Short Attention Span ?

[Pony boy]

Ever since i was in elementary school i always got distraced by conversations, noises, had bad grades. Now im 19 still in high school and im about to be a 14th grader and I STILL get distraced, im a really hyper guy. So does it seem like i have short attention span ?
But I dont have ADHD, i know that for a fact, im hyper but not to the extent of having ADHD. I am calm at times though.

[eliminator_3]

look up ADHD (Attention Deficit, Hyperactivity Disorder) on Google... that's what it is.

[Sierra Leone]

There's some truth to it. Posts like this and search trends point to what we're after. Many people want the ability to focus more and feel like they're losing the ability to focus on a particular task for long periods of time. We feel like we're losing that ability. Getting Things Done and all the other books out there tend to give you some rituals to cope with the problem -- but only if you could stick to them. Most of us, just a few weeks after reading that book, sit next to filing cabinets (virtual or otherwise) and go about our merry way.

That's because we're focused on the wrong thing. To get a longer attention span -- even a span long enough to read this article -- don't worry about managing the information. Worry about managing your attention. Paying attention, for long periods of time, is a form of endurance athleticism. Like running a marathon, it requires practice and training to get the most out of it. It is as much Twitter's fault that you have a short attention span as it is your closet's fault it doesn't have any running shoes in it. If you want the ability to focus on things for a long period of time, you need attention fitness.

Neuroplasticity is how your brain changes its organization over time to deal with new experiences. It involves physical changes inside of the brain based on the particular tasks the brain is asked to complete. It's why the hippocampus of a seasoned taxi driver in London is larger than average, and how a meditating monk grows grey matter. Your brain isn't a mythological deity but a physical part of your body that needs to be taken care of just like the rest of your body. And your body responds to two things really well -- diet and exercise. Let's presume your brain, being a part of the body, also does.

Things like Inbox Zero or cutting down on meetings may be handy tricks, but they don't take neuroplasticity into account. The bet there is that you have a finite amount of attention to spend, and that attention range isn't changeable. That stuff is handy for making the best use of your limited attention span, but it's not going to improve your attention span. It's not going to stop your brain from being easily distracted or unfocused if you've already trained it to be that way.

So how do you train to focus? I've been using interval training with great success. Modeled after how I trained to run my first marathon using Jeff Galloway's technique, I practice attention interval training. I got this timer installed on my computer. It's an excellent interval timer based on a technique called the Pomodoro technique -- but I'm primarily using it based on its ability to make sound, set good intervals, and support logging. I started small: 10 minutes of work with two minute breaks. My strategy has been to keep it so when the timer goes off that tells me it's time to take a break, I feel like I can keep going. I'm up to 35 minutes now with 2 minute breaks. Interestingly enough -- this is about as far as I'll get probably while still being able to keep Instant Messaging on. I've found that about 35 minutes is the max response time for IM to be useful.

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