What's happening in your brain when you focus?
Here's the neuroscience explanation for what's going on when we focus through our visual system. When we pay attention to something specific, neurons in the visual cortex responding to the object we're focusing upon fire synchronously, whereas those neurons responding to irrelevant information are suppressed. Some neurochemicals such as Acetylcholine also get released in certain parts of the brain when we are focusing.
Why should I care about focus?
Before we dive into the science, here's why focus might matter to you. Focus is often called the skill of the 21st century. As our attention gets pulled in more directions, the ability to focus becomes increasingly valuable - and those who develop it tend to see real benefits.
Focus enables learning and can significantly impact productivity - how much meaningful work you accomplish towards your goals. One way to look at productivity is Cal Newport's model of how it works:
High quality work produced = (time spent) x (intensity of focus)
Keep in mind that our time is limited - we only have 24 hours in a day - and we already use all of it! It can be pretty difficult to find time to put into a certain activity because something else has to be sacrificed in its place.
On the other hand, many of us have more capacity for focus than we're currently tapping into. Our brains are constantly processing information from multiple sources, which can split our attention.
If you're looking to accomplish specific goals, improving focus can be one of the most effective levers you have.
The big productivity myth
While we're talking about productivity, it's worth addressing a common misconception - that work-life balance and productivity are mutually exclusive.
Working long hours without considering balance doesn't automatically mean you're more productive. Extended work sessions can lead to mental and physical fatigue, which actually decreases your ability to focus intensely.
This is why many people find it more useful to think about focus (efficiency) and effectiveness towards your goals, rather than just hours worked.
Here's an example: Spending time on Instagram could be productive if your goal is improving engagement with your audience. But if your goal is building a side-project, that same Instagram time might not move you forward - even if it feels like you're being busy.
"It's really clear that the most precious resource we all have is time." – Steve Jobs
Time is finite. Studies suggest our brains have a daily limit of around 4 hours of complete deliberate focus. This is why many people choose to be intentional about where their attention goes - focusing on what matters most to them rather than what's most urgent or accessible.
Definition of focused work
Focused work: professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities.
Focus can be applied to any goal that matters to you - including the work you care about. These principles apply whether you're trying to concentrate on a project, learn something new, or simply be more present in what you're doing.
The rest of this guide focuses on work-related applications, but the concepts translate to other areas of life too.
It's easy to confuse focused work with simply being busy. Cal Newport defines 'shallow work' as non-cognitively demanding, logistical-style tasks, often performed while distracted. These efforts tend to not create much new value and are easy to replicate.
That said, shallow work is often necessary - emails need responses, admin tasks need doing. The question is more about whether the balance feels right to you.
Cal Newport also proposes a great mental test to test whether or not a task is shallow – the college student test:
How long would it take (in months) to train a smart recent college graduate with no specialized training in my field to complete this task?
To make this flexible to all kinds of professions, feel free to change 'recent college graduate' to someone else when thinking about this test.
Of course, there's nothing wrong with shallow work - it's part of most jobs. This test is just a way to understand where your time is going, so you can make intentional choices about it.
Benefits of focus at work
1. Get stuff done faster
More time for what matters to you. If you improve your focus then you will be much more productive, so you can theoretically work shorter workdays and give more time to your other goals – family, side projects, fitness, etc.
2. Increased happiness
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's studies have demonstrated that more time spent in a 'flow' state increases happiness (a level of focus so deep all distractions fade away and the mind is pushed to its limit).
3. Produce higher quality work
As you might have guessed already, with a deeper level of focus you can produce higher quality work, learn more valuable skills and ultimately get closer to greatness in your field.
Our hypothesis – the recipe for focus
Through our research we have come up with the following 5 parts of focus - things which are all important to making up the recipe. These are:
- Good organisation
- Eliminating distractions
- Self-motivation
- Self-awareness
- Accountability
In the other sections of this guide, we expand on each of these parts - exploring the research and practical approaches that people find helpful.
These principles apply everywhere focus matters - including how you use social media. That's actually where Unscroll comes in. Social media platforms are designed to capture and hold attention, which can make focused work harder. Unscroll helps you see your patterns before and while you scroll, not just after. That awareness gives you more choice about when and how you engage, so you can stay in the loop without losing hours to mindless scrolling.
It's not about blocking or deleting apps - it's about having the information you need to make decisions that feel right for you.
Try Unscroll