April 2025 Newsletter | đ§ The Brain Science of Attention
My mission is to be the first woman in 4 generations to not develop Alzheimerâs Disease (AD). On my journey of discovering ways to mitigate my risk, I pass this information on to you in this Brain-Body-Health (BBH) Newsletter.
Hello Brain-Body-Health Citizen Scientists!
Letâs face it, something always grabs our attention: the beeps, pings, news flashes. Distractions are constant. Arrrrrgh!
If you donât focus your attention, your attention will find something to focus on.
Thatâs the message from the class I just finished called the 21-Day Focus Challenge, taught by neurocognitive scientist, Dr. Julie Frantantoni. You can follow her on substack with me.
THE BAD NEWS: Evolution did not train our brains to focus
We, humans, evolved in environments where constant scanning for threats and opportunities was essential for survival, wiring us for short bursts of attention. Our brains are especially drawn to novelty since anything new could be a potential danger or reward. At the same time, our working memory is limited â we can only hold a few pieces of information at once, making it hard to stay focused when we're juggling multiple inputs. Modern life, especially digital technology, exploits these traits by overwhelming us with endless stimuli, triggering our novelty-seeking instincts and fragmenting our attention in ways our brains werenât built to handle.
More Bad News:
Question: How are you and a goldfish different?
Answer: Some would say the goldfish has a longer attention span!
đ§ The Brain Science of Attention
Picture your brain as the bustling command center of a spaceship, with the Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) sitting proudly in the captainâs seat. This sharp-thinking leader charts the course, pilots decisions, and keeps your attention laser-focused, just like a maestro guiding an orchestra through a grand performance. But even Captain Kirk needs to restâunder stress or constant pings from your phone, that PFC quickly runs out of fuel and loses focus. Enter the Default Mode Network (DMN), your brainâs onboard creative lounge. Hereâs where you drift into daydreams, replay memories, and cook up wild ideasâfar from wasted time, these are the sparks of real innovation! Achieving masterpiece-level focus means artfully balancing action and imagination; you canât be âall engines goâ forever.
And then, cue the dopamine system: this is your brainâs booster rocket, firing up whenever something exciting or novel flashes across your radarâthe thrill of a new notification or a clever meme. Itâs not just about pleasure. Dopamine makes you think: âWhoa, this matters! Letâs pay extra close attention!â No wonder tech companies love to hijack your controls, rewiring what steals your spotlight.
Meanwhile, your working memoryâyour brainâs trusty whiteboardâcan only juggle about four things before it starts erasing itself. Yes, that is right only 4 things! Every time you bounce from one mission to another, your mental crew scrambles to clear the decks and reload instructions. All it takes is a buzz from your phone and, whoosh, focus is lost in space! So, to keep your brain flying high, keep your captain (PFC) rested, honor your creative wanderings (DMN), guard that dopamine dashboard, and donât overload your trusty whiteboard. It's a cosmic balancing actâand with a little strategy, you can make your mind a masterpiece!
THE GOOD NEWS: Attention is a trainable muscle
What is Deep Focus:
Deep focus (or deep work) is a cognitively demanding activity that requires sustained effort and attention. When you practice deep focus:
You temporarily stress your brain by pushing it to work harder and ignore distractions.
This cognitive âstressâ is a mild challengeâmuch like exercise is for the body.
As a result, the brain adapts by improving concentration, building new neural pathways, and enhancing cognitive control.
This improvement from mental âstressâ is an example of hormesis: the brain gets stronger through manageable challenge. Hormesis is a biological phenomenon where exposure to a mild or moderate stressor stimulates the body or brain to adapt and become stronger, healthier, or more resilient. Think of it as "what doesnât kill you makes you stronger"âlike exercise, fasting, or learning new skills.
Practicing deep focus challenges the brain in a way that triggers hormetic benefits, such as improved mental abilities and increased neurogenesis. Yes, your brain can grow more brain cells.
During the focus class, I was patting myself on the back for all the âdeep focus workâ I was doing, studying French, exercising, playing the ukulele, and quilting. It turns out what I thought was deep focus really wasnât. Deep focus applies to any activity where you are actively and intentionally pushing your mental facultiesâwithout distractionâtoward a valuable, often challenging, goal.
How can you tell when you're in deep focus:
Deep focus (or âdeep workâ) is the state where you devote your undivided attention to one cognitively demanding task for a sustained time, with all distractions blocked out. In this state, your prefrontal cortex is engaged, your mind is immersed, and youâre working at your mental best. You are one with Captain Kirk.
Key ingredients of deep focus:
Single-tasking: You work only on one meaningful taskâno multitasking, no background email, no phone checks.
Distraction-free: Youâve silenced notifications, closed unrelated tabs/apps, and set boundaries to avoid interruptions.
Sustained time: You commit to a block (often 25â90 minutes) so your brain can enter a groove or âflowâ state.
Cognitive challenge: The task is challenging and requires real mental effort (writing, coding, learning complex topics, creative projects).
Clear intention: You know what deep work goal you want to achieve before you begin.
Deep focus isnât just about working harderâitâs about working smarter, training your brain to dive deep and accomplish your best, most meaningful work.
Lessons in Coaching:
Here are some new strategies Iâm implementing for myself and clients to optimize attention and focus:
Know your what type of circadian bird you are:
Our circadian rhythm determines when the PFC is at its Peak Performance Window (PPW). Iâm a lark type who wakes up early in the morning. My PPW is 8 am - 12 pm. My friend, Ellen is a night owl. Her PPW is 7 pm - 10 pm. We are all different. Shifting your deep focusing tasks to when your brain energy is at its highest will get you the best bang for your brain buck.
Distinguish between urgent and important:
When something becomes urgent, our Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) is activated and shuts down our Captain, the PFC. Energy is shunted away from the brain to the muscles of the lower extremities, so we can run away from a perceived stressor. When we receive greater than 4 chunks of information, whether in our mind, phone, internet, or outside world, this triggers the SNS, leaving us unable to make optimal decisions in these states.
Give your brain time to adjust to transitions:
As we wake from sleep, the brain shifts from slow delta waves (deep sleep) to faster theta and alpha waves, then quickly into beta and gamma waves associated with alertness and thinking. This transition isn't always smoothâsleep inertia can cause grogginess as slower waves linger. Gentle awakenings help ease this shift, while abrupt alarms can trigger a stressful spike in brain activity. Give yourself 20 - 30 minutes on rising for journaling, prayer, meditation, a quiet walk. You, like me, may discover interesting creative ideas percolating.
Be intentional:
Create specific times of the day to check emails rather than doom-scrolling throughout the day. Iâve changed to checking after lunch and later in the evening.
Prioritize:
Say and write on a sticky note or whiteboard what your 1 or 2 priority goals are for the day. Assign them to your PPW.
Important tips:
Use âChunkingâ & Work Cycles: Work in short, focused bursts (e.g., Pomodoro: 25 min work/5 min break). Take structured breaks to let your brain reset.
Create âAttention Anchorsâ: Set a simple intention before starting. This helps your brain focus and build momentum.
Limit Inputs, Create Friction: Turn off unnecessary notifications, keep only one tab/app open, and use blockers. Fewer distractions make it easier to stay focused.
Let Boredom Breathe: Take breaks without stimulation (walk, daydream, journal). Boredom resets your attention and boosts creativity.
Practice âAttention Trainingâ: Spend 2â5 minutes daily noticing your breath or sounds. When distracted, gently refocus. This strengthens your attention "muscle."
BBH checklist for optimizing your Attention and Focus:
Sleep: Probably the most important factor for attention and focus, recommend 7 - 9 hours per night.
Learning/Labs: Be an active learner. Try a brain stimulation platform like Brain HQâââââscientifically proven to improve cognition.
Exercise: Increases brain attention, creativity and promotes neurogenesis.
Diet: Limit snacking distractions. Refrain from eating and drinking 3 hours before bedtime.
Socialization: Adds to our brain-heart connection.
Stress Management: Be aware of distractions and the subtle ways stress steals your focus.
Sensory Health: Schedule vision and hearing exams every 2 years.
My coaching sessions help navigate and improve brain health for you or a loved one. Contact me to schedule a session or talk to your organization.
My most recent talk on , âThe Dementia Dilemmaâ, is now available to view.
Lessons in Science:
Excessive smartphone use is linked to various mental health challenges, particularly among adolescents and young adults.
Moderate and purposeful use of digital devices may offer cognitive benefits, especially for older adults.
Reducing screen time can lead to measurable improvements in mental health and well-being.
Ongoing research and public health initiatives are crucial to understanding and mitigating the impacts of smartphone use on mental health.
Studies:
A randomized controlled trial published PNAS Nexus (February 2025) investigated the effects of disabling mobile internet access on smartphones for two weeks. Participants could still make calls, send texts, and access the internet via non-mobile devices. The study found that 91% of participants showed improvement in at least one of the following areas: sustained attention, mental health, or subjective well-being. Notably, the enhancement in sustained attention was comparable to reversing a decade of age-related decline, and the reduction in depressive symptoms exceeded the average effect of antidepressant medications.
Fancourt, D., & Steptoe, A. (2025). Digital technology use and cognitive decline in older adults: A meta-analysis. Published in Nature Human Behaviour. Summary reported by The Guardian on April 14, 2025: "Older people who use smartphones show lower rates of cognitive decline". This study found that moderate, purposeful digital engagement (like using smartphones or computers) was associated with slower cognitive decline in adults over 50, especially when tech use was active (learning, communicating) rather than passive.
A study by Wacks and Weinstein (2021) found that excessive smartphone use is linked to mental health issues like depression, anxiety, ADHD, and OCD, especially in adolescents and young adults. It also affects sleep, cognition, self-esteem, and brain structure, highlighting the need for awareness among health and education professionals. Impact of Smartphone Use on Mental Health: A Comprehensive Review: Frontiers in Psychology, Volume: 12; 664614, 2021
"Do one thing with full focusâyour brain (and results) will thank you."
To optimal health and peace for all!
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- African proverb
To our optimized health!