The Effect of Interrupted Attention on Attention

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Gloria Borger: I had read a study that said when people were distracted, they shifted their attention from one thing to another. It took them an average of 24 minutes to return to the thing they were doing; is that true or accurate? She says it's 25 and a half minutes on average to go back to an interrupted task. Borger: We're just draining because it requires effort to have to keep reorienting to these new tasks.

Dr. Gloria Mark shares her science-based solutions for overcoming distractions and finding more flow.

— YOU’LL LEARN —

1) The biggest hurdle for your attention span.

2) What drains your attention span tank–and how to refuel it.

3) How to design your day to maximize productivity.

Subscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep881 for clickable versions of the links below.

— ABOUT GLORIA —

Dr. Gloria Mark has published over 150 papers in the top journals and conferences in the fields of human-computer interactions (HCI) and Computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW) and is author of the book Multitasking in the Digital Age. Her work on multitasking has appeared in outlets like the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NPR, The Atlantic, the BBC, and many others. Her newest book, Attention Span: Find Focus and Fight Distraction, is out now.

She is the Chancellor Professor of Informatics at the University of California, Irvine. She received her PhD from Columbia University in psychology. She has been a visiting senior researcher at Microsoft Research since 2012. Her primary research interest is in understanding the impact of digital media on people's lives and she is best known for her work in studying people's multitasking, mood and behavior while using digital media in real world environments.

• Book: Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness and Productivity

• LinkedIn: Gloria Mark

• Twitter: @GloriaMark_PhD

• Website: GloriaMark.com

— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW —

• Book: Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

• Past episode: 734: How to Train Your Mind to Focus and Handle Distractions Better with Dr. Amishi Jha

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