7 ways to improve your attention span and be more focused, according to experts

When was the last time something (or someone) held your full attention without you feeling the pull to check email, scroll social media or reply to a text? How often do you find yourself multitasking, even when you don’t need to? Do you struggle to focus on a single task without becoming distracted?

“In today's world, we are constantly bombarded by distractions, and many habits make it even harder to stay focused,” says Kiki Ramsey, founder of Positive Psychology Coaching and the Diversity Institute. The good news, she adds, is that there are ways to tamp down those things competing for our attention and be more productive.

Here's what experts say about what's causing our short attention spans — and the tips they recommend to be our most focused selves.

What is affecting our ability to focus?

Ramsey points to overcommitting to plans, multitasking and even our general reliance on technology. “We're constantly bombarded with input — news, emails, social media — and our brains can't handle it all at once, leading to mental fatigue and scattered focus,” she says.

“Research has shown that the average person now switches tasks every three minutes, creating a state of continuous partial attention that severely impacts cognitive performance,” adds Mary Poffenroth, a biopsychologist and the author of Brave New You.

Poffenroth tells Yahoo Life that too many distractions cause our amygdala (the brain’s fear center) to become overactive, making it harder to focus. Additionally, she says stress hormones play a significant role in attention span regulation. When too much stress causes these hormones to increase, we go from thoughtful and goal-oriented to reactive and impulsive.

7 expert tips to improve focus

So how can we work with our brains and shift our habits to increase our attention span? Here's what our experts recommend.

Always have an endpoint in mind

Oliver Burkeman, a British journalist and author of Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Improve Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts, tells Yahoo Life that one thing he finds incredibly useful in maintaining focus is simply to be very clear about the endpoint toward which you’re working at any given time.

For example, if you’re writing a book, your objective might be to write the next 100 words of the chapter you're working on. If you’re redecorating your home, you might be looking to choose what color you’ll be painting your living room. These goals can be "very, very small-scale," Burkeman says.

“I think that makes it a lot easier to focus, partly because it makes it much harder to become intimidated by the scale of the project, which I think is one of the things that causes people to drift off into distractions,” says Burkeman. He adds that "because you have an endpoint that you're working towards, you can then choose another endpoint" — 100 more words, or where you'll put the couch — "and another and another."

Seek out a sensory anchor

“A lesser known but powerful approach involves using ‘sensory anchors,’” says Poffenroth. This could be a specific scent, or music associated only with focused work. Poffenroth says this approach causes the brain to create a Pavlovian association conducive to concentration.

“This technique leverages our brain's natural tendency to form environmental associations, making it easier to enter a focused state,” she explains.

Perhaps you have a specific playlist you listen to while working or doing household chores, or maybe you use an essential oil diffuser each time you need to buckle down and focus. The more often you do this, the stronger the impact.

Try time blocking

It's easy to feel overwhelmed when you've got a long to-do list, and your impulse might be to a) procrastinate and get nothing done or b) try to get too many things done at once. Ramsey, however, suggests trying time blocking, a productivity method that involves scheduling specific chunks of time for individual tasks. (Example: Blocking out 10 minutes on your calendar so you can fill out the insurance forms your doctor's office sent over, or devoting 30 minutes to checking emails instead of being interrupted by every notification.)

“Instead of juggling multiple tasks at once, try blocking off specific time periods for focused work," Ramsey says. "When you dedicate time to a single task, you train your brain to stay on track without distractions."

There are several ways to do this. The Pomodoro technique (in which you work on a task for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break) is one, and there are even apps you can use to implement it. Or. just set a timer for 10 minutes and start from there.

Optimize your environment

As much as you may want to ignore the clutter on your desk, it’s not doing your attention span any favors. In fact, studies show clutter alters how information flows in the brain.

“A clean, organized space can do wonders for your focus,” says Ramsey. “Remove unnecessary distractions and create a space that is conducive to concentration. Whether it’s decluttering your desk or using noise-canceling headphones, creating an environment that supports focus is key.”

You don’t have to do a full-on KonMari purge (although you can), but you should block out some time to straighten or tidy up the things you need and toss out anything you don't. It's also worth finding solutions for the distractions that perpetually plague you, such as hanging up curtains in your office if you're constantly distracted by what's happening outside your window, or moving to a quieter workspace on days when your neighbor's lawn guy (and his noisy leafblower) are bound to interrupt you.

Do some box breathing

Sometimes all we need to regain some focus is to slow down our breathing. Poffenroth suggests box breathing, also known as square breathing or 4-4-4 breathing, as a "powerful 'neurohack' that directly influences our autonomic nervous system."

The method is simple:

• Inhale for 4 seconds

• Hold for 4 seconds

• Exhale for 4 seconds

• Hold again for 4 seconds

• Repeat

Poffenroth says this sort of breathing can stimulate the vagus nerve, reducing stress hormone levels and making it easier to focus. This breathing technique is just one way to activate the vague nerve, which can also be stimulated via humming, massage and cold-water immersion.

Move your body

While we often think of focus as being something we do with our minds, our bodies also have a role to play. Physical fitness has been proven to boost attention in everyone from children and adolescents, to adults and seniors.

“Simple activities like stretching, walking or even a quick workout help increase blood flow to the brain, which can improve cognitive function and focus,” says Ramsey. And when you're feeling stuck on a project, a movement break — like a walk around the block — can help you recharge.

Address distractions as quickly as possible

Once you’ve gotten distracted (as happens to even the most focused individual), Burkeman says it’s best to deal with it immediately rather than trying to ignore it. It's an idea he credits to author Paul Loomans and his book, Time Surfing.

“The suggestion here is that once you have been interrupted by a thought or by a person, it is best to deal with that interruption as quickly as you can,” says Burkeman.

For example, if you have a distracting thought — like realizing you need to get your car serviced, or that your credit card bill is due — you should write a note reminding yourself to handle that task later, versus stopping everything to go and do that. Or if someone comes to ask you a question, either quickly answer them or let them know you can’t in the moment but will at a later time so they don’t hover. Watching a movie at home and can't place an actor's name? Make a note to look it up online after you've watched the film — rather than hitting pause to check IMDB every few minutes.

“It’s a way of giving that distraction its due before moving back to what you were focused on before,” says Burkeman.