The average American spends 7 hours and 4 minutes looking at a screen each day, but do you often go from screen to screen, scrolling through one and immediately switching to another?
Notifications, calls, updates, videos, posts, and messages … the more time you spend on screen, the more chances you have to develop “Popcorn Brain.”
Psychologist Colette Fehr said it’s like popping from one screen to another almost all at once.
“Watching TV, they’re on their computer, they’re responding to texts all at the same time, to the point where it feels almost unnatural,” said Colette J. Fehr, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor.
So how can you regain your focus?
One way is trying The Pomodoro Technique, work for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break.
“You put your phone away, you put all distractions away, and you’re sort of negotiating with your brain that wants to be multitasking and checking,” said Fehr.
Another way, slow things down.
“Set limits on technology and really train our brain to go back into being in a slow present moment through activities,” explained Fehr.
If you can’t help it, try putting your phone on focus mode. This reduces notifications and lets important ones from specific apps or contacts through.
How about this? If you have a laptop, try doing it without a charger. This can force you to complete your tasks before it runs out, creating a sense of urgency and preventing you from wasting time looking online.