Switching attention: definition of the concept, description of the technique

Most modern people have very poorly developed mindfulness skills. And when attention is weak and poorly trained, it turns into our enemy. We are constantly distracted, we cannot concentrate on anything, the habit of rapidly changing content prevents us from going deeper into the object of observation, we become stupid, we cannot manage our lives and be effective, we get stuck in addictions and drain our energy into an unknown place, and besides, we become light prey to any manipulators. All this greatly affects the quality of life.

We are constantly surrounded by stimuli with which we interact. Our consciousness does not process all stimuli. Many of them pass by the focus of attention and go unnoticed. What we pay attention to depends on many factors - it could be personal interests, a stimulus that is too loud or bright to not notice, a high degree of novelty, our own safety and much more.

The ability to manage attention largely determines our successes, failures, development or stagnation, opportunities, limitations, etc.

Definition

All people have experienced the fact that in the morning they can concentrate well on solving complex problems, but in the evening it becomes problematic to do so. Why? A person spends his energy on making all sorts of everyday decisions and for this reason, by the evening he has neither the strength nor the desire to do anything important. Switching your attention helps restore energy. A simple technique gives good results if you master it perfectly. The brain will not get very tired if it is not working hard all the time.

A smart person takes a break every 2 hours of productive activity. Moreover, in his free time he does not sit at the computer, but goes out to get some air, does physical exercise, or makes coffee. Changing activities is the best way to switch attention. But it’s not always possible to leave the table and take a walk. Sometimes you have to quickly change the sector of your tasks and concentrate on each of them. What to do in such a situation?

How to Focus and Increase Your Attention Span

Let's talk about how to overcome our tendency to multitask and focus on one thing at a time. How do you know which of the many possible options you should pay attention to?

Warren Buffett's Two List Strategy

One of my favorite techniques for focusing on what's important and eliminating everything else comes from famous investor Warren Buffett.

Buffett used a three-step strategy for improving personal productivity to help his employees set priorities and plan actions.

Buffett once asked his personal pilot to perform a simple three-step exercise.

Step 1: To get started, Buffett asked pilot Mike Flint to write down his top 25 career goals. It took Flint some time to sort it out and write it. Tip: You can do this exercise with short-term goals. For example, make a list of 25 things you want to complete this week.
Step 2: Buffett then asked Flint to review his list and select the 5 most important goals. This again took Flint some time, but in the end he chose the 5 highest priority targets.
Step 3. At this point, Flint has two lists. The five most important items were combined into List A, and the remaining twenty into List B. Flint decided that he would immediately begin working on the five most important goals.

And at that moment Buffett asked what he was going to do with the second list.

Flint replied: “The five most important goals are my main focus, but twenty others are important too, so I will work on them from time to time when the opportunity arises. They are certainly not that urgent, but I still plan to pay attention to them.”

To which Buffett said: “No, Mike, you got it all wrong. Anything other than your top five goals is a list of things to avoid at all costs. No matter what happens, you should not pay attention to the B list until you achieve five important goals."

I love Buffett's method because it forces you to make tough decisions and eliminate things that might be a good use of your time, but not a good use of it. Thus, from the tasks that distract attention, you choose those that are really worth spending time on.

This is just one way to direct your attention and abstract from all distractions. There are others, such as the Eisenhower matrix or the Ivy Lee method.

But no matter what method you use and no matter how serious you are, at some point the concentration disappears. How to stay focused longer? To do this you need to follow two simple steps.

Measure your results

Attention often disappears due to lack of feedback. Naturally, your brain wants to know if you are achieving your goals.

We all have areas of our lives that we claim are very important to us, but that we don't keep track of. This is a fundamentally wrong approach. Only with the help of numbers and full tracking can we take action when we get better or worse.

When I started counting how many push-ups I did, I became stronger.
When I started following the 20-page-a-day reading habit, I read more books.
When I wrote down my values, I became more principled.

The tasks I was tracking remained my focus.

Unfortunately, we often avoid measuring results because we are afraid the numbers will be unimpressive. Understand that measurement is not needed to judge yourself. This is simply the feedback you need to understand where you are now.

Measure to discover, to know, to understand. Measure to know yourself better. Measure because it will help you focus on the things that matter to you.

Value progress, not outcome measures

The second thing you can do to stay focused longer is to focus on the process rather than the events. Too often we think of success as something that can be achieved and completed.

Here are some examples.

Many people think of health as an event (“If I can lose 10 kilograms, I’ll be in great shape”).
Many people think of entrepreneurship as an event (“If our business was written about in the New York Times, we'd be successful”).
Many people think of art as an event (“If my paintings were exhibited in a big gallery, I would become famous”).

These are just a few examples of many where we define success as a single event. But if you look at people who are focused on their goals, you will understand that it is not the events or results that matter, but the focus on the process itself. These people love what they do.

And the funny thing is, focusing on the process will allow you to enjoy the results anyway.

If you want to be a good writer and publish a bestseller, that's great. But the only way to achieve this result is to love writing.
If you want the whole world to know about your business, it would be a good idea to be featured in Forbes magazine. But the only way to achieve this is to love the process of promotion.
If you want to get fit, you may really need to lose 10 extra pounds. But the only way to achieve this result is to love healthy eating and exercise.
If you want to become much better at anything, you have to love the process. You have to fall in love with building an image of a person who does business, and not just dream about the desired results.

Focusing on goals and results is our natural tendency, but focusing on progress leads to greater results in the long run.

Kinds

There are two types of attention switching:

Deliberate. In this case, a person, by force of will, forces himself to shift attention from one task to another. Case in point: switching between multiple projects can often be seen in any office. And at home, people often multitask. For example, a girl can wash dishes and talk on the phone at this time. Such constant switching of attention will reduce the effectiveness of each individual task if the person performing them does not have this quick skill.
Unintentional. Distractions accompany a person throughout the day. He can be intensely busy with work, but a phone call will knock a person out of deep thinking. Social media notifications prevent you from concentrating on an activity for more than 30 minutes. A radio or TV playing in the background absorbs attention without him realizing it.

Stopping Thoughts

Those negative emotions, that informational stress that a person experiences, is caused by himself with the help of so-called internal negative self-talk. Negative self-talk is negative assessments of a person’s actions, deeds and himself in general, as well as negative forecasts for the future. Internal negative self-talk is usually not consciously realized. It represents a stream of thoughts that “increases” discomfort. In order to stop this destructive process, it is necessary to use the thought stopping technique.

Overcoming unpleasant emotional experiences: recommendations for use

The technique exists in three versions. Options No. 2 and 3 are the easiest to learn and practically use.

The effectiveness of the techniques is determined by the fact that when they are performed correctly, you will shift the focus of your attention from the flow of negative thoughts, thereby breaking their course and normalizing your emotional state.

Option #1

Focus on the flow of thoughts that are passing at the moment, i.e. become aware of them. (In this case, you can, if the situation allows, close your eyes.)
Mentally, quite firmly, say “stop” and stop the flow of thoughts. (Instead of the word “stop,” you can use visual symbols of equivalent effect, such as a stop sign or a barrier.)

Option No. 2

Move the focus of attention outward, i.e. direct it to external objects, sounds, sensations.
Shifting your attention, list everything that you perceive, according to the principle “What I see is what I sing about”:
I see…
I hear…
I feel...

In other words, just “let go” of your attention, in free flight mode, contemplate the world around you in all its diversity of colors, shapes, sounds, smells and sensations.

How to determine your performance?

Switching attention and distributing it between tasks is a useful skill. But before doing the exercises, a person must understand his starting point. Each individual has his own rhythm of life and sphere of activity. Some people need strong concentration, while others can work automatically. How to determine the volume of your attention and its consumption per day? In the morning, immediately after you wake up, sit at the table and start writing any number or letter. Draw a row until you get it wrong. Calculate the result. For example, you got 16 digits. The same test must be done throughout the day. Write a series of numbers around lunchtime and then in the evening. After looking at the result, it will become clear to you at what periods of time you will need to be distracted, relieve mental stress, in order to rush into battle again.

Parable

One day, while walking across a field, a man met a tiger. He ran, the tiger followed him. Having reached the edge of the abyss, he grabbed the roots of a wild grapevine and hung over the abyss. The tiger began to sniff him from above. Trembling with fear, the poor fellow looked down: there, far below, another tiger was waiting for him. Only the vine held him back for now.

Two mice, black and white, began to slowly gnaw at the roots of the vine. Next to him, the man suddenly noticed ripe, juicy strawberries. Holding the vine with one hand, he picked the berry with the other. How delicious it was!

Reading two books at the same time

The technique of switching attention is to train the mind for a conscious and quick change of activity without loss of cognitive functions. How can you achieve a good result? You need to practice a simple exercise every day. Take two books of the same format and similar content. For example, these could be detectives. Set aside an hour and start reading. You need to alternately read both books at the same time. Having finished one page in the first detective story, immediately move on to the second. You need to concentrate on each book. After the hour has passed, you should take a test. Write the content of what you read from the first book, and then from the second. At first, the task will seem very difficult, and you will have difficulty testing yourself. Therefore, nothing bad will happen if you re-read the text again in the normal way. After six months of training, you will be able to change your activities quickly and without losing concentration.

Causes and factors of involuntary attention

External, determined by the characteristics of the stimuli acting on a person;
Magnitude;
Relative novelty (any change in a familiar stimulus);
Duration (inverse ratio);
Movement, especially starting and stopping it.
Internal, determined by the characteristics of the person himself.
Human experience;
Emotions and feelings (attention is drawn to emotiogenic factors);
The human condition.
The significance of the stimulus is the correspondence of the external characteristics of the stimulus to the internal needs of a person.

Focus on emotions

Switching and stability of attention is needed not only to cope with work issues. Man is an emotional being. For this reason, it is not always possible to control oneself. If you want to become more self-controlled, you need to learn to shift your attention from what offends you to something else. For example, in a fit of anger, try to imagine your feeling. Mentally look around your body and think about where exactly your anger is accumulated. Come up with a shape for it. It could be a cloud or some kind of animal. Mentally, you need to let the anger out. Simple concentration and distraction allows a person to quickly cool down and not lash out at his neighbor. You can practice this technique not only with negative, but also with positive emotions. Sometimes joy, pride or a good feeling interfere with work just as much as grief.

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Switching attention
Attention is manifested in any conscious human activity to a greater or lesser extent. Attention is the concentration of consciousness and its direction, but something that matters to a person. Attention improves the outcome of other mental processes - such as memorization, thinking, imagination, but does not exist on its own. The properties of attention include its stability, concentration, distribution, volume and switching. Concentration refers to how intensely a person is able to concentrate and distract from everything that is not in the field of attention. Deep concentration is useful when working on one task, as well as in cases where the person is not required to act quickly. But where quick switching of attention is required, deep concentration can lead to mistakes. distribution of attention in cases where several actions are performed simultaneously - for example, when learning to drive. The main condition for the successful distribution of attention is that at least one action must be automated, brought to the level of skill. For example, just listening to music and knitting is enough. It is much more difficult to perform several types of mental activity at the same time: for example, thinking about a problem and listening to a speech on a completely different topic. Switching attention differs from distraction in that it is performed by a person consciously. Therefore, a simple transfer of attention to another object cannot be considered a switch: it must be associated with setting a new goal. Initially, it was believed that the ability to shift attention was innate and available to few people. Later it was shown that special training can improve attention switching. With a high concentration of attention, switching it is difficult. This leads to absent-mindedness, which comes in two forms.

Firstly, there is an inability to concentrate attention for any length of time - it constantly “slides”, a person is constantly distracted. One of the reasons for such absent-mindedness may be an excess of all kinds of shallow interests.
Secondly, there is absent-mindedness as a one-sided concentration of consciousness, when a person does not notice what, from his point of view, seems insignificant. A classic example is the absent-mindedness of a scientist who is absorbed in his work and does not ignore the various “little things in life.”

Sustainability of attention is the duration of concentration of consciousness. What does it depend on? When the object of attention does not provide new impressions, attention is distracted from it. Consequently, attention can be maintained only by constantly revealing new content in the object of attention. Georges Cuvier claims that genius is first and foremost attention. He writes that an intellect that is poor in knowledge, immobile and unoriginal, is unlikely to be able to focus its attention on one subject for long. Therefore, we can say that it is not attention that creates a genius, but genius allows one to maintain stable attention and find more and more new aspects in familiar things. Other factors of sustained attention are: - interest in the material - connection of the material being studied with the needs of the individual - content and complexity of the work performed - comfortable or distracting conditions in which the work takes place - personality characteristics (for example, temperament and volitional qualities). How to learn to quickly switch attention When we are busy with something, our attention, in the overwhelming majority of cases, is focused precisely on this process. And, of course, the ability to concentrate is one of the most effective and necessary skills for a person. After all, thanks to it, a person can be completely immersed in the task at hand, and all extraneous stimuli pass as if past him, without distracting him in any way. But what to do in situations when our attention is absorbed by obsessive thoughts, some object, or we simply cannot tear ourselves away from some process? The importance of a person’s ability to switch attention is no less than the ability to concentrate, and sometimes it itself is much more necessary for him. How to learn to switch your attention and develop this skill? Before answering this question, we should say a little about what attention is in general. Attention is the process of selective perception of a particular object, which is characterized by changes in the intensity of experiences, their clarity and content. As a rule, attention is expressed in a person’s attitude to something, and behind this attitude there are already his attitudes, needs, interests and mental orientation. The focus of attention is always on a specific object, and everything else is secondary and not so clear. But the process of attention itself is not independent and can be controlled. Attention performs a number of special functions, can be of several types and forms, and also has its own properties. To clarify, it is worth noting that the main functions of attention are the following: Selection of currently relevant information Ensuring concentration on a specific object or activity Activation of primary and inhibition of secondary mental processes Switching attention is, fundamentally, a conscious and purposeful shift in the emphasis of perception from one object (or type of activity) to another. Figuratively, this process can be represented in the form of a light beam emanating from a flashlight: for example, you are walking at night and illuminate the space in front of you with this beam, but something rustled away from you and you direct the beam of light towards the rustling in order to find out more about it. its source. This ray of light is the very attention that we all use in everyday life. True, there is one nuance here: the rustling distracted you, i.e. your attention switched automatically. Switching attention should always occur consciously. This is the difference between simple distractibility and purposeful switching of attention, which depends on the tasks that are relevant at the moment. In addition, successful switching of attention is influenced by factors such as a person’s previous and new activities, as well as his personal qualities. For example, if you just watched interesting videos on the Internet, but you urgently need to start doing hard work, then the switch will be more difficult than if you switch from hard work to watching videos. The fact is that a conscious switching of attention always implies the production of some kind of volitional effort, and it occurs much more easily and quickly from an object (or activity) of less significance and interest to a more significant and interesting one. Switching attention always reflects the individual mental characteristics of each person. So, for example, there is a category of people who are able to quickly change the emphasis of their perception, and there is a category of those who do it slowly. But, be that as it may, this process has a direct impact on everything a person does, even on how he perceives the world around him. After all, the direction of our attention, in many ways, shapes our worldview, beliefs, direction of behavior, mood, etc. That is why you need to learn how to switch attention. And the most interesting thing is that it is quite simple to do. Methods of switching attention Method one Knowing that the main factor for focusing our attention is information coming from outside, you can use a simple technique that allows, albeit not completely, but still to protect your attention from unnecessary information - this is ignoring. Firstly, there is no need to attach undue importance to what does not concern you and your life. Try to take care only of your own affairs and what is important to you. Of course, this does not mean that you should become “hard-headed” and be concerned only with yourself - just adequately perceive what is happening and do not complicate your life with what you really do not need. And secondly, limit the flow of incoming information - both many media and many people constantly “load” us with an excess of negativity: something terrible happened somewhere, someone has difficulties and problems, etc. And we perceive it all. You need to stop doing this: stop watching TV, avoid constantly complaining people, protect yourself from the flow of negative energy that is transmitted from all this. Be interested mainly in what directly affects your life. Method two Cultivate a positive worldview in yourself: do not take everything too seriously, learn to laugh at yourself and perceive any events with a smile, do not take on the solution of impossible or meaningless tasks. Remember that everything goes its own way, and if troubles arise, repeat to yourself a very effective saying: “Do what you must - and come what may.” To put it simply, you need to give up on everything. Let everything be and move freely through life. This is the only way you can learn to transfer your attention in a positive direction, regardless of any extraneous stimuli. Method Three It's no secret that attention is a reinforcing force for any condition. Therefore, as soon as you feel that your attention is switching to the negative, immediately try to switch to something opposite or at least neutral. For example, if you have been standing in line for a very long time to finally pay the rent, but the number of grandmothers not only does not decrease, but strangely continues to increase, you should not be indignant about this and mentally curse them, the post office, and the whole white light. Shift your attention to something else: watch what is happening, examine the environment around you or someone’s appearance, think about your plans for the evening, or remember joyful moments in your life. After some time, you will notice that your condition has changed, in fact, everything is not so bad, you are in a pretty good mood, and you are next in line. The situation at the post office is, of course, just an example. The method itself can be used anywhere and anytime. Method four If you are bothered by an obsessive experience and you can’t get rid of it, try to literally examine and study it. Concentrate on the experience itself: try to physically feel its presence in the body and find its location, see its color, feel its vibration, determine its size. In many cases, this method automatically neutralizes the undesirable condition and brings the person back to normal. Method five This method helps you switch from one task to another. If you notice that you can’t stop doing something, and it’s as if something is holding you back, but you realize that you need to switch, and it’s extremely difficult to do this, just think about your attention and where it is now directed. Tell yourself firmly and clearly: “STOP!” Set your priorities and determine what is more important to you now. That side of your personality that is accustomed to succumbing to weaknesses and making concessions to itself will persistently tell you: “Everything is fine, just a little more, and I will get on with things,” thereby trying to return you to your previous course. Don't fall for it! No matter what, don’t go back to your previous activities and do what you need to do. Literally 5-10 minutes - and your attention will enthusiastically switch to your new job. At first this technique will most likely be difficult, but with practice it will become easier and easier. In addition, thanks to this method you will train awareness and self-control. Method six At any moment when you realize that you need to switch your attention from one object (or type of activity) to another, become aware of everything that is happening at the moment: your thoughts, sensations, physical condition, what you are doing, what you are focused on, etc. This technique will relax your concentration on something preceding, free your thoughts, have a calming effect, help you understand the essence of what is happening, set priorities and give strength to switch your attention to the desired object (or type of activity). If possible, close your eyes - this will have an additional effect. It’s easy to notice that very simple techniques are used to switch attention. They are within the power of absolutely every person and do not require anything for their implementation except desire and regular practice. Now you know how to switch attention, all that’s left is to finish reading this article and purposefully direct the “beam of your flashlight” to something else, for example, to writing a good comment.

Meditation

The distribution, switching and volume of attention changes depending on how interested a person is in what is happening around him. Perhaps you met a friend on the street who walked past without even saying hello. When you called out to your friend, he said that he was thinking. A person’s attention can be focused either inside him, it is in this position that a person thinks, or outside, then the person feels what is happening next to him. Concentrating on both is difficult. For this reason, simple meditation can help to switch consciousness. You don't need to sit in the lotus position to clear your mind. Just focus on your breathing. Extra thoughts will leave your head, and a kind of vacuum will remain in it. In this state, a person can sit down to work and achieve the highest concentration of attention.

Absent-mindedness and attentiveness

When absent-minded, a person’s consciousness does not have a specific direction, but moves from one object to another, i.e. dissipates.

Types of absent-mindedness

There are two main types of absent-mindedness. The first is the result of a general instability of attention. They are usually distinguished by younger children. However, it can also occur in adults as a result of weakness of the nervous system or extreme fatigue, lack of sleep, etc. This type of absent-mindedness also appears in the absence of the habit of working with concentration.

The second type of absent-mindedness has a completely different character. It occurs because a person is focused on one thing and therefore does not notice anything else. People who are passionate about their work are characterized by such absent-mindedness.

Attentiveness

If a person gets used to doing everything carefully, then attention, becoming a constant feature, develops into attentiveness, which, as a personality trait, is of great importance in the general psychological appearance of a person. Anyone who has this quality is distinguished by observation and the ability to better perceive their surroundings. An attentive person reacts to events faster and often experiences them more deeply, and has a great ability to learn.

Mindfulness is associated with greater development of the properties of attention: its volume, concentration, stability, distribution. Possessing this quality, a person easily concentrates and has well-developed involuntary attention. Even in the absence of interest in work, an attentive person can quickly mobilize voluntary attention and force himself to concentrate on a difficult and uninteresting activity.

Psychological testing using the Attention package will help establish the attention properties of each person, identify deviations, by studying which you can direct the development of attention in the right direction.

Exclusive material from the site “www.effecton.ru - psychological tests and correctional programs.” Borrowing text and/or related materials is only possible if there is a direct and clearly visible link to the original. All rights reserved.

Pay attention to your surroundings

Do you want to learn how to change your activities without losing concentration? The property of switching attention is that a person can do whatever he wants, but for this he will need to make incredible efforts. If the switching skill is trained, then quickly changing the field of activity will be easy. One simple practice is similar to meditation. You should, at the moment when you decide to change your activity, distract yourself and focus on the space around you. Ask yourself:

I see. What do you see. Without changing your angle of view, list to yourself all the items and objects that fall within your visual range.
I hear you. Focus on the sounds reaching your ears. This could be snatches of conversation, the hum of a computer or refrigerator, the sound of a TV running, or a child's laughter.
I feel it. Try to understand what you are feeling. You may feel warm, cold or hot. Maybe you're thirsty or hungry. Give yourself a full account of the sensations.

How attention relates to energy

Wherever attention is directed, energy flows there. Where the energy is directed, it grows.

It is important to understand this and timely track where attention is directed with the help of the Observer. Do you want what grabs your attention to grow? Is this useful for you? Developing or dragging you to the bottom?

The brain does not give energy to something useless (which does not develop us in any way). If our attention flows towards the useless, energy flows down the drain. There is less and less of it. Then you won’t want to do anything at all. This is easy to see in the example of social networks. If we pay too much attention to all the updates that happen there, but do not bring any benefit, but are just entertainment, we will waste our time and energy in vain. The brain will refuse to supply new energy, because we will still waste it on a passive high. Strength and energy will only be left to maintain existence and again meaninglessly drain into mindless surfing. Because of this, life will turn into a repeating Groundhog Day and gradually go downhill.

If our attention is directed to what is beyond our control, i.e. We cannot influence this directly with our own hands and actions - the same thing happens. This can include talking about a bad government, fruitless dreams, endlessly scrolling in your head about conversations and situations that have already happened, and you can’t do anything about it. The maximum is conclusions, but this happens quickly.

Wherever attention is directed, energy flows there. Where the energy is directed, it grows.

But on the other hand, if attention is directed to something important and useful, where we can actively act and get results, we are connected with the object of attention through activity and receive feedback - then we grow and improve very quickly. The brain gives energy for this, and we enjoy the activity.

For example, a person learns to write stories. He can read the stories of other writers, analyzing them into elements in order to understand how the plot is built, with the help of what artistic means the author manages to evoke emotions. He can carefully notice life situations in order to use them in his works. Think through new plot twists or characters. Write stories and publish. The skill will gradually increase. When it starts to work out, the total amount of energy will increase, the person will begin to enjoy writing and develop even faster. If he chooses to pay more attention to social networks, he will rather suffer in front of the white sheet of paper. And it’s not that social networks are evil. This is just an example to understand how choosing an object for attention can radically change life and its quality.

And in this case it is very important to switch. If a person gets very stuck on one thing, all other areas of his life begin to collapse.

What is deprived of attention is destroyed.

Therefore, it is so important to be able to competently redistribute your attention between all important areas. You can’t throw yourself into work if family is also important. Attention is our control panel from our own life.

How are you doing with your attention? Can you control it or are you constantly stuck, or can’t concentrate on what’s important? Why do you want to train attention skills?