditch non-essential notifications including social media alerts.
“Even the presence of a phone can reduce available cognitive capacity, so keep it out of reach or out of sight when you’re working on an important task,” says Professor Gatt.
3. Time block your attention
Dividing your day into blocks of time dedicated to specific tasks or sets of tasks is known as time blocking. Try using a Pomodoro timer to focus your attention for 25 minutes, and then take a short break before moving on to the next task.
It can also help to schedule set times to check emails and social media rather than responding to every notification as it comes in.
“This reduces task-switching costs that impair performance and slow thinking, and it protects deep work,” explains Professor Gatt.
4. Increase “friction” for distractions
The cool kids are calling this technique “friction-maxxing”, but all it really means is making it harder to get distracted.
Logging out of disruptive apps or removing them from your phone is a simple way to achieve that. And research shows that setting your phone to grayscale (instructions here) can significantly reduce your screen time and anxiety.
There are also app-blocking apps such as AppBlock (say that 6 times fast!) and physical devices like Brick that temporarily disable apps and notifications from your phone. Until you physically tap your phone on your Brick device to unlock it, you won’t have access.
5. Train your attention
“Practice single-tasking deliberately and gradually extend how long you sustain your focus to build attentional endurance over time,” says Professor Gatt.
Mindfulness has also been shown to improve cognitive functioning and sustained attention. Try a mindfulness meditation app such as Headspace or Calm.
“Even 10 to 15 minutes daily can strengthen prefrontal networks involved in focus,” notes Professor Gatt.
6. Adopt healthy lifestyle habits
Sleep, nutrition and movement are three key pillars of health - and they all directly impact your attention span.
“Sleep deprivation impairs prefrontal functioning and increases distractibility and irritability,” says Professor Gatt. Aim for the recommended 7 to 9 hours a night.
“A healthy diet supports sustained energy and brain function, while exercise can improve attention and executive function.”
7. Take a nature break
A recent study found that taking a walk in nature can give your attention a rest and allow it to come back stronger. While participants walked in natural environments for 40 minutes, shorter nature breaks may also help restore attention and improve concentration.
Reset your mind
In a world designed to keep you distracted, focus is something you have to actively protect. Even small shifts can make a difference, so pick a couple of strategies and commit to them today.
The information on this page is general information and should not be used to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease. Do not use the information found on this page as a substitute for professional health care advice. Any information you find on this page or on external sites which are linked to on this page should be verified with your professional health care provider.
Feature image: iStock/Jacob Wackerhausen
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