📝 This Month's Mission: Rebuilding My Attention Span

I realized that my attention span has been fried since the start of the year, then taking a significant nosedive during my 18-day USA road trip with Dad. I found it hard to concentrate on anything for long, except for watching series and scrolling through social media and Reddit.

So, I decided it was time to retrain myself to focus and improve my attention span.

I began by writing Morning Pages every day for 10 minutes after returning from the road trip. I simply jot down whatever is on my mind. It’s a simple practice, but it helps me slow down and remember what it feels like to stick with my own thoughts without reaching for my phone.

The first few days of trying to sit still and stay with my thoughts for 10 minutes were challenging. I struggled to write much without the urge to open browsers on my laptop, which I had been using to type these reflections each morning.

I decided to switch to using my e-ink tablet, the Boox Go 10.3 instead. Initially, setting up a convenient setup was a bit of a hassle, as I had primarily used the device for reading and note-taking. However, once I settled on the UpNote app (which runs much faster than Obsidian on this device) and a cheap Bluetooth keyboard (since my usual mechanical keyboard causes key issues when paired with this one), the process became more calming than opening my MacBook Air.

Each morning, after my mobility routine, I set up my Boox Go 10.3 with its stand and keyboard, launch UpNote to create a new note, and set a physical timer for 10 minutes. This routine helps me focus on my thoughts with minimal distractions. Less overhead, more time to think.

Staying with my thoughts for 10 minutes remains challenging, but I’m beginning to settle into the routine. Or rather, I’m reacquainting myself with my self.

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To take it a step further, this past week I set myself a bigger challenge: reading for at least an hour every day. I must admit, it was very tough! Around the half-hour mark, I usually start fidgeting, feeling my mind drift away. I suddenly "need" to do anything but read. That urge is real and honestly distracting, but it’s also exactly what I’m trying to overcome to regain the focused mind I once had.

I’m also trying to control my screen usage, specifically on my iPhone and iPad, and be more intentional—again, for what feels like the hundredth time (LMAO). That goal is still a bit messy. I haven’t improved as much as I’d like, but I’m getting there. I’ve realized, however, that I’m not addicted to specific apps but rather to the overstimulation of visual sensory input. Listening to audiobooks, then, has become a great alternative for filling my leisure time without fixating my eyes on screens.

Another habit I’m trying to revive is writing blog posts. I haven’t written movie reviews or any type of post in months, and the truth is simple: I haven’t been able to concentrate long enough to do it. Writing requires more than just having ideas; it demands staying with those ideas long enough to shape them into something coherent and readable. My hope is that by the end of next month or so, I’ll be more consistent and able to write blog posts regularly again. I also aim to finish my write-up on “My Own Oscars Awards” for this year.

There’s so much I want to achieve, and I know I can do it, but not if my attention keeps drifting like this.

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In a world filled with personalised, algorithm-driven distractions, I need to focus now more than ever. I need the ability to think deeply and reflect, rather than letting everything pass me by mindlessly. It’s tough, but it’s necessary.

This is my mission—to improve my attention span and reclaim my own mind. And these are my ways of getting back on track and improving.

Slowly, I’m trying to reduce mindless checking because I need space to think. I need time to simply sit, ponder, and not constantly consume.

Despite the struggle, I can tell I’m getting more used to doing one thing at a time. I’m starting to rebuild that focus muscle, even if it’s still shaky. The goal isn’t perfection; it’s to keep showing up and fully committing to one task, even on days when my mind feels like a browser with 30 tabs open.

For now, I’m keeping my immediate mission clear: read daily, write my thoughts daily, and rebuild my ability to focus. Editing and publishing may feel overwhelming  for me at the moment, and that’s okay. I’m still fidgeting even as I write this, but I’m getting through it. And I know I can get through many more hours as this. 

So this is part of my journey back to my focused self.

This is me acknowledging it, working on it, and striving to get better—one focused hour at a time.

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